• Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations

     

    What is it? – Using past experiences as a source of information and help.

    Sounds like – “this reminds me of….This is just like the time when I…..?”

    Looks like – Explaining what is happening based on previous experiences.

    Feels like – I am able to move forward with……. because I know that last time….. (making connections)

    Too often, students begin each new task as if it were being approached for the first time. Students that are good at applying past knowledge to new situations recall how they have solved a problem previously. These students make connections and understand the relationship between the previous problem and the new one. They are able to encapsulate their experience and apply it to new learning. They are able to draw forth from one event and apply it in another context. This habit builds confidence and allows students to understand new learning much faster than students that do not apply this habit as well.

    “I’ve never made a mistake. I’ve only learned from experience.” Thomas A. Edison

    Information on Habits of Mind are taken from the book Habits of Mind by Costa and Kallick.