Tag: Thinking Hats

3-12, Creative Thinking, Critical Thinking, Education, Multiple Intelligences, Teaching Tools, Websites

Thinking Tools

Terri Eichholz
image from: Thinking Tools

This large set of fillable forms from The Learning Curve is a treasure chest of interactive graphic organizers that encourage creative and critical thinking skills.  According to the site, “This collection of thinking strategies and tools have been created and inspired from Mick Walsh’s experiences using the Thinking Curriculum, CoRT Thinking, Tribes Program and Visible Thinking from Harvard University.”  Included on this list are pages for Six Thinking Hats and P.M.I.  However, there are many other intriguing ones that I have never seen anywhere else, such as Time Machine and Truth Traffic Lights.  For some new ideas on how to engage your students in deep thinking, I highly recommend Thinking Tools.

Creative Thinking, Critical Thinking, Education, K-12

Free Thinking Hats Posters

Terri Eichholz
image from: http://www.edgalaxy.com

A couple of weeks ago, I offered you a link to a download of a chart describing Edward de Bono’s Thinking Hats.  A few days ago, I found this post on Edgalaxy that offers a free download of seven Thinking Hats posters.  I like the color that pops on each of them, as well as the concise description of each Thinking Hat.  Here is a link to Edward de Bono’s book if you would like more information on the Six Thinking Hats.

Creative Thinking, Critical Thinking, Education, K-12, Teaching Tools

Chart of Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats

Terri Eichholz

Edward de Bono created the idea of  “Six Thinking Hats”, developing a visual representation of the types of thinking that we do in various situations.  You can read more about de Bono’s concept in his book of the same title.  This simple chart briefly describes each Thinking Hat, and how it can be applied in a group problem-solving situation.

In our district’s gifted program, we begin teaching students who are in 2nd grade about the Thinking Hats.  Metacognition is an important skill, and we reinforce it throughout our elementary curriculum.

The “Six Thinking Hats” chart is available on UsefulCharts.com, which has several other charts that could be good classroom resources.  My favorite chart is “Muppet Voices” – though I’m still trying to develop a way to connect it to something educational!