Habits of Mind for Self-directed Thinking

10/19/2016

Habits of Mind for Self-directed Thinking

Finally I was able to see that if I had a contribution I wanted to make, I must do it, despite what others said. That I was OK the way I was. That it was all right to be strong.
Wangari Maathai, 1940-2011, first African woman to receive the Nobel Prize, for her activism

"One of the challenges for teachers is to support the acquisition of knowledge and skills. Another is to engage children in the intellectual life by supporting the development of traits such as curiosity and the disposition to be thoughtful. Recently there has been much discussion of the role of intentionality in teaching, thinking before doing, and acting with purpose during the teaching process. Intentionality is not just a characteristic of successful teachers; it is also seen in successful scientists, mathematicians, artists, and any profession where careful, self-directed thinking is needed. So how do we help children become intentional?"

In the Exchange article, "Best Brains in Science Under Five: Helping Children Develop Intentionality," Judy Harris Helm suggests, "Projects emphasize child-initiation and integrated learning. Projects are multidisciplinary, thought-provoking, and emotionally involving."

"Although all approaches can be valuable, spending little time on the child-initiated side of the continuum is less likely to develop intentionality. When experiences never venture into teacher-directed inquiry or project work, students are less likely to develop the habits of mind for finding answers to their questions, or to experience a positive sense of accomplishment when they learn what they wanted to learn and share that learning with others."

Learning Naturally - Inspirational Online Learning (www.learningnaturally.org)

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