Students need specific thinking--or Habits of Mind--to engage with problems and become self-directed learners, write Arthur L. Costa, Bena Kallick, Jay McTighe, and Allison Zmuda. A curricular approach based on enhancing students' understanding of conceptually significant, transferable ideas can help schools teach these dispositions.

In this article, Alfie Kohn discusses four questions about questioning--starting with questions that are more basic, and progressing to some that are "deeper and potentially more subversive of traditional schooling." He begins by considering what questions we should ask students, and encourages teachers to keep questions with…

Researchers have asked college students how they study, and the results show that most use four inefficient strategies that do not often work: (1) reading assigned chapter, trying to understand individual sentences as he goes but not necessarily ensuring he's got the overall gist; (2) marking what he takes to be important points with a…

Students today are electronically connected, and they expect their learning to be connected as well. Many college students prefer online classes, even if they live on campus. Students who do take face-to-face classes often expect the class to have an online communication component (such as a discussion board). However, despite the fact that K-12…

In her well-known research, Carol Dweck has documented how individuals' attitudes about intelligence affect their behavior and achievement. People with a fixed mindset, she writes, believe that intelligence is inborn and unchangeable, whereas those with a growth mindset believe that intelligence can grow through practice and effort. In this…

Critical thinking is the sort of mental activity that uses facts to plan, order, and work toward an end; seeks meaning or an explanation; is self-reflective; and uses reason to question claims and make judgments. Any subject--be it physics, algebra, or auto repair--can promote critical thinking as long as teachers teach the subject matter in…

Conventional assessments do not meet the cognitive demands of the world today. WICS, an acronym for wisdom, intelligence, and creativity, synthesized, can provide a more meaningful model. Findings from the Rainbow Project, conducted by the Center for the Psychology of Abilities, Competencies, and Expertise, showed that assessing students for…

Schools should prepare for the time when one-sixth of all Americans will be 65 or older by finding ways for the generations to learn from one another. (Author)

Allowing students one hour of classroom time daily to explore their interests complements the curriculum and creates lifelong learners, though benefits may not show up on test scores. Discovery learning nurtures creativity and love for learning, creates a community of learners, develops self-esteem, teaches skills, and uses real-world resources.…

There are six basic qualities of good mentoring: commitment to the mentoring role, acceptance of beginning teachers, proficiency at providing instructional support, interpersonal effectiveness, skill at modeling continuous learning, and ability to communicate hope and optimism. A sidebar explains the Mentoring Leadership and Resource network. (10…

Most educators are lifelong learners, but too few seize opportunities to share their passions, interests, and knowledge with their students. To honor lifelong learners, schools can carve out a staff retreat with well-stocked bookshelves, create a database of experts on all topics, celebrate unusual holidays and little-known world events, and hold…

At Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina, an innovative program promotes lifelong literacy skills for university physical-plant employees and, in turn, helps these adult learners support their children's education. Instructional activities link families through children's literature, work-related readings, and personal literature. To…

Asserts that an instructional leader's greatest challenge is changing an unhealthy school culture into a healthy one that promotes lifelong student and adult learning. Describes what instructional leaders should do to create healthy school cultures. States that unhealthy school cultures tend to produce at-risk students. (PKP)

Fifth graders at a Virginia school are applying new knowledge about world cultures by constructing artifacts for an Egyptian legacy exhibit. Exhibitions are a key facet of Museums-in-Progress (MIP), a program that links problem-solving activities with the real world. Students learn to develop, install, and interpret an exhibition by touring local…