Chapter “X” rest on Habits of Mind this line at chapter breaks chapterstart below this line Teacher’s Companion William A. Sommers, Ph.D. Walter “Skip” Olsen THE INSTITUTE FOR HABITS OF MIND Habits of Mind: Teacher’s Companion © 2010 by The Institute For Habits Of Mind. All rights reserved. This download is intended for professional development by the purchaser. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced, by any process without written permission from the publishers, except the printing for personal use. However we do hope you will use and share the ideas with the colleagues that you think will benefit from the contents. Published by: Spectrum Education www.spectrumeducation.com ISBN 978-0-9864647-0-6 Book Design by: Creative Business Graphics The Institute For Habits Of Mind 12 Crooked Mile Road Westport, CT 06880 USA Questions or Comments? Please visit our website at www.instituteforhabitsofmind.com HABITS OF MIND Chapter “X” rest on this line at chapter breaks Dedication chapterstart below this line This work is dedicated to Dr. Art Costa and Dr. Bena Kallick. We are honored to support their work in education and their dedication to students. Whether the students are in PreK–12 or us older students, they have contributed their knowledge, skills, and applications to so many learners over so many years. Thank you is never enough. We have been energized by their commitment and hopeful for a better future for all the learners who benefit from their work. Thank you from two of your learning omnivores. We are grateful for your teaching, your modeling, and, most of all, your friendship. — Skip and Bill [ 3 ] HABITS OF MIND Chapter “X” rest on this line at chapter breaks Acknowledgements chapterstart below this line First, we would not have done this project without Art and Bena. Thank you for the gift of learning from and with you. Bill recognizes those who have contributed to his learning. Jennifer York-Barr who continues to amaze me by her connectedness and ability to make good things happen for educators. Thank you to Diane Zimmerman, Barbara Lawson, and Jim Roussin, the members of the GEL group who keep pushing my thinking in new ways. My appreciation goes out to Marney Wamsley who sent me to a Thinking Skills workshop in 1983 featuring Dr. Art Costa and Mary Oberg who introduced me to Dr. Art Costa. My life has never been the same. Finally, Skip Olsen. Who knew what mischief and learning we would generate when we met in 1995. What a ride and it is not over yet. Mahalo my friend. Skip acknowledges with deep gratitude and respect the contributions of Art and Bena made to his growth and to the field of education. You have had a most profound affect on my learning and on education. I owe a humble and heart felt thank you to the following people who have helped me interrogate reality through our thoughtful conversations: [ 4 ] HABITS OF MIND • David Evelo, my walking and lunch buddy, for our being able to talk deeply and honestly about everything; Chapter “X” rest on • Michael Ayers, Jim Roussin, Ron Petrich, and Amy Eggenberger have been my very special coffee pals that are this line at chapter breaks exquisite disturbers of the universe; • My colleagues in the progressive union and education movement Louise Sundin, Norm Moen, Bruce Waller, chapterstart below this line Sara Gjerdrum, Pat Reisinger, Katy Perry, Richard Wood, Marcia Averbook, Jenny Norlan-Weaver, Garnett Franklin and Christeen Gotsch move me with their depth of thinking, frank discussions and their commitment to public education; • The brilliant staff and students at Avalon Charter School who have shown me a wonderful and exciting new way to learn in the 21st century--thank you. And to my wife, Janet, who is always there when things aren’t going very well or smoothly, an unfathomable thank you. Bill, I don’t think either of us understood the extraordinary and exciting journey that was to come when we heard Angeles Arrien and Patrick O’Neill quote Rumi — ”To those whose job it is to wake the dead, get up! Today’s a work day!” Thank you my friend. Nameste! [ 5 ] HABITS OF MIND Must Become Leaders in Learning Chapter “X” rest on by Marilyn Ferguson this line at chapter breaks We can rationalize the failures of the past chapterstart below this line or we can learn from them. We can complain about the troubling inadequacies of the present or we can face them. We can talk and dream about the glorious schools of the future or we can create them. If we want children to learn to think and read, we must show them thoughtful people eager to take in new information. If we want them to be brave and resourceful, let them see us risking a new idea or finding a way. If we want them to be loyal, patriotic, and responsible, let us show them that we can be true to our deepest principles. If we want new and better schools, we will have to be new and better people. — from Towards a Quantum Mind [ 6 ] HABITS OF MIND Chapter “X” rest on Table of Contents this line at chapter breaks chapterstart below this line Introduction ................................................................ 