By definition, a problem is any stimulus, question, task, phenomenon, or discrepancy, the
explanation for which is not immediately known. Thus, we are interested in focusing on student
performance under those challenging conditions that demand strategic reasoning, insightfulness,
perseverance, creativity, and craftsmanship to resolve a complex problem. Not only are we
interested in how many answers students know, but also in knowing how to behave when they
DON'T know. Habits of Mind are performed in response to those questions and problems the
answers to which are NOT immediately known. We are interested in observing how students
produce knowledge rather than how they merely reproduce knowledge. The critical attribute of
intelligent human beings is not only having information, but also knowing how to act on it.