Helping Students Develop Mathematical Habits of Mind: A Joint Panel Session at the 2009 JMM Conference

Kien H. Lim, University of Texas at El Paso
Kristin Camenga, Houghton College

Abstract

Cuoco, Goldenberg, and Mark advocate habits of mind as an organizing principle for a mathematics curriculum where students learn to be “pattern sniffers, experimenters, describers, tinkerers, inventors, visualizers, conjecturers, and guessers.” Harel regards habits of mind as interiorized ways of thinking—conceptual tools that are necessary for constructing mathematical objects. Presenters for this session offer various perspectives and strategies for helping students develop mathematical habits of mind, including examples from different content areas and at different levels.