Strategies for Developing Creativity and Critical Thinking

• 1. STRATEGIES FOR DEVELOPING CREATIVITY AND CRITICAL THINKING Karin Bomar MED/560 March, 17, 2014 University of Phoenix

2. DEAR TEACHER, This is intended to be a resource which you can use to enhance creativity and critical in your classroom. This presentation, I hope, will help you in your planning. I have included some useful strategies but it is not an exhaustive list. You may want to complete this repertoire with your own ideas and research! Bon courage! 3. WHAT IS CREATIVITY? Creativity is characterized by divergent thinking, innovative solutions to problems, and fresh new ideas. (Fletcher, 2011, p.37) Creativity is a right-brained thinking. (Mescolotto, 2010) 4. WHY IS CREATIVITY IMPORTANT? Creativity is important because of globalization and technology. Today, computers can carry out many tasks, jobs are outsourced. Creativity can be the key to success not only of students but of the country as a whole. (Saebo, 2007) Creativity is becoming the focus of many countries education in the world. In order to remain competitive, creativity must be taught in our schools. 5. TEACHING STRATEGIES FOR CREATIVITY 1. Visual Thinking Skills (VTS) 2. Role-play 3. Problem-solving activities 4. Creative writing 5. Questioning 6. EXPLANATIONS 1. Visual Thinking Skills (VTS) The teacher shows students a painting. The students need to say what is going on in the painting. They need to support their opinions with elements of the painting. (Mary, Kay, Dave, & Lisa, 2013) 2. Role-play This strategy can be used to help the students make connections with what they are learning. When students read a novel, for instance, they can produce a skit in which they play the roles of the main characters. 7. 3. Problem-solving activities The teacher gives the students a real-life problem to solve in groups. The students find creative solutions. 4. Creative writing There are many examples of this kind of activity: story telling, writing their own fictitious journals for characters of the novel 5. Questioning The teacher can ask the students thought-provoking questions which will make the students think creatively. 8. WHAT IS CRITICAL THINKING? Critical thinking involves examining clues, considering alternatives while holding opposing ideas and exploring possibilities. (Mary, Kay, Dave, & Lisa, 2013, p.58) Critical thinking is the ability for an individual not to simply accept everything he is is told . He is able to take information, analyze it and separate the objective information from the subjective information. In doing so, he is then able to read or listen critically and form his own independent opinion about the information given. This skill empowers people. 9. WHY IS CRITICAL THINKING IMPORTANT? Many in the workplace express their concerns about the need for intellectual abilities because they have a direct bearing on productivity, innovation, and overall success in the marketplace. (Burke, 2010, p. 7) Critical thinking is the key to making valid decisions and solving problems. 10. TEACHING STRATEGIES FOR CRITICAL THINKING 1. Socratic Seminars 2. Research 3. Media-decoding activities 4. Big idea 5. Inquiry 11. EXPLANATIONS 1. Socratic Seminars Socratic Seminars are group discussions where students express their thoughts based on evidence gathered in their reading. The discussion benefits from open-ended questions. 2. Research The students are given a topic or better yet, they chose a topic. They find resources and evaluate them in terms of credibility, bias, They synthesize the information and write a cohesive project. 3. Media-decoding activities For instance, in a science class, the students compare scientific facts with what they can read in the media, evaluate conflicting views on controversial topics, analyze the sources of information in your classroom. (Sperry, 2012, p. 57) Then, they write their own article. 12. 4. Big Idea Students read a book and they try to identify the big idea. Then, they should be able to relate all the passages of the book to it. 5. Inquiry Students generate their own questions. They make hypotheses. This enables students to delve deeper into what they are studying. 13. I HOPE THIS HELPS! 14. REFERENCES Burke, J. (2010). What's the Big Idea? Question-Driven Units to Motivate Reading, Writing and Thinking. Portsmouth: Heinemann. Fletcher, T. S. (2011). Creative Thinking in Schools: Finding the "Just Right" Challenge for Students. Gifted Children Today vol.34, no.2, 37-42. Mary, M., Kay, C., Dave, F., & Lisa, W. (2013). Visual Thinking Strategies = Creative and Critical Thinking. Kappan, 56-60. Mescolotto, L. M. (2010). Supporting Right-Brained Thinking. The Science Teacher, 36-39. Saebo, A. B., McCammon, L. A., & Larry, O. (2007). Creative Thinking - Teaching Creativity. Carribean Quaterly, 205-255. Sperry, C. (2012). Teaching Critical Thinking Through Media Literacy. Science Scope, 56-60.