2. Strategies for:
Creativity Critical Thinking
Questioning Assumptions Using Questions
Define and Redefine Classroom Discussion and
Problems Debates
Ideas Generation Case Study /Discussion
Cross-Fertilize Ideas Method
Creative Collaboration Use Writing Assignments
Cooperative Learning
Strategies
3. Creativity
Questioning Assumptions
There are many assumptions that we have in our
daily life that we may not even be aware that they
are assumptions as they are widely shared.
Encourage students to question those
assumptions and eventually lead others to do the
same.
Teach students when to question and when not to
can be a tough balancing act.
Make questioning a part of the daily classroom
exchange.
4. Creativity
Define and Redefine Problems
Have students pick their own topic for projects or
papers relevant to the curriculum and subject
to teacher’s approval as to ensure that it is
appropriate to the course’s objectives.
If students made the incorrect choices the first
time, allow them to redefine their choices. The
ability to recognize mistake is a learning
process itself.
5. Creativity
Ideas Generation
Allow students to generate ideas and solutions
once they defined their project.
Provide an environment that is relatively free of
criticism.
Praise students for new ideas and suggest new
approaches for ideas that seems uncreative.
6. Creativity
Cross-Fertilize Ideas
Allow students to think across subjects and
disciplines, to think outside the box.
7. Creativity
Creative Collaboration
Encourage students to work in groups as
collaboration can spur creativity.
Students learn by examples like the techniques
and approaches others used.
Encourage team spirit when they work together.
8. Critical Thinking
Using Questions
Use a variety of questioning technique to
promote critical thinking.
Higher-level thinking questions will lead to
situations where students are challenged at
different cognitive levels.
Socratic questioning technique will probe
meaning, justification and line of reasoning.
9. Critical Thinking
Classroom Discussion and Debates
Various techniques can be used here, one of them
is the negotiation model developed by Bernstein.
Students are presented with credible but
antagonistic arguments which will create tension
between students as they debate among
themselves. They will be challenged to deal with
the tension and that is one element to spark
creativity.
10. Critical Thinking
Case Study /Discussion Method
Students are presented with a case (or story)
without a conclusion.
Students are led through a discussion by the
teacher with prepared questions.
Students are allowed to construct a conclusion
for the case.
11. Critical Thinking
Use Writing Assignments
This strategy allows students to expand their
thinking processes.
Written assignments set must promote thoughts
and should be short.
Composing poems is not limited to English
class, but can be used in any classes.
12. Critical Thinking
Cooperative Learning Strategies
Allow students to work in groups as group
learning situations is probably the best way to
foster critical thinking.
Very often when students work in structured
cooperative learning groups, they are
receiving continuous support and feedback
from other students and the teacher, they tend
to be more critical and creative in thinking.
13. Reference
Sternberg, Robert and Williams, Wendy M.
Teaching for Creativity: Two Dozen Tips
Walker Stacy E. Active Learning Strategies to
Promote Critical Thinking.
