Art Costa's 16 Habits of Mind used within the curriculum and education outside the classroom:
The Habits of Mind consist of 16 approaches that some schools infuse into their curriculum. They are a way of teaching the children how to behave appropriately and intelligently when they do not know the answer - to a question or a situation.
Many of the Habits of Mind can be related to the New Zealand Curriculum's key competencies and values, as well as using them within each of the learning areas.
ENGLISH: The Habits of Mind can be used in Literacy to help students make meaning and use visual, oral and written texts. By using the Habits of Mind, students can begin to understand purposes of texts, how to locate and understand information within a text, communicate, use their prior knowledge and be open-minded to a range of new ideas that may present themselves within a text. Thinking and Communicating with Clarity and Precision: Students will be able to clearly articulate ideas through written texts or oral language. "By understanding how language works, students are equipped to make appropriate language choices and apply them in a range of contexts." (Ministry of Education, 2007.p.18). Questioning and Posing Problems: By applying this Habit of Mind, children will be able to read texts with a critical mind. The children will be able to use reading comprehension strategies (inferring, predicting, etc.) in conjunction with the application of this Habit. Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations: The children are able to use their prior knowledge and experiences in order to make meaning of texts. The children will "use their personal experience and world and literacy knowledge to make meaning from texts." (Ministry of Education, 2007. Fold out page). Creating, Imagining, Innovating: The children will be creating imaginative and innovative texts. They will also be using their imagination when reading various texts, in order to make meaning of and enjoy what they are reading.
MATHEMATICS: Mathematics is not only about discovering the answer to an equation, it is about discovering a range of new strategies and applying these to any given problem. "By studying mathematics and statistics, students develop the ability to think creatively, critically, strategically, and logically....By learning mathematics and statistics, students develop other important thinking skills." (Ministry of Education, 2007.p.26). The Habits of Mind are tools that can be applied to encourage children to adopt new strategies and thinking skills. Persisting: "It is better to teach students three ways to solve one problem than it is to teach them one way to solve three problems." (Costa & Kallick, n.d. p.38). By applying this Habit of Mind in numeracy, children learn that it is important to use a range of strategies - if one doesn't work, or you get stuck, try something else. Taking Responsible Risks and Managing Impulsivity: The teacher and students can work together to develop and talk about different strategies for attacking problems. The students can be encouraged to share their progress and their perceptions of their own behaviour during a learning activity. It is also important for students to feel safe in their learning environment to take risks, and to describe and reflect on a strategy they may be using. Questioning and Posing Problems: This Habit can be applied when children use estimations and predictions in numeracy. Students will be curious in numeracy - they will pose various problems in different contexts and use questioning as a strategy to help them become mathematical thinkers. Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations: Children are learning to become mathematical thinkers, or numerate - as well as literate. They will begin to use knowledge learned in past experiences to various situations. By applying past knowledge, students make meaning of mathematical problems/situations. Therefore, it becomes more relevant to them and their world.
THE ARTS: The Arts are a vehicle for children to express themselves in many different forms. The Arts enable children to value the diversity of Aotearoa through a range of different media. "Arts education explores, challenges, affirms, and celebrates unique artistic expressions of self, community, and culture...Learning in, through, and about the arts stimulates creative action and response by engaging and connecting thinking, imagination, senses, and feelings." (Ministry of Education, 2007.p.20). By using The Habits of Mind in conjunction with teaching The Arts, children can learn how to respond to different art forms, and think flexibly and creatively. Children should be encouraged to take risks in this learning area, too. Creating, Imagining, Innovating: In all areas of The Arts children are encouraged to use their imagination, think creatively and use innovation. Students will bring a range of unique ideas to any given situation in The Arts learning areas, and put together original creations. Responding with Wonderment and Awe: In The Arts area, children are introduced to a range of art forms. They will use this Habit of Mind to respond reflectively, respectfully and with curiosity to what ever it is they are viewing. Thinking Flexibly: In order to build an understanding of various art forms and their origin, children will need to think flexibly. Taking Responsible Risks: Children will be encouraged to take risks in this curriculum area, as there are many possible outcomes. "They learn to use imagination to engage with unexpected outcomes and to explore multiple solutions." (Ministry of Education, 2007.p.20). SOCIAL SCIENCES: Social Sciences help children learn about societies, people and the way the world has changed over the course of time. Using the Habits of Mind in this curriculum area can enhance children's awareness of participating in society by being empathetic, remaining open to continuous learning and applying their prior knowledge/experience to situations they are faced with. Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations: The children will draw on lived experiences and knowledge they have previously formed when faced with a new situation. In doing this, children will be making connections different people/cultures/societies through what they have learned in the past. Remaining Open to Continuous Learning: By applying this Habit of Mind, children will come to realise that they not only learn as a child. By experiencing various cultures and learning about the past which has formed these cultures, children will begin to understand that being an active member of society means learning is a life-long journey. Listening with Understanding & Empathy: Children will value and understand cultures, people and societies more when they apply this Habit of Mind. They will learn to understand the beliefs and views of other people/cultures and react in an empathetic and understanding way. HEALTH & P.E Health and Physical Education is about promoting well-being and learning about social responsibility. When using the Habits of Mind in the Health and Physical Education context, children will learn how to think interdependently, take risks, manage impulsivity and become understanding and empathetic. "As they develop resilience and a sense of personal and social responsibility, they are increasingly able to take responsibility for themselves and contribute to the well-being of those around them." (Ministry of Education, 2007.p.22). Listening with Understanding and Empathy: In Health Education, it is important for children to be aware of those around them, and the differing beliefs, values and experiences within a community. Thinking Interdependently: By applying this Habit in a Physical Education or Health context, the children will learn how to co-operate with and respect people in their team or group. It allows children to be open minded to other peoples opinions. Taking Responsible Risks: In both Health and P.E, children are encouraged to take risks. Using the Habits of Mind, children become aware of how they are responsible for not only themselves, but others around them. Managing Impulsivity: In Health & P.E it is important for children to manage themselves, and think before they act - or speak.
