Thinking+Skills+and+Thinking+Tools

toc =Thinking= At Glen Taylor School we value and encourage the use of Intelligent Thinking Skills. To develop thinking in our students we use a range of thinking tools. We believe the Habits of Mind are a set of tools for life not just for learning. Listed below are the 16 Habits of Mind - Which do you use all the time? Which do you not use as much as you should? Which ones do you see your children using? They are a great starter for talking about thinking, for ways to approach problems and for becoming Mindful People.

Not sure what they are? Ask your children!

=**Habits of Mind Art Costa and Bena Kallick**=
 * Persisting** - Stick to it! See it through to completion.
 * Managing Impulsivity** - Take your time! Think before acting.
 * Listening with Understanding and Empathy** - Understand others! make an effort to see another persons point of view.
 * Thinking Flexibly** - Look at it another way! Consider the options.
 * Thinking about thinking** ( Metacognition)- Know your knowing! Be aware of your own thoughts and actions and feelings.
 * Striving for Accuracy** - Check it again! Always do your best. Find ways to improve.
 * Questioning and Problem Solving**-How do you know! Have a questioning attitude.
 * Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations** - Use what you learn! Accessing prior learning.
 * Thinking and Communicating with Clarity and Precision** - Be clear! Striving for accurate communication.
 * Gather Data with all the Senses** - Use your natural pathways! Pay attention to the world around you.
 * Creating, Imagining and Innovating** - Try a different way!
 * Responding with Wonderment and Awe**- Have fun figuring it out!
 * Taking Responsible Risks** - Venture Out! Try new things and be adventurous.
 * Finding Humour** - Laugh a little! Be able to laugh at ones self.
 * Thinking Interdependently** - Work together! team work.
 * Remain Open to Continuous Learning**- Learn from experiences!

We also use =****SOLO Taxonomy****= Discuss with your child the type and level of thinking they are are engaging in.

Pre-Structural- Uni-Structural- Mult-Structural- Relational- Extended Abstract-

= **Six Thinking Hats** =

We also use Edward De Bono's Six Thinking Hats. These are some of the ways we will use the thinking hats: Yellow hat stands for what are the good point in a story or poem. Why is this worth doing? How will it help us? Why can't it be done? Why will it work. Black hat means negative or hindering points. Caution. Judgment. Assessment. Is it true? Will it work? What are the weakness? What is wrong with it? Emotions. Intuition. Feelings and hunches. No need to justify the feelings. How do I feel about this right now? Green hat stands for new ideas that are possible. Creativity. Different ideas. Suggestions and proposals. What are some possible ways to work this out? What are some other ways to solve this problem? Organistation of thinking. Thinking about thinking. What have we done so far? What do we do next?
 * To evaluate web sites before we began building our own
 * To think critically about our site and look for ways we could improve it
 * To think about all aspects of a topic we are studying.
 * Yellow Hat**
 * Black Hat**
 * Red Hat**
 * Green Hat**
 * Blue Hat**

=**Key Competencies**=

We believe that by exploring how we think, and how we act we will be able to address the Key Competencies as outlined by the Ministry Of Education, thereby becoming self aware, self managing responsible citizen, helping to make the world a better place.