of the work, the teacher can ask the students to reflect on the group inter-
action and to describe how the criteria were or were not met. Students can
explore their feelings and discuss indicators of how the team is working
more synergistically together. Teachers may pose metacognitive questions
such as these:
•What decisions did you make about when and how to participate?
•What metacognitive strategies did you use to monitor your own
communicative competencies?
•What were some of the effects of your decisions for you and others
in your group?
•As you anticipate future team meetings, what commitments might
you make to strengthen the groups’ productivity?
•What signals will you look for in the future to alert you to the need
for these communicative competencies?
Rubrics
Scoring rubrics are another way to assess the Habits of Mind. These
rubrics also promote self-evaluation when students help develop them.
Each category should be sufficiently clear so that students can learn from
the feedback about their behavior and see ways to improve.
Figures 11.5 through 11.9 are examples of rubrics for several Habits
of Mind and for group cooperation. They were developed by educators at
Ta m a l p a i s E l e m e n t a r y S c h o o l i n M i l l Va l l e y, C a l i f o r ni a. A f t e r t h e r u b r i c s
were developed, the teachers discussed them with their students, adding
to and refining them so that students understood the expectations. The
developmental continuum in these rubrics (from novice to expert) derives
from Tech Paths for Math (Kallick & Wilson, 1997).
Portfolios
Keeping track is a matter of reflective review and summarizing in
which there is both discrimination and record of the significant fea-
tures of a developing experience....It is the heart of intellectual
organization and of the disciplined mind.
—John Dewey,Experience and Education202 Learning and Leading with Habits of Mind