Focus Habits for this activity:
Taking Responsible Risks
Remaining Open to Continuous Learning
Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations
Striving for Accuracy
Activity. Y- Charts
Purpose: To focus attention on four habits of mind (listed above), and to consider what these habits might look like, feel like or sound like if they were being used. This activity works well with younger children in helping them to recognize and define the Habits of Mind.
Habits of Mind to employ while participating in this activity:
Thinking Interdependently
Thinking Flexibly
Thinking about your Thinking
Thinking and Communicating with Clarity and Precision
Directions:
Use the A3 charts provided.
Discuss your focus habits among the group to ensure all participants have a working understanding of what each of the habits are.
Divide the table into 4 smaller groups – each group will focus on one Habit of Mind. Give each small group the appropriate A3 sheet.
Focusing attention for 2 or 3 minutes in turn on:
- What the Habit of Mind might look like. What might you see people/students doing if they were using the Habit? Then,
- What the Habit of Mind might sound like. What might you hear people saying if they were using the Habit? Then,
- What the Habit of Mind feels like? If you were using the Habit of Mind, what/how might you be feeling?
When each small group has finished these 3 steps, either share and discuss results with the larger table group, or rotate the completed A3 sheets onto on to each smaller group for added input.
Focus Habits for this activity:
Taking Responsible Risks
Remaining Open to Continuous Learning
Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations
Striving for Accuracy
Activity. When, Why, How?
Purpose: Essential understandings that must come with Habits of Mind include; a sensitivity to situations WHEN it is appropriate to use a particular habit, an inclination towards using, or a valuing of WHY you would choose to use a particular habit, and an understanding of the skills, knowledge or understandings required to know HOW to use a particular habit. This activity is designed to focus attention on these aspects of the focus habits.
Habits of Mind to employ while participating in this activity:
Thinking Interdependently
Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations
Thinking about your Thinking
Thinking and Communicating with Clarity and Precision
Directions:
Direct your attention to the groups focus Habits of Mind . Have a brief table group discussion to ensure everyone has a working understanding of each of these habits
Focus your attention on one Habit at a time. (If you choose, you could divide the group into 2 or 3 smaller groups, each group to focus on one Habit of Mind and then rotate habits).
As a group think of situations where it might be beneficial to apply this particular habit. Draw on your past experiences as well as coming up with situations that you may reasonably come across in the future. Think from the perspective of students, teachers and the broader community.
For each situation you identify, give consideration to why it would be important. Apply the habit of thinking and communicating with clarity and precision. Be exact, give detail, and avoid generalizations.
Finally give careful consideration to HOW someone would apply this habit. What skills, techniques etc might they need to use. Again be as precise as possible.
Focus Habits for this activity:
Taking Responsible Risks
Remaining Open to Continuous Learning
Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations
Striving for Accuracy
Activity . Habits of Mind in Our School
Purpose. Professor Costa talks about a school that is Home For The Mind. This is a place where all members of the school community value Habits of Mind and strive towards using them habitually. This includes students, teachers, parents and the broader community. The purpose of this exercise is to compare and contrast what our school community might be like if we were using the Habits of Mind compared to a school community where the Habits of Mind are absent.
Habits of Mind to employ while participating in this activity:
Thinking Interdependently
Thinking Flexibly
Creating Imagining and Innovating
Thinking and Communicating with Clarity & precision
Directions
As a group, discuss what the school culture would be like if everyone applied the Habits of Mind in an appropriate way. It might be helpful to consider individual habits or you might find it easier to think of situations that arise as a result of being part of a school community.
Use the focus habits above to begin your discussion, but feel free to expand your investigation to include other (or all of the) Habits of Mind.
In your response employ the habit of Thinking and Communicating with Clarity and Precision. Avoid generalizations, vague terms and exaggerations. Elaborate where necessary.
Modification
If the group chooses to, you might like to compare your school community with one that uses the Habits of Mind routinely. This can be confronting as well as drawing attention to particular habits that your students, teachers or other community members might like to focus on in the future.
Of course ideally there would be no difference at all!!
Focus Habits for this activity:
Taking Responsible Risks
Remaining Open to Continuous Learning
Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations
Striving for Accuracy
Activity: Characters and Exemplars using Habits of Mind.
Purpose: The 16 Habits of Mind were not created or dreamed up. The are not someone’s personal good idea. They were derived from studies of high performers in many walks of life. The essential question that was asked was “What is it about the way these people use their minds, that makes them so exceptional.” In this activity you are asked to reflect on people/characters that might be considered good examples of a particular Habit of Mind.
Habits of Mind to employ while participating in this activity:
Thinking Interdependently
Thinking Flexibly
Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations
Thinking and Communicating with Clarity & precision
Directions
Direct your attention on your Focus Habits of Mind. Have a brief discussion about each of the groups focus Habit of Mind to ensure everyone has a working understanding of what each means.
Using the A3 sheets provided, choose examples of characters, personalities or people known to the school community that could be described as regularly employing your focus Habit of Mind. Television, cartoons, media and sports personalities are rich sources of examples. Literature can also be a rich source to explore.
For each person or character, briefly list what you notice them doing that leads you to recognize them as effective users of the habit.
Most Habits of Mind are employed not in isolation, but rather in sets. For example When persisting with a task, you may need to think flexibly to find alternative ways of reaching your goal. When involved in important discussions it is important not only to Listen with Empathy and Understanding, but also to Think and Communicate with Clarity and Precision and possibly Question and Pose problems and Manage Impulsivity. In your discussion try not to exclude on the basis that the person might be a better example of another habit or is employing several habits at a time, or that they are in fact a poor user of another habit. Note your observation and move on. At the end of the day your contributions are the richer for this observation.