Republished in this protected area for the purpose of curriculum development.
Author: Massachusetts Department of Education, HTML Template for Documents
Date: October 17, 1995
URL: http://info.doe.mass.edu/
Habits of Mind
These are ways of thinking, attitudes, and approaches to work that contribute
to lifelong learning. The habits of mind developed through experiences in the
arts reflect the Common Core of Learning's three broad goals for students,
Gaining and Applying Knowledge, Thinking and Communicating, and Working and
Contributing.27
Imaginative thinking. As they create and perform, students draw upon
imagination, perception, and memories. They learn to take risks and devise
multiple interpretations.
Heightened perceptual awareness. Students learn to pay close attention to
what they see and hear, to perceive how details fit together to make a dynamic
whole, and to appreciate subtlety in visual, aural, and verbal communication.
Reflective thinking. Through discussion and self-assessment, students learn
to accept and give constructive criticism, and to regard critique as an
integral part of refining communication.
Organization, curiosity, and persistence. Students learn to plan and pursue
a sequence of steps in rehearsing, creating, and performing. They learn to
develop their own questions and to persevere even when they hit obstacles and
disappointments.
Analytical thinking and the ability to make connections. Students learn to
analyze works of art, research historical and cultural contexts, draw
conclusions, and make informed judgments.
Personal and social responsibility. The experience of public performance and
exhibition teaches students that they are accountable for the quality of their
own work, that overall success is dependent upon group cohesiveness, and that
each person has a responsibility to help others achieve at high levels.
Respect for creativity in others. Because students invest so much of
themselves in their artwork, they appreciate why people devote themselves to
work, projects, and ideas that attempt to make sense of and give structure to
human experience.