HABITS OF MIND

YEAR 7 Multiple Intelligences Each person is able to learn All humans are born with eight different intelligences Each intelligence learns differently QUICK QUIZ – What are the eight ‘smarts’? Word Number Body Music Picture People Self Nature

YEAR 8 Building upon what you did in year 7 Taking it a step further What are your strengths? What areas would you like to work on? What Habits would you like to develop?

What are the HABITS OF MIND? Art Costa Research into the behaviour of successful people – the best in their field, e.g. athletes What do they have in common with the way they go about using their minds? Learning to behave more intelligently Came up with 16 habits

You are already using many of the habits, at school and outside of school Giving you a language to use

THE 16 HABITS OF MIND

PERSISTING Stick to it! Trying different strategies Finding different ways to reach your goals Remaining focused

MANAGING IMPULSIVITY Take your time! Thinking before acting (how many of us DON’T do that?) Choose your response ‘Think time’ and ‘wait time’ – e.g. count to three before call out

THINKING FLEXIBLY Look at it another way Looking at something one way and imagining it a different way Being open to alternatives, differences, change Coming at problems from a different angle Redefining what the problem is ‘As a result of hearing everyone’s opinions, I have changed my mind…’

LISTENING WITH EMPATHY & UNDERSTANDING Understand others Understanding where another person is coming from Another’s point of view and emotions LISTENING versus HEARING Are we always able to summarise the opinions of others? Before last point – students to pair up and each to briefly say what their favourite chocolate bar is and why, other person is to listen then I will select a few students from audience to summarise what the other said

STRIVING FOR ACCURACY Check it again Striving for your personal best Set high standards Getting it right – doing it better Checking and finding ways to improve constantly Is ‘satisfactory’ good enough?

Thinking about your thinking METACOGNITION Know your knowing Being aware of your own thoughts, strategies, feelings & actions Reflecting – what works and what doesn’t work? Metacognitive awareness – how did you solve your problem? 176 + 232 = ? Ask students to add the above sum in head (answer is 408) How did they work it out? E.g. 100+200 = 300, 70+30 = 100, 6+2 = 8

QUESTIONING & POSING PROBLEMS How do you know? Having a questioning attitude Do you remember when you were five? Knowing what data you need Developing questioning strategies to develop that data What questions do you ask of someone you’ve met for the first time? Find someone you don’t know well What would you like to find out from that person? What questions did you ask? How many of you asked questions that got a yes or no answer? We all do it Examples of questions asked

APPLYING PAST KNOWLEDGE TO NEW SITUATIONS Use what you learn! Access prior knowledge Take knowledge beyond the situation in which it was learned ‘Numb3rs’ The show NUMBERS – using Maths knowledge to solve cases Applying learning of another language to understanding of English

THINKING & COMMUNICATING WITH CLARITY AND PRECISION Be clear! Fuzzy language – ‘EVERYBODY thinks that this is so…’ Really? Is there not ONE person who doesn’t think this way? Being accurate when talking and writing Avoiding over generalising, distorting, deleting, exaggerating Nobody likes when it gets to 40 degrees – really? Important when writing essays and giving oral presentations

CREATING, IMAGINING, INNOVATING Try a different way Coming up with new ideas Being original Including a DVD of an activity completed in class to include in your portfolios

TAKING RESPONSIBLE RISKS Venture out! Reach for the stars Trying something new Going outside your comfort zone – growing as a person Measuring up the risks How many of us find talking in front of a group scary? Giving talks Start small – slowly edge out Practice speaking in front of a friend, then family, then a class then eventually the school Doesn’t mean doing dangerous things – it’s about challenging yourselves

GATHERING DATA THROUGH ALL SENSES Use your natural pathways Tasting, smelling, touching, moving, listening, seeing Gathering different sorts of data Learning best by taking information in using all our senses What data could you gather if you were to do an assignment on dogs? Information from encyclopedia, Internet, etc Interview dog owners Watch dogs being trained, at a park, etc Play with/pat dog

THINKING INTERDEPENDENTLY Work together! Working with others Learning from others Team work Working effectively Again it takes practice

FINDING HUMOUR Laugh a little! Seeing the funny side of things Laughing at ourselves Not about putting others down This habit is demonstrated by the most successful people Most advanced form of intelligence – it is a difficult thing to do This doesn’t mean laughing when inappropriate Rather it is about being able to see the light side of life Break time – work in groups of about four and get yourselves laughing!!

RESPONDING WITH WONDERMENT & AWE Have fun figuring it out Passionate, amazed, intrigued Love doing what you are doing The most successful love what they do –examples? Opposite of: ‘That’s boring…’ ‘Who cares…’

REMAINING OPEN TO CONTINUOUS LEARNING I have so much more to learn The teacher myth: ‘we know it all’ Door staying open The most successful people always want to learn more, to improve, to get better Opposite of being arrogant ‘I know it all’

ONE LAST POINT Nothing’s stopping you from becoming the most successful person you can be.

HABITS OF MIND PORTFOLIOS WHAT IS A PORTFOLIO? Collection of work Shows effort, growth and achievement Reflecting about learning Self evaluating Setting goals

WHAT CAN YOU INCLUDE? Tests Oral presentations Worksheets Role plays Journal writing Musical pieces Artwork What else?

PORTFOLIO PROCESS Collect – in your log Select – pieces to include Reflect – using the portfolio entry sheet Connect – at parent-teacher interviews

TERM 1 Becoming familiar with the Habits of Mind Use your Year 7 Multiple Intelligences portfolio to work out your strengths and problem areas and to set learning goals for the year Based on your goals, you will then select four Habits of Mind – one from each category Cover page of portfolio

Responding & interacting THE 16 HABITS OF MIND Thinking Thinking about your thinking (metacognition) Thinking and communicating with clarity & precision Thinking interdependently Thinking flexibly Responding & interacting Listening with understanding and empathy Taking responsible risks Responding with wonderment and awe Finding humour Remaining open to continuous learning Data gathering Applying past knowledge to new situations Questioning and problem posing Gather data through all senses Completing a task Persisting Managing impulsivity Striving for accuracy Creating, imagining & innovating

You will show your development in each habit by selecting a minimum of two pieces of work or activities A total of 8 entries – 2 x 4 habits Each piece you include must come from a different subject

Term 1 Goal setting Parent-Teacher Interviews Presentation of goals

Term 2 Parent-Teacher Interviews Goal update Complete entries for two of the habits you have chosen Portfolio entry sheet for each piece you include

Term 3 Complete entries for other two habits you have chosen Present portfolios at parent-teacher interviews in August

Term 4 Finishing touches Revisit goal setting – have you achieved your goals and how? Present completed portfolios to classmates