Dates for the Queensland workshops 2009.

The ANSN action learning model for hubs ensures that our colleagues are provided with an opportunity to put theory into practice, so conversations can focus on professional challenges, building current repertoires of practice and celebrating successes.

Has your school been implementing and exploring the Habits of Mind or Dimensions of Learning and want to find ways to further enhance your school journey or alternatively your school is interested in developing a complete learning framework that incorporates a common language to bind assessment, pedagogy and planning though a "thinking" approach?

Then you might be interested in the Australian National Schools Network professional learning program Setting the Stage. This professional learning focuses on developing a climate for successful learning by discussing strategies that promote positive attitudes and perceptions towards classroom climate and classroom tasks, as well as exploring ways of explicitly teaching habits of mind as a framework for promoting thinking at a classroom and a whole school level.

Productive habits of mind and positive attitudes and perceptions

Setting the stage is about skillful, intentional design through the development of vital learning dispositions and frames of mind.  The aim is to provide tools that assist schools to build the citizenship skills, knowledge, capabilities and values that equip our students as independent thinkers for the 21st century knowledge economy.

Art’s biggest dream is to grow this body of work, the Habits of Mind and to see thoughtfulness strategised and articulated so that school communities grow and get ‘better at’ the thinking skills captured in the Habits of Mind.  By community remember this is not just about our learners or us as their teachers but about the connection with their families. 

Accordingly, the ANSN, with Art’s permission have made his powerpoint from the Next Steps professional learning opportunities available here.  This resource will remain until the end of the year and then it will move into a members only section on the site.  Art wants you to acknowledge the source of this work but he wants you to be sure to know that the intention is to USE this resource to make a difference, to inspire great thinking and problem solving in our learners.

The following lists all schools that are, or have been, members of the Habits of Mind Hub

Article from Education Times, Vol 15, No 18, 8 November 2007

By Melanie Corben

EVERYONE knows that habits are hard to make (and break), but educators who attended the travelling Habits of Mind International Expo in Melbourne and Auckland, recently came away with a range of innovative ideas to help students behave intelligently when they ‘don't know all the answers'.

hom 2007 book sample

The first International Habits of Mind Expo was successfully held in Melbourne and Auckland in October 2008. Over 350 educators from around the world experienced first hand the lessons learnt by leading schools from Australia, New Zealand and Hawaii. Feedback from the Expo has been overwhelmingly positive and plans are now afoot for a similar event in 2008!

The 40 page conference book, containing these schools stories can now be purchased for $20 plus shipping. Log in for the 20% member discount.

Click the cover to see inside(contents) the book.

Students from the programHow do we help students to develop intelligent behaviours? A number of Australian schools have been working together with the Australian National Schools Network in a research circle to explore the use of the 16 Habits of Mind in their classrooms. Their aim: to help students become better thinkers and know how to draw from a repertoire of strategies when they don't know what to do and develop the habit of doing so.

The first International Habits of Mind Expo was successfully held in Melbourne and Auckland in October 2007. Over 350 educators from around the world experienced first hand the lessons learnt by leading schools from Australia, New Zealand and Hawaii. Feedback from the Expo has been overwhelmingly positive and plans are now afoot for a similar event in 2008!