Some more thoughts from Professor Art Costa

Art Costa promoted these five key points around thinking.

1. Learning to think
2. Thinking to learn
3. Thinking about our thinking
4. Thinking together
Thinking long term and short term

He discussed the need to make a Curriculum Mind Shift.....

From just worrying about the right answers TO Also knowing how to behave when answers are not immediately apparent.

"To understand anything requires some form of thinking so we need to be deliberate in using and teaching this.

As teachers we need to use the correct terminology - so our students will learn the language of thinking.

Habits of Mind attend to.....

Value - choosing to behave intelligently
Inclination - deciding to use a certain behaviour
Sensitivity - Knowing when to use them
Capability - having the skills and capacity to use them
Commitment - reflecting on improvement

So.. Professor Costa posed the question.......
Why Habits of Mind?

They are TRANS DISCIPLINARY - (Used in all areas of life)
Are as good for adults as they are for students
Focused on long range, enduring, essential learning.

It is not content that gets stored in memory - but the activity of learning.

Costa asks us as educators to....
* Show we value students points of view
* Cause students to question their own learning
* Challenge
* Value student self assessment

Costa values Meta cognition - thinking about our own thinking.

T.A.P.S - Think aloud problem solving (Promotes inner dialogue - that voice inside your head!)

Thinking together - is always enhanced in social situations.

Finally THINKING BIG AND LONG RANGE
Two questions left for us....

How does what we do help students to become the kind of people we hope they will be?
Why are all these things considered essential?