Think Fresh Comenius project in Holland

The Think Fresh Comenius 1.3 recently took place at the Jenaplan School Antonius Abt in Hertogenbosch, Holland. The participating schools, partnered with this Comenius project, aim to transform themselves into 'thinking organisations' where school stakeholders become more proficient in domains, such as analytic thinking, problem solving, creative thinking and decision making. As a means to achieve this aim, participants are using thinking tools that include Edward de Bono's Six Thinking Hats and CoRT tools. The participating countries are Malta, Sweden, Holland, England and Belgium, the organising country.

The Maltese participating school, Guzè Muscat Azzopardi Primary School B of Qormi St Sebastian, headed by Mr E. Grech, was represented by Thinking Skills teacher-researcher working in the same school, Ms Tania Mercieca. Ms Mercieca is co-ordinating this Comenius project in the respective school together with Ms Shirley Pulis Xerxen.

The meetings mainly took place at the hosting school which boasts a very positive learning atmosphere, where the teaching of thinking forms an integral part of the school agenda. The programme of this project meeting consisted of the sharing of good practice, training sessions (that included lectures and workshops on different thinking techniques), cultural trips, meetings with parents and planning and delivery of Thinking Skills lessons to the Dutch pupils attending the hosting school.

A preparatory session for the final conference scheduled for March in Bruges, Belgium was also on the agenda. Moreover, a schedule was also devised for the next project meeting. The sharing session was a remarkable activity, where all participants discussed the difficulties and successes in their experience of teaching thinking and to plan their way forward.

Besides, the participants shared various teaching aids and ideas on the teaching of thinking. This facilitated the dissemination of information regarding ways and means of implementing the use of the tools within the school community. The whole meeting was a successful one where all participants could enhance their skills in the field.

Following the project meetings, the partner schools, including Guzè Muscat Azzopardi Primary B of Qormi, will continue using the thinking tools in their way towards becoming thinking organisations.

These thinking tools are already being used by pupils in the local participating school where during the last scholastic year, they were integrated within the curriculum. Various other local schools are also benefiting from the Thinking Skills Programme as part of the requirements of the National Minimum Curriculum. Parents, teachers and administration staff have also been introduced to these thinking tools in local schools.

Ms Mercieca is a Thinking Skills teacher-researcher in local state schools and accredited trainer in de Bono's Six Thinking Hats method.