TC assess 5

In this final assessment, reflect on the Thinking Habits self-assessment you completed in Assessment 1 and the plan you developed to improve your skills. Evaluate how the skills and knowledge you have acquired in this course will enable you to successfully reach our future goals.

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Introduction

When we no longer know what to do, we have come to our real work, and when we no longer know which way to go, we have begun our real journey. The mind that is not baffled is not employed. The impeded stream is the one that sings.

Wendell Berry, Our Real Work

In this course you were introduced to the thinking habits of the mind, heart, and imagination in your first assessment and were engaged in their application. These thinking habits will be key to your success as a doctoral candidate but even more so as the leader you envision yourself to be. The thinking habits can be practiced as part of your ongoing effort to build awareness of your assumptions and mental models; practicing the thinking habits will strengthen your systems and critical thinking skills and support the growth of your communication and team building skills. You will become a leader by design, not by accident.

In the final assessment, reflect upon the skills and knowledge you have acquired and how you will use and develop them as you move forward

Reference

Berry, W. (1983). Our real work.

Reflection on Thinking Habits and Planning Forward

The thinking habits of mind, heart, and imagination provide excellent cues for practicing and acquiring the mental models that will enable you to grow personally and professionally over a lifetime. The thinking habits begin with complementary thinking, defined as the habit of thinking that weaves multiple perspectives into an integrated fabric of understanding (Jaisle, 2000). Each thinking habit is multi-dimensional. F. Scott Fitzgerald has been attributed with claiming that the test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold opposing ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function. Mastery of the thinking habits will take you beyond first-rate. Continue to embrace and practice the thinking habits to bring yourself to the point where they are truly habits that you demonstrate almost always. They will be a key to your success as a doctoral learner and a leader.

For this assessment, reflect on the criteria and indicators in the thinking habits of mind, heart, and imagination and the self-assessment you completed in Assessment 1. Write a brief paper that consolidates your reflections on how you have worked through the various assessments in this course and how you have used them to facilitate opportunities to improve. List those specific habits that you have worked on in this course and provide examples.

Ask yourself what will be the biggest challenges in achieving mastery of the thinking habits.

• Look ahead to the course titles and descriptions for the Educational Leadership specialization, and create a plan that indicates what you will do to continue developing your thinking habits as you continue your studies.
• As an outgrowth of all you have learned in this course:
  • What will you do more of?
  • What will you do less of?
  • What will you do differently?
  • How will you think differently?

Refer to the thinking habits of mind, heart, and imagination and any other course readings that particularly impacted you, using APA format and style. Create a reference list of the resources you have cited.

Reference

Jaisle, A. (2000, May 27). Thinking habits of mind, heart, and imagination for the 21st century. Paper presented to the Minnesota Futurists.

Competencies Measured

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies.

• Competency 2: Apply continuous improvement models and methods to uncover the multi-dimensional nature of problems of practice.
  • Provide a plan to improve and consolidate your thinking habits as you complete the course work for your program specialization.
• Competency 3: Analyze the implications of leadership behaviors for organizational learning.
  • Complete a consolidation of your reflections on how you have worked through the various assessments in this course and how you have used them to facilitate opportunities to improve.
• Competency 4: Apply critical thinking skills and habits of mind to analyze problems of practice.
  • Submit a reflective piece that highlights strengths and areas that are in need of improvement going forward.
• Competency 5: Communicate effectively for a given purpose and audience.
  • Communicate clearly, supporting a central idea with appropriately formatted citations and correct grammar, usage, and mechanics.