St Mary Star of the Sea12 October 2009
Identify the habits of the mind.
Understand their importance
Explore definitions for each of the 16 habits
Available resources
Consider how HOM fit into our school curriculum
and how we might integrate them into our
teaching.
HOM , a term developed by Professor Art Costa, is a repertoire of strategies that helps students develop ways of thinking and acting that lead to success. This approach helps students and their teachers become better thinkers able to employ specific thinking strategies.
Habit is a cable; we weave a thread of it each day,
And at last we cannot break it.
Horace Mann, American educator, 1796-1859
The 16 Habits of Mind *Persisting
*Managing Impulsivity
*Listening to Others-with Understanding and Empathy
*Thinking Flexibly
*Thinking About our Thinking (Metacognition)
*Striving for Accuracy and Precision
*Questioning and Posing Problems
*Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations
*Thinking and Communicating with Clarity and Precision
*Gathering Data through All Senses
*Creating, Imagining and Innovating
*Responding with Wonderment and Awe
*Taking Responsible Risks
*Finding Humour
*Thinking Interdependently
*Learning Continuously
The HOM give freedom to a broad range of character traits, so that individual differences come to the fore. HOM encourage individual expression and are not tied to a particular way of working or intelligence.
Research tells us that intelligence is not static and that it can be taught and learned.
We can help students to get into the habit of behaving intelligently and improving their ability to think.
“We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence then is not an act, but a habit.”
Aristotle
Hang in there Stick to it There are many ways
to solve a problem Don’t give up Try another way It may take time Stay focused Look for ways to reach
your goal
“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.” Dale Carnegie
Managing Managing ImpulsivityImpulsivity
Take your timeTake your time
Remain calmRemain calm
Think before you actThink before you act
Consider the alternativesConsider the alternatives
Stop, think and make a Stop, think and make a good decisiongood decision
Gather informationGather information
Listen to others point of Listen to others point of view before decidingview before deciding
“Never be afraid to sit awhile and think.”
Lorraine Hansberry
Listening to Others –Listening to Others –with Understanding and with Understanding and
EmpathyEmpathyUnderstand OthersUnderstand Others
Make an effort to Make an effort to perceive another’s point perceive another’s point of view and emotionsof view and emotions
Devote mental energy to Devote mental energy to another person’s another person’s thoughts and ideasthoughts and ideas
Spend time and energy Spend time and energy listening attentivelylistening attentively
“If there is any secret of success, it lies in the ability to get the other person’s point of view and see things from his angle as
well as from your own.”
Henry Ford
We need to teach children how to listen.
Thinking FlexiblyThinking FlexiblyLook at something Look at something another wayanother way
It is okay to change your It is okay to change your mind and your opinionmind and your opinion
Be open Be open
Think laterallyThink laterally
Consider opinions and Consider opinions and alternativesalternatives
Take into account Take into account additional informationadditional information
“If you never change your mind, why have one?”
Edward DeBono
Thinking About our Thinking Thinking About our Thinking (Metacognition)(Metacognition)
Verbalise your thinkingVerbalise your thinking
Plan your strategiesPlan your strategies
Reflect on your thinkingReflect on your thinking
Develop a plan of actionDevelop a plan of action
Search for information Search for information and meaningand meaning
Develop a mind mapDevelop a mind map
Mentally rehearse and Mentally rehearse and monitor your planmonitor your plan
“I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think.” Socrates
Striving for Accuracy and Striving for Accuracy and PrecisionPrecision
Check it againCheck it again
Desire greater resultsDesire greater results
Work to attain highest Work to attain highest possible standardspossible standards
Pursue ongoing learningPursue ongoing learning
Take pride in what you Take pride in what you dodo
Find your own errorsFind your own errors
Continue to redo, revise Continue to redo, revise and improveand improve“He who stops being better, stops being
good.” Oliver Cromwell
Questioning and Posing Questioning and Posing ProblemsProblems
How do you know?How do you know?
Find problems to solveFind problems to solve
Ask a variety of Ask a variety of questionsquestions
Be involved in Be involved in developing your own developing your own questionsquestions
Develop a range of Develop a range of questioning strategiesquestioning strategies
Have an inquiry Have an inquiry approachapproach
Find out and discoverFind out and discover
“Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton asked why.” Bernard Baruch
Applying Past Knowledge to Applying Past Knowledge to New SituationsNew Situations
Use what you learnUse what you learn
What does this remind you What does this remind you of?of?
Learn from past mistakesLearn from past mistakes
Use meaning from a Use meaning from a previous experience to previous experience to apply it to a new situationapply it to a new situation
Recall similar problemsRecall similar problems
Access prior knowledgeAccess prior knowledge
“Look back to learn how to look forward.”
L Thomas Holdcroft
Thinking and Communicating Thinking and Communicating with Clarity and Precisionwith Clarity and Precision
Be Clear!Be Clear!
