University of Hawaii. He is currently teaching 6th grade, where integrat-
ing Habits of Mind into project-based units of instruction is his primary
focus.
David Perkins,codirector of Harvard Project Zero, is a senior research
associate at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He is the author
of several books, including Smart Schools: From Training Memories to
Educating Minds andOutsmarting IQ: The Emerging Science of Learn-
able Intelligence; and many articles. He has helped to develop instruc-
tional programs and approaches for teaching understanding and thinking,
including initiatives in South Africa, Israel, and Latin America. He is a for-
mer Guggenheim Fellow. Perkins can be reached at Project Zero, Har-
vard Graduate School of Education, 323 Longfellow Hall, 13 Appian
Way, Cambridge, MA 02138; phone: 617-495-4342; fax: 617-496-4288;
e-mail: [email protected].
Thommie DePinto Piercywas a public school teacher in grades K–5 for
18 years. She is the former vice principal of Friendship Valley Elementary
School in Carroll County, Maryland, and currently teaches graduate
courses in reading and writing. She has published articles about integrat-
ing reading comprehension with two of the Habits of Mind: (1) question-
ing and posing problems and (2) thinking about thinking (metacognition).
She based her research on this topic at the University of Maryland and
was honored with the International Reading Association’s (IRA) Research
Award. In 1999 she chaired and presented at the IRA Convention in San
Diego with Regie Routman. DePinto Piercy has received the Bailor Award
in recognition of her distinguished educational career. In her current role
as principal of Mt. Airy Elementary School in Carroll County, Maryland,
she has promoted a Habits of Mind culture as reflected in her new school’s
vision: “Success with a joy for learning and pride in a caring community.”
As author of a recent ALA publication, Compelling Conversations: Con-
necting Leadership to Achievement, and the Prekindergarten–Grade 12
Supervisor of Reading, she continues to strive to establish communities of
learners who embrace common beliefs and practices aligned with the
Habits of Mind. She can be reached at P.O. Box 1228, Harpers Ferry, WV
25425; phone: 304-725-3128; e-mail: [email protected].
About the Editors and Other Contributors 421