8 Chapter 8 Applying Past Knowledge Habits of Mind Chart ..................................................11 to New Situations ................................126 Overview ....................................................................12 Chapter 9 Thinking & Communicating with Clarity and Precision ....................135 The Habits of Mind: Chapter 10 Gather Data Through All Senses .........143 Chapter 1 Persisting ..............................................52 Chapter 11 Creating, Imagining and Innovating ......153 Chapter 2 Managing Impulsivity ........................... 65 Chapter 12 Responding with Wonderment Chapter 3 Listening with Understanding and Awe .............................................164 and Empathy ....................................... 77 Chapter 13 Taking Responsible Risks ...................175 Chapter 4 Thinking Flexibly .................................. 88 Chapter 14 Finding Humor ....................................188 Chapter 5 Thinking About Your Thinking .............. 98 Chapter 15 Thinking Interdependently ...................199 Chapter 6 Striving For Accuracy ..........................108 Chapter 16 Remaining Open to Chapter 7 Questioning and Problem Posing ........ 117 Continuous Learning ...........................210 [ 7 ] HABITS OF MIND Chapter “X” rest on this line at chapter breaks Introduction chapterstart below this line ake no mistake about it—we live in a time not unlike Guttenberg’s, where fantastic tools remade the world over. MThe printing press made information available cheaply to everyone. And we observe the current revolution by casually referring to youngsters as “digital natives.” Truly, Neil Postman’s observation is even more prophetic today than it was 30 years ago: “Children are messages that we send to a future we will not see.” The digital tools available to this and succeeding generations is changing human beings and societies forever, just as the printing press did. Joel Garreau (2005) in his book Radical Evolution describes the future that currently exists. One university has taught an owl monkey to move objects with its mind. Yes, telekinetic energy. Another university has developed an exo-skeleton. Put this on and you can lift 160 pounds like it is 4.5 pounds. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency DARPA, an experimental arm of the government has created a pill to alleviate chronic pain. The pill will take effect in 30 seconds and last for a month. If you have chronic pain, this would be a great find. Would you use this pill on the sidelines of NFL Sunday? Would you use it on the battlefields of Iraq? The point is that we can do just about anything we want to. The question also is, “should we?” Business and industry know that creativity and good thinking are their lifeblood. High levels of good thinking and creativity will continue to be requirements of those who get hired in this increasingly technical and complex world. So, for educators, the question is what knowledge do we teach and how; AND how do we teach processes [ 8 ] HABITS OF MIND to support students’ using knowledge creatively and effectively? We believe the Habits of Mind so skillfully articulated by Drs. Art Costa and Bena Kallick are the necessary backbone of educational Chapter “X” rest on processes that are and will be foundational for an ever-changing future. We really do need this line at chapter breaks Neil Postman’s continuous learners for a future that we cannot see. observation “Sometimes it is easier to behave yourself into new learning rather than learning yourself into chapterstart below this line is even more a new behavior.” Knowledge is important AND insufficient. Pfeffer and Sutton (2006) wrote a prophetic today book on the Knowing-Doing Gap. Collectively, we know tons of stuff, but a question is are we using that copious knowledge to make a contribution to others and our institutions. than it was 30 years ago: Behaviors are learned by watching those who are in our environment. Behaviors are learned from those who take time to teach us new ways to do things. Behaviors that are repeated become “Children are habits. As with most things, habits can be positive (getting the results we want), habits can be messages that negative (getting results we don’t want), or the can be neutral (actions that neither move us we send to a forward or backward). future we will not Ralph Waldo Emerson admonishes us to: see.” “Watch your thoughts; They become words. Watch your words; They become deeds. Watch your deeds; They become habits. Watch your habits; They become character. Character is everything.” As you reflect on your life, we are sure you will see results you have gotten through sheer determination to be successful.