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Videos

A wide range of videos about or related to educating for intellectual virtues is available online. What follows is a selection of these videos, grouped into seven main categories:

1. Intellectual Virtues Academy of Long Beach

2. Intellectual Virtues and Education Project

3. Ron Ritchhart

4. Thinking Routines

5. Grit, Self-Control, and Perseverance

6. Growth Mindset

7. Other

1. Intellectual Virtues Academy of Long Beach

IVA is a charter middle school (grades 6-8) in Long Beach, CA, the mission of which is to “foster meaningful growth in intellectual virtues in a thoughtful, challenging, and supportive academic environment.” The educational program at IVA systematically and comprehensively implements an intellectual virtues educational model. You can learn more about IVA and its educational approach from these videos:

An eight-minute promo video for the school:

A shorter promo video:

The following are one-minute videos illustrating IVA’s approach to several academic subjects (English, math, science, history) as well as art, music, PE, and advisory:

“The Challenges and Strengths of an Intellectual Virtues Educational Model.” This talk is by Dr. Steve Porter, one of the founders and board members at IVA. It addresses the unique opportunities and challenges for teachers, parents, and students involved in intellectual character education:

2. Intellectual Virtues and Education Project

The Intellectual Virtues and Education Project was a three-year research and implementation project sponsored by a major grant from the John Templeton Foundation and directed by Dr. Jason Baehr at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. The project involved, among several other events, an international conference and a two-year series of “pedagogy seminars” with a cohort of 15 primary and secondary schools from the greater Los Angeles area.

The following is video featuring participants in the pedagogy seminars, which gave them an opportunity to learn about and begin implementing an intellectual virtues educational model:

Jason Baehr’s introduction to the conference “Educating for Intellectual Virtues,” held at LMU in June of 2013:

3. Ron Ritchhart

Ron Ritchhart is Senior Research Associate at Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and author of several books, including Intellectual Character (2002), Making Thinking Visible (2011), and Creating Cultures of Thinking (2015). Ritchhart’s work provides a compelling and accessible account of what educating for intellectual virtues looks like in practice.

“Working Together to Create Powerful Thinkers and Learners.” This was a talk given by Ritchhart at the Intellectual Virtues Academy in March of 2015. Ritchhart discusses what teachers and parents can do to foster “cultures of thinking” and intellectual virtues:

“Creating Powerful Learning Opportunities.” In this talk at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Ritchhart discusses how art can be integrated into educational practices in ways that facilitate students’ intellectual character growth:

“Cultures of Thinking: A Bridge to the Future.” This is an interview with Ron Ritchhart in which he explains why cultures of thinking and “thinking dispositions” are necessary for success and well-being inside and outside the classroom:

4. Thinking Routines

Thinking routines are structured and easily repeatable exercises that can be used in multiple contexts to provide students with opportunities to practice a variety of intellectual virtues. As such, thinking routines occupy an important role in pedagogical approaches aimed at fostering intellectual virtues.

This short video introduces the idea of thinking routines:

The following videos illustrate the use of three core routines:

“Sentence-Phrase-Word”:

“See-Think-Wonder”:

“Generate-Sort-Connect-Challenge”:

5. Grit, Self-Control, and Perseverance

A considerable body of recent research suggests that success inside and outside the classroom is less a function of natural cognitive ability or IQ than of character strengths like “grit,” self-control, and perseverance. Much of this research has been conducted by Angela Duckworth at the University of Pennsylvania.

“What Is Grit?” A brief explanation of grit by Angela Duckworth:

“The Key to Success: Grit” by Angela Duckworth. Duckworth’s popular TED Talk on grit:

“Teaching Character: The Other Half of the Picture” by Andy Sokatch. Sokatch is Director of Research at the Character Lab, which is affiliated with Duckworth’s lab at the University of Pennsylvania:

Paul Tough, “How Children Succeed: The Hidden Power of Character.” Tough’s 2011 best-selling book How Children Succeed popularized the concept of “grit” and related ideas and practices. In this address, Tough offers an overview of his book and some of the research it chronicles:

6. Growth Mindset

To actively pursue growth in intellectual virtues, students must believe that such growth is possible. They must not have a “fixed mindset” about their intellectual abilities. Rather, they need a “growth mindset.” They must see intellectual character growth as something that is at least partly under their control—as something that can be cultivated through effort and trial and error. Research on “mindsets” originates with the influential work of Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck.

“Developing a Growth Mindset.” In this video, Carol Dweck introduces the concept of a growth mindset:

“Teaching a Growth Mindset.” Carol Dweck applies the concept of mindsets to educational practice:

“Helping Students Learn: Growth Mindset.” In this short video, Dr. Julie Schell describes how a focus on growth mindsets can be integrated into classroom teaching:

7. Other

“Intellectual Virtues: Love of Knowledge.” In this brief lecture, philosopher Linda Zagzebski gives an overview of intellectual character and intellectual virtues:

“Cultivating Good Minds: Intellectual Virtue & Education.” This video features a conversation between four philosophers about intellectual virtues and education. At 13:30, conversation turns explicitly to the practical dimensions of educating for intellectual virtues: