Strategies to Develop Creativity

and Critical Thinking

“Creative thinking is as important as literacy and should be treated the same.” Sir Ken Robinson

“Every child is an artist, the problem is staying an artist when you grow up.” Pablo Picasso

Strategies to Develop Creativity and Critical Thinking

On critical thinking: “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” Aristotle

“Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider.” Francis Bacon, “Of Studies”

Strategies to Develop Creativity and Critical Thinking

We tend to have general notions of creativity

compared with critical thinking:Creative Critical-visual -verbal-right brain - left brain-novelty - reasoning-associative - linear-nonjudgment - judgment-subjective -objective

What are we talking about here?

Both creativity and critical thinking are essential!We need to teach students how to understand claims, follow or create logic, determine answer(s) and use evaluation to make choices. AND We need to give students tools to explore ideas, develop new ones, receive other perspectives, consider alternatives and create multiple answers.

What are we talking about here?

Environment – Create an open, safe, flexible,

inclusive environment of acceptance, where it is alright to make mistakes.

Model – Demonstrate respect and acceptance of all students. Do not dominate conversation.

Time and materials – Provide students with sufficient time to ponder, extrapolate, develop and include materials for the assignment so things are ready to use/manipulate.

Developing creativity- 5 strategies

Value curiosity – Ask open-ended questions

and encourage brainstorming.

Encourage – Build esteem and independence as well as mutual understanding and acceptance.

Developing creativity- 5 strategies

Environment – Students thrive in similar

environment for creative thinking: Create an open, safe, flexible, inclusive environment of acceptance, where it is alright to make mistakes. In addition, create an atmosphere where questioning is welcome and expected.

Facilitate – Avoid lecturing. Model critical thinking by the way you express your thoughts/reasoning.

Developing critical thinking – 5 strategies

Question – Bring students from Bloom’s lower

levels to higher level thinking through higher order questioning. Use the Socratic method. Debate.

Justify and Prove – Have students answer why and provide evidence of conclusions.

Write – Give students opportunity to record thought processes leading to conclusions and revise. Gaining insight into self development is empowering.

Developing critical thinking – 5 strategies

Fletcher, S. (2011). Creative Thinking in Schools:

Finding the “just right” challenge for students. Sir Ken Anderson (2006) “Do Schools Kill

Creativity?” www.cdl.org/resource-library/articles/teaching_creat

ivity.php Retrieved July 6, 2014

www.criticalthinking.org/pages/tacticalandstructural-recommendations/467 Retrieved July 6, 2014

Bean, John C., (2011) Engaging Ideas. www.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=005

378 Quotes. Retrieved July 6, 2014

References