Six Thinking Hats®

Six Thinking Hats® -- Seminars for Teachers, Youth and Parents

Schedule a workshop by contacting Franny at franny@learnerslink.com.

Improve academic performance by teaching critical and creative thinking skills with SIX THINKING HATS®. This effective communication tool teaches us to see and focus our thinking using six strategies to improve reading, writing, speaking and listening. It teaches us to (1) think using six strategies, (2) problem solve, (3) make decisions, (4) design quality questions and (5) self assess. This energizing concept used by international corporations and schools revolutionizes communication. The workshop will prepare you to join the global Six Hats® team using the colorful HATS® … white, red, yellow, black, blue, green!

Six Hats® Curriculum Design Matrix

Jena Brodhead's Amazing Classroom Transforming Strategies

Two Horses Two Jockeys Puzzle

Six Thinking Hats® Overview YouTube video

Dr. Edward DeBono on YouTube Discussing Six Hats®

Six Thinking Hats® Cards: Key Words, Applications, Standards, and Example

Journal Article -- "Develop Critical and Creative Thinking Skills: Put on Six Thinking Hats®," PA Educational Leadership, Fall, 2006.

Six Hats® in Six Days, Getting Started: How to Teach Six Hats^®

Impact of Six Thinking Hats and Assessment, Jennifer Hauck, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

How to teach Six Hats^®to your students, Six Hats ^®Authentic Assessment, Integration of Six Hats ^®in other content areas, and the Six Hats^® Key Ring

Edward DeBono's Six Hats® and Benjamin Bloom's Higher Order Thinking Questioning Card

Six Hats® Posters

The Hare and the Tortoise

Teacher Made Materials

PA Standards Aligned System

Clear Standards, Fair Assessments, Curriculum Framework, Instruction, Materials and Resources, and Interventions

What are principals and teachers saying about Six Hats® and these workshops?

" A special thank you to Franny for introducing me to the thinking hats and opening me up to becoming a better teacher by teaching my students to think about thinking." Jena Brodhead, Easton Area School District

"Our work with DeBono's SIX HATS® has been a great base for improving our work with higher level thinking. I often hear references to those darn "White Hat questions", so deadly in large numbers. The awareness created from the SIX HATS® has been valuable. Suzanne Herr, Principal, Solanco School District, PA
I have a difficult time finding conference presenters that present something that I can adapt to my facility and students. Your ideas were safe and simple enough to use in an environment that has a high risk of violence. So, I wanted to thank you for your time and let you know I was glad that you were able to come and share your knowledge. Jamie Zimmer, Turning Point Youth Center, St. Johns, MI

I am using the SIX HATS® daily. I refer to them to get the children thinking in a certain direction. What I like about this program is that it gives the students a direction to think towards by the questions on the hats. In the primary grades especially, the students need to develop specific thinking areas. I did an activity where they had to pick a wish and then use white and black hat thinking about the wish. They did a great job. This is the first program I have used that starts students in the direction of thinking critically. They loved the activities especially the green hat. I'm happy with where I'm going especially as I use this with PSSA (state assessment) preparation. Debbie Miller, Wilkes Barre School District

"We love the hats. Tara and I introduced our students to them right away on Friday. Our Academic/Honors students were skeptical. My Applied Communications class LOVED them. Since then, with a little encouragement, we have had nothing but success with the hats. Tara’s Journalism class is attacking the school magazine all with hats. My Applied class designed and implemented a new independent novel unit utilizing the hats. My Honors Speech and Debate class has implemented a new peer comment format that revolves around yellow, black, and green hat ideas. My Honors III class is exploring The Red Badge of Courage with the hats. The red hat is especially helpful because they are putting themselves in a few of the characters’ shoes. They also linked the current Jessica Lynch debate (hero or not) to the novel with the hats. I’ll admit, although your talk was informative and fun, I had doubts about getting the students to use it. After one day, my Applied students were correcting each other during a green hat session with, 'We’re wearing our green hats now. Save the black hat comments for later.' Amazingly no one was offended and the class continued working. I just wanted you to know how excited we are to share in this great method and how much we appreciate your instruction in it." Renee Sorensen, Teacher at Tunkhannock High School

"After attending the workshop, I was excited about going back to my classroom and trying out the Six Thinking Hats with my ESL students. I found it easy to simplify and adapt to their proficiency levels and they responded with enthusiasm to the visual and tactile presentation of the hats. They were motivated to answer questions and were able to demonstrate increased comprehension of the story. Even my most reluctant student was more responsive to questions. Though many of us are already doing some of the things Franny spoke about in the workshop, The Six Thinking Hats provides a way for us to create a more muiltisensory learning environment, giving our students a greater chance for success. I found the SIX HATS workshop to be dynamic and inspiring. The Six Thinking Hats concept is a valuable teaching tool that can be adapted to many areas of learning." Karen Lau, ESL Teacher, Luzerne Intermediate Unit

I have learned so much about using the SIX HATS® in my classroom. I have already started using it in my class and it has been very successful. Dana Dubyak

SIX HATS® has provided me with a whole new channel of thinking - pulling my mind into new directions. Carrie Mathias

I attended this workshop with little knowledge of thinking skills and how to develop this concept in the classroom. This seminar introduced skills, developed those skills, and gave me new ideas to work "thinking" into my classroom, and daily life. Franny was a refreshing change of pace to other presenters. She was lively, creative, willing to share ideas and activities, and over FUN! Great workshop, wonderful presenter.

Applying the SIX HATS® is a natural for the classroom. Franny presents the information in a clear, usable, and valuable fashion. Move over Bloom - a great new way of teaching thinking! Susan Holzer

My students revel in the metacognitive strategies of Six Hats®. They just love thinking about thinking! Students enjoy the simplicity of the hats and can easily, and purposefully, examine all approaches to problem solving. And, besides that, they'll tell you it's just plain FUN! Judy Micheletti, Teacher, Berwick School District

What Six Thinking Hats® Can Do For You!

The HATS® provide a simple and practical way to teach thinking as a skill that can be learned, practiced, and improved. The HATS® show that thinking is essential to improving writing, reading, listening, and speaking.

	The method provides a simple, concrete way to teach thinking.
	The colors and hats provide a useful visual image that is easy to learn and remember.
	The SIX HATS® method may be used at the simplest possible level but may also be used at a very sophisticated level. The framework is simple yet very powerful.
	It is being used with six-year-olds up to senior executives in some of the world’s largest corporations.
	The hats provide a framework for organizing thinking so that is no longer a matter of drift and argument. Thinking becomes more focused, more constructive and more productive.
	The game and role-playing nature of the hats allows for the detachment of ego from the thinking: “This is not me, but my red hat thinking.”
	The SIX HATS® are so basic that they cut across boundaries of culture and ideology. All the hats are important and are of great value.
	They are fun and effective to wear everyday, everywhere! So, put on the SIX THINKING HATS® and improve thinking, questioning, and communicating in all academic areas.