SCIENCE: "Science is a way of investigating, understanding, and explaining our natural, physical world and the wider universe." (Ministry of Education, 2007.p.28). By applying the Habits of Mind in the Science context, children will develop their thinking by responding with wonderment and awe, and questioning & posing problems. Responding with Wonderment and Awe: Children will become intrigued, and amazed by the development of the world, and the phenomena that surrounds us. Questioning and Posing Problems: "Science is able to inform problem solving and decision making in many areas of life." (Ministry of Education, 2007.p.28). By questioning and posing problems children will become more informed about the world around them through questioning and investigation. TECHNOLOGY: Technology is about combining practical and intellectual resources to develop outcomes that enhance human possibilities. There are many Habits of Mind that can be applied to this learning area, including but not limited to: thinking flexibly, persisting, creating, imagining, innovating, striving for accuracy and thinking interdependently. Thinking Interdependently: Children will work in group situations, where they will be work well with one another. Striving for Accuracy: The children will be striving for quality outcomes when creating a product. They will constantly aware of ways that they can improve their final outcome. Thinking Flexibly: By applying this Habit of Mind to Technology, children will become aware that it is important to be flexible in the way they think, in order to create a quality product. Persisting: The children will learn to keep persisting at their product. They will realise things take time, and it is important to keep going. Creating, Imagining and Innovating: The children will be innovative and imaginative when creating an original product in Technology. Through continuous designing, the children will enhance their confidence and knowledge in this area. Education Outside the Classroom: Education Outside the Classroom (EOTC) is the "curriculum-based learning that extends beyond the four walls of the classroom" (Ministry of Education, n.d.). There are vast and extensive opportunities available to students to utilise the Habits of Mind through EOTC. By applying the Habits of Mind in EOTC contexts the students are able to perform to their full potential so they can deal with real life situations in a thoughtful and responsible way. The following examples are merely a snapshot of the broad opportunities available when integrating the two. Persisting: Students are required to demonstrate persistence to be successful during outdoor activities such as skiing, orienteering and cross country when the skill is not easily mastered and/or proves challenging. Thinking Interdependently: Students are required to demonstrate the Habit of Mind, Thinking Independently when working collaboratively in group contexts such as at school camp. For example when carrying out a team building activity a student would not be able to achieve a task without the rest of the team. It is not just about working together, it is about thinking together. Listening with Understanding and Empathy: Students need to show respect, and empathy by listening carefully when supporting others to attempt new experiences. They also to need to be open to others’ suggestions and ideas when undertaking new experiences themselves. An example could be when students are attempting to abseil for the first time. Learning Continuously: When visiting places such as the Marae and the Chinese Gardens students are given the opportunity to be immersed in different cultures and ways of life. Students need to be open to learning from new experiences such as these and be welcoming of the new information. Responsible Risk Taking: When undertaking activities such as kayaking it is important to encourage students to take risks. However, to be successful it is important that students can identify the risks and make responsible decisions when attempting the activities.
SUMMARY: To conclude, it is clear that the 16 Habits of Mind can make themselves evident in all of the curriculum areas. We personally feel that most of the Habits are entwined with one another, therefore they are all relevant across the curriculum. We have come to realise that many of the Habits of Mind are similar to the Key Competencies and Values within the NZC. Thus, they are used in every day classroom life.