Become specific Become specific
Communicate accurately Communicate accurately when speaking and writingwhen speaking and writing
Support your statements Support your statements with explanations and with explanations and evidenceevidence
Avoid over generalising Avoid over generalising
Use correct namesUse correct names
“What we don’t understand, we don’t possess.”
Johan Wolfgang von Goethe
Gathering Data through All Gathering Data through All SensesSenses
Hands on, activity basedHands on, activity based
Use all sensory pathways-Use all sensory pathways-smell, taste, move, hear, smell, taste, move, hear, see, touch, visualise and see, touch, visualise and verbaliseverbalise
Do it!Do it!
Experiment and Experiment and experienceexperience
Arts and music improve Arts and music improve mental functioningmental functioning
“Tell me and I’ll forget. Show me and I may remember. Involve me and I’ll understand.” Native American
Proverb
Creating, Imagining and Creating, Imagining and InnovatingInnovating
Try a different way!Try a different way!
Examine alternative Examine alternative possibilitiespossibilities
Generate new ideasGenerate new ideas
Be open to constructive Be open to constructive criticism and take riskscriticism and take risks
Think outside of the Think outside of the squaresquare
Be original!Be original!
“Imagination is more important than knowledge.”
Albert Einstein
Responding with Responding with Wonderment and AweWonderment and Awe
Have fun figuring it out!Have fun figuring it out!
Have passion for what you Have passion for what you dodo
Enjoy your learningEnjoy your learning
Be fascinated by the worldBe fascinated by the world
Have a positive attitudeHave a positive attitude
Find beauty and be Find beauty and be intriguedintrigued
Show your enthusiasmShow your enthusiasm
Be optimisticBe optimistic“The great man is he who does not lose his child-heart.”
Mencius
Taking Responsible RisksTaking Responsible Risks
Be adventurousBe adventurous
Don’t always stay in your Don’t always stay in your comfort zonecomfort zone
Draw on past knowledge Draw on past knowledge and take an educated riskand take an educated risk
Is the risk worth taking?Is the risk worth taking?
Challenge yourself without Challenge yourself without behaving impulsivelybehaving impulsively
Take a chanceTake a chance
“You’ll always miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”
Wayne Gretzky
Finding HumourFinding Humour
Laugh !Laugh !
Have a sense of humourHave a sense of humour
Look on the bright sideLook on the bright side
Be able to laugh at yourselfBe able to laugh at yourself
Initiate humourInitiate humour
Appreciate other’s humourAppreciate other’s humour
Be fun to be aroundBe fun to be around
Be cheerful and positiveBe cheerful and positive
“The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed.”
Sebastien-Roch Nicolas de Chamfort
Laughter is Good for You!
The senior choir invites any member of the congregation who enjoys sinning to join the choir
Miss Charlene Mason sang "I Will Not Pass This Way Again," giving obvious pleasure to the congregation.
Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.
Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Don't forget your husbands.
The peacemaking meeting scheduled for today has been cancelled due to a conflict.
The Rev. Merriwether spoke briefly, much to the delight of the audience.
During the absence of our pastor, we enjoyed the rare privilege of hearing a good sermon when J.F. Stubbs supplied our pulpit
Thinking Thinking InterdependentlyInterdependently
Work together!Work together!
Develop group and social Develop group and social skillsskills
Contribute to the groupContribute to the group
Learn from and with othersLearn from and with others
Co-operation and Co-operation and collaborationcollaboration
Sharing ideas and the work Sharing ideas and the work loadload
Being sensitive to the needs Being sensitive to the needs of othersof others
“Achievement is a we thing, not a me thing, always the
product of many heads and hands.”
J.Atkinson
Learning ContinuouslyLearning ContinuouslyLearn from your own experiencesLearn from your own experiences
Search for new and better waysSearch for new and better ways
Strive for growth and Strive for growth and improvementimprovement
Make use of opportunities to Make use of opportunities to learnlearn
Be open to new learning and Be open to new learning and ideasideas
Show an eagerness to learnShow an eagerness to learn
Don’t be afraid to admit what you Don’t be afraid to admit what you don’t knowdon’t know
“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at 20 or 80. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest
thing in life is to keep your mind young.” Henry Ford
Useful websites:• www.habitsofmind.org• www.mindfulbydesign.com
Books
HOM are dispositions that individuals possess to varying degrees.
These may be developed by designing learning activities that
require students to use their HOM.
There are 5 dimensions to the development of HOM:
1. Exploring meaning (What / Understanding)
2. Expanding capacity (How)
3. Increasing Alertness (When & Where)
4. Extending value (Why)
5. Building commitment (Self assess/ self direct)
Remember only a few dimensions are likely to be
considered in any given unit of work.
The handout contains examples designed: • to stimulate your thinking
• Are not prescriptive
• Lacking content learning outcomes
Each dimension is independent, although may overlap,
and may be developed independently.
Not intended to represent any sort of sequence or
hierarchy.
Examples of how HOM have been included in teaching & learning
Recommended that integration into the curriculum and
teaching be taken up and developed in future MS and PS
staff meetings.