Choice 评论

These are the third and fourth books in the "Habits of Mind" series. Volume 3, Habits of Mind: Assessing & Reporting, focuses on assessment, asking how one knows that children are practicing the habits, and how that information is communicated to parents, administrators, and the community. Several examples are presented showing how teachers develop with children an assessment system about work habits that embody persistence, thinking about thinking, striving for accuracy, posing problems, and applying past knowledge to present situations--all habits of mind. These models are the strength of the book. Although some may view the time spent on drawing a straight line as excessive, that lesson is a fascinating one. Qualitative assessments are emphasized, and the levels of achievement are those common to portfolio evaluations, novice to expert. Since process rather than content is being assessed, the question arises as to how well this system will fare in the current climate of continuous testing of subject matter proficiency. Perhaps it will serve as an alternative exemplar. The idea that children need to learn to assess their own work is valid. With the rise in cheating apparently keeping pace with the rise in testing, perhaps this idea should be encouraged.Concluding the "Habit of Mind" series, the fourth book focuses on the implementation of this program of intelligent behaviors at the school and community levels. Where the third book examined classroom and student assessment, this volume investigates making changes in the school and community culture. Just as there were specific examples in the third book of how teachers develop an assessment system with children, so in the fourth, reports from various schools show how the program works for different institutions and communities. As children learn to assess their own work, teachers and administrators need to feel comfortable with taking risks to improve the institutional environment. The goal of the Habits of Mind program is to sharpen intellectual and social understanding for everyone involved. The point is made that transformation does not happen overnight. Persistence is a major habit of mind, and the testimony from various schools indicates how important this habit is for the implementation of new ways of thinking and acting. The strength of both books lies in the particular examples provided, not as formulas but as indicators of possible directions for organizations to follow. Together, the third and fourth books are valuable guides for students, parents, teachers, and administrators in reconstructing education. S. Sugarman Bennington College