Primary / Elementary School

Intelligence in the Wild: A Dispositional View of Intellectual Traits

Most accounts of intelligence are "abilities-centric." They aim to explain intelligent behavior in terms of IQ or other measures of intellectual aptitude. However, several investigators have proposed that intelligent behavior in the wild--in everyday circumstances in which carefully framed tests do not tell people exactly what intellectual task to attempt--depends in considerable part on thinking dispositions. Definitionally, dispositions concern not what abilities people have, but how people are disposed to use those abilities. Everyday language includes a number of dispositional terms such as curiosity, open-mindedness, and skepticism. We review several dispositional constructs that researchers have investigated, sometimes under the label dispositions. The findings in trend show that dispositions are stable traits that help to explain intellectual performance over and above measures of intellectual aptitude. It is argued that a dispositional view of intelligence is warranted, and that it is an important area for continued research.

Why Teach Habits of Mind

Why teach habits of mind?

The Project Zero Classroom: Views on Understanding

What do Project Zero's ideas look like in practice? This book offers perspectives by teachers and researchers, including Howard Gardner and David Perkins, on several strands of Project Zero's research. Approaching the instructional goal of teaching for understanding, this volume is filled with examples that practitioners seek to help close the idea/action gap. Any of the articles provides a basis for reflective conversations among teachers and administrators working toward using Project Zero's ideas in their own schools. ASIN: B004S69940

Investigating the Educational Impact & Potential of The MoMA's Visual Thinking Curriculum

Between October of 1998 and August of 1999, researchers at Harvard Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School of Education conducted an intensive investigation of the Visual Thinking Curriculum (VTC), a school-based curriculum that was being used at the time by The Museum of Modern Art in 5^th and 6^th grade classrooms in New York City. Drawing on both quantitative and qualitative research methods, the purpose of the research was to better understand the outcomes, strengths and weaknesses of the VTC.

The Teaching for Understanding Guide

The Teaching for Understanding Guide: What does it mean to understand something? How do students develop understanding? How can teachers know how well they understand and support the development of understanding? Teaching for Understanding describes an approach to teaching that requires students to think, analyze, problem solve, and make meaning of what they have learned. Teaching for Understanding: Linking Research with Practice introduced the approach and the research that supports it. Now this companion workbook shows teachers how to use the four critical components of the Teaching for Understanding Framework.

Based on extensive research conducted by Project Zero and the Harvard Graduate School of Education, The Teaching for Understanding Guide offers teachers a practical way to apply the concepts of the Teaching for Understanding framework—both in the classroom and in curriculum planning. Using classroom examples from science, mathematics, language arts and social sciences, and reflecting the input of practicing teachers, the workbook shows how teachers can:

• Choose topics that engage student interest and connect readily to other subjects.
• Set coherent unit and course goals.
• Create activities that develop an demonstrate students' understanding.
• Improve student performance by providing continual feedback.

Brief case studies of teachers using this approach illustrate the process in action. Simple planning sheets and teaching units make this guide a useful resource for developing curriculum. Reflection sections at the end of each chapter suggest related activities, issues, and questions to facilitate further exploration of the chapter's ideas. The challenging process of rethinking classroom practice can lead to a new level of student understanding and learning. This how-to guide gives teachers the practical tools for making understanding more achievable in the classroom. ISBN-13: 978-0787909932