STRATEGIES FOR DEVELOPING

CREATIVITY AND CRITICAL THINKING

University of PhoenixMED 560

Morris Hargrove

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Strategies for Developing Creativity and Critical Thinking

The information shared is an aid for new faculty in implementing strategies for developing creativity and critical thinking. Please note that this does not represent a conclusive list, rather a brief collection of approaches that may be of benefit.

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Strategy #1 - Creativity Do not always provide students with all the information. Require them to think, discover, apply, and create.

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Strategy #2 - Creativity•Starting with the end in mind, or backwards design is one way to spark creativity in your students. Once you realize what you want them to learn and be able to do, you then design meaningful learning tasks and assessments. Allowing students to provide input into possible tasks and assessments will foster creativity.

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Strategy #3 - Creativity•Encourage risk-taking. When students do not feel restricted or inhibited, they will often do some of their best and most creative thinking. Teach them that it is not always the answer that is important, but the process by which they derived the answer.

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Strategy #4 - Creativity•Creativity is often sparked when students are able to make real-world connections that are relevant to them. When learning is real and relevant, student are typically more inclined to be engaged and give attention to the work.

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Strategy #5 - Creativity Integrating information technology is part of 21st century learning. Today’s students are digital natives, and being such means that they often times utilize technology in ways that their teachers would never think of. Teachers should capitalize on these strengths and allow students to use their digital knowledge creatively.

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Strategy #1 – Critical Thinking Start with lower-level questions as a beginning assessment. Doing so will allow students to move up on Bloom’s Taxonomy and build their confidence while doing so. Activate students’ knowledge and as higher-level questions are presented, students will be required to think.

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Strategy #2 – Critical Thinking Reading for understanding is important. Students cannot think deeply and critically if they do not truly know what a question is asking. Require students to read and re-read before attempting to answer questions and require them to prove their answers.

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Strategy #3 – Critical Thinking Vary your instructional strategies. Varying the ways students are provided information requires that they also vary their levels of thinking when providing information back to you.

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Strategy #4 – Critical Thinking Collaboration is a key component of an effective classroom and makes for critical thinking. Allowing students opportunities to collaborate, communicate, and even disagree often provides varying perspectives and allows others to think reflectively on the ideas and ways of thinking of others.

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Strategy #5 – Critical Thinking Act as a facilitator. As a practitioner, while you are full of knowledge, so are students. Allowing them to share and apply their knowledge helps them to be active learners, and allows you to be a facilitator of learning.

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ReferencesAnderson, L. W. & Krathwohl, D. R. (2001). A taxonomy for learning, teaching,

and assessing: A revision of Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives. New York, NY: Longman.

Pearson Learning Solutions, (2013). Encouraging high school students to think. Retrieved October 25, 2013, from http://media.pearsoncmg.com/pcp/pls_1256499544/video/index.html?wf=1&item=1

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