IDEAS FOR INSTILLING CREATIVE AND CRITICAL

THINKING IN A CLASSROOM

Kevin Averill

5/12/14

MED 560

Dr. Rich Merlo

What is Creative Thinking? The ability to create new items and

modernize concepts (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, n.d.)

There is two types of creative thinking, there is the redesigning of patterns, “Big C” and the innovation of manifests itself in our daily rituals (Csikszentmihalyi, M. 1996).

Developing Creativity in our Students

Use Ice Breakers Encourage taking Risks Incorporate the use of Technology Initiate ideas for Class

Activities/Assignments Personally identify with your Students

Ice Breakers

At the beginning of class have an ice breaker that will challenge them and enforce the theory of “Thinking Outside the Box”. This will get their brains functioning at a level that will initiate learning.

Encourage taking Risks

Many of our students are too hesitant to going out of their comfort zone. As educators for them we need to motivate them in a way that they have confidence in taking chances.

Incorporate the use of Technology

There is so much technology being created that we need to take advantage of all the resources available for our students. Our students know more about the technological world than most us. Push them to use their knowledge in an appropriate and sufficient manner for school assignments.

Initiate Ideas for Class Activities/Assignments

Give the students some ideas you want to go over for the school year. Have them create guidelines and instructions that they would have to follow. Empowering the students will give them a sense of responsibility in which will make them more involved in the class.

Personally identify with Students Identify the students preferences,

interests, and goals in life. Once you know what they like, push them to become more educated in that certain domain.

What is Critical Thinking? To be critically thinking, it needs to be self-

directed, disciplined, monitored, and corrective thinking. It assumes approval of precise standards of quality and thoughtful understanding of their use (Paul, R., 2008).

In other words, critically thinking, it is to have the understanding of the topic or subject at hand, to make well-educated and specified responses.

Development of Critical Thinking

Challenge their Thoughts Use of Group Work Discuss Current Events Have the students Research Open-ended Questions

Challenge their Knowledge Create a foundation of knowledge

through each chapter that is presented. Once, they show an understanding of the material, challenge them to think deeper by giving them tougher questions that initiate well-thought out answers.

Use of Group Work

Have students work in groups; it helps them become understanding of other’s thoughts and ideas. They will be able to help their group members comprehend the material and vice versa. The collaboration the students do will bring out ideas they would not think of, if they were to be working individually

Discuss Current Events

Having discussions about the current events challenges the students to be more educated about what our country or the world is doing. We can use the multiple media outlets to find topics to discuss that relate to our subject at hand.

Have the students Research By making the students do research

about a topic, will get them to really think about what they have learned and put it into words to show their understanding. If we limit the use of multiple choice answers, we can establish a skill of critically thinking that they will use throughout life.

Open End Questions

Kids today are always looking for the quickest and easiest way to get through life. With that said, they want to be able to just get away with answer with a “yes, no, maybe or I do no know”, however, will us forcing our students to go into detail, will create critical thinking.

References

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1996). Creativity: Flow and the psychology of discovery and invention. New York, NY: Harper Collins

Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (n.d.). Creativity. Retrieved from http://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/creativity.

Paul, R., & Elder, L. (2008). The miniature guide to critical thinking concepts and tools. Foundation of Critical Thinking Press.