Thinking Hats RATIONALE

As teachers we strive to teach our students the skills and strategies to be critical thinkers and active learners. When we consider the need for our students to be active, we must consider that active literacy is the “means to deeper understanding and diverse, flexible thinking ” (Harvey & Goudvis, 2007). Students that give their opinions, thoughts and ideas while also spending time questioning, connecting, debating, and inquiring are seen as engaged in their own learning and comprehension. While we may hear teachers telling students to “put on their thinking caps ” or “get ready to think”, as a primer to set-up learning, it’s important to ensure that students are given the tools to critically contemplate about what they are learning. One way to assist students with thinking about a subject or topic from jut one point-of-view is by using a thinking tool such as the Six Thinking Hats. The Six Thinking Hats “thinking strategy ” was developed by Edward de Bono (1987). This popular strategy is used to promote parallel thinking and to help students look at a problem or decision from many different perspectives. It is used in education and a variety of industries and businesses for training and decision making. The Six Thinking Hats strategy uses the metaphor of “put on your thinking hat ” to mimic a change of thought processes as one puts on or takes off a hat. Each colored hat represents a specific area to focus on when focus to consider ranging from looking at topic for new ideas, from a neutral and objective perspective, while taking an alternative perspective, with opportunity in mind, while focusing on emotions, or t