CENTRES (Creative Entrepreneurship in Schools) project has been funded with support from the European Commission.

This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

www.centres-eu.org

With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union

“How to catch a kangaroo or a typical brainstorming”

Scenario Suggested time: 1.5 hour Objective: knowing the group, developing teamwork skills, elaborating on the method of problem solving called brainstorming Participants: any age Materials: flipchart, (big) sheet of white or gray paper for a group, colour felt tips Optimum group size: 15-20 participants Remarks regarding class tutoring: one should pay attention to group’s dynamics, relationships within the group, vocabulary/ language used by the participants, one should react to comments causing, for example, discomfort of any of the participants. You should always work on positive sides/ strengths. Tutor is required to be very attentive and watchful towards the group. Description of the activity “Imagine there’s a kangaroo jumping in the nearby area (square in front of the school, sports field, etc.). We’ve got to catch it. How can we do it? Please provide as many examples as possible.” The tutor writes down all the group’s ideas on a flipchart, board, or blackboard (it’s important that all participants can see it). He/ she does not comment on the group’s proposals. The tutor encourages the group to provide numerous examples/ ideas and then writes down all emerging activities.

CENTRES (Creative Entrepreneurship in Schools) project has been funded with support from the European Commission.

This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

www.centres-eu.org

With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union

Once the participant’s creativity/ energy runs out, the tutor starts commenting on the activity. In a typical brainstorming, we build on John Osborn’s four classic principles (he developed the

activity):

PRINCIPLE OF DEFERRED JUDGEMENT

It is forbidden to evaluate any ideas during the brainstorm.

PRINCIPLE OF DAYDREAMING

It is highly desirable to come up with even the most incredible, fantastic, or even absurd ideas.

Even an absurd or fantastic idea can inspire someone to come up with a more rational idea.

PRINCIPLE OF MODIFICATION

It is highly desirable to improve, modify and complement ideas of others, as well as use them

as guidelines while coming up with completely new ones.

PRINCIPLE OF TURNING THE QUANTITY INTO QUALITY

The greater the number of ideas generated, the greater the chance of producing an effective

solution. Therefore, one should collect as many ideas and concepts as possible.

The brainstorming procedure shall cover the following issues/ problems:

- concrete, factual, formulated precisely and explicitly (if possible)

- open-ended, with many solutions possible

As such, these cannot be the problems starting with solution-based questions: “Does/ do...?”

but with complementary questions:

How...?

What can we do to ...?

How to...?

or with simply formulated directives, such as:

Think of...

Develop...

Design...

Create...

CENTRES (Creative Entrepreneurship in Schools) project has been funded with support from the European Commission.

This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

www.centres-eu.org

With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union

Ideas assessment stage:

After having read all the ideas, we cross out the ones that are unethical, put someone in

trouble, offend someone’s dignity, i.e. those that are UNETHICAL.

Next step is to reflect on which ideas can be ACTUALLY implemented; i.e. we have to launch

the process of rationalising the ideas. We have to remember, though, that what can be

perceived by one person as irrational and unfeasible, can be of no problem at all for somebody

else.

Select idea/ ideas to be implemented.

So, how can we catch a kangaroo? ;-)

Polskie Stowarzyszenie Kreatywności (Polish Association of Creativity) www.p-s-k.pl psk@p-s-k.pl www.centres.org.pl