5 Engaging Ways of Developing Creative and Critical Thinking Skills
In our effort to prepare students for real world challenges and provide them with an opportunity to have a good career, creative and critical skills need to be in the focus. They are critical for developing problem-solving abilities that are highly valued by modern employers.
To ensure the best outcomes, these skills need to be practiced in the classroom. Teachers arrange special lessons to demonstrate how creative and critical thinking might be applied in real-world situations.
In this article, I've collected five great methods to help you empower your students to become problem solvers, critical thinkers, and creative thinkers who are ready to take on the most complex challenges.
The first method on our list is an exciting exercise. A teacher introduces the statement and encourages students to take a certain position (somewhat agree, strongly agree, somewhat disagree, strongly disagree etc.). The students are divided into four groups according to their position.
The discussion begins, as the students explained why they chose their position, without the help of the teacher. After everyone is done, the outcome of the debate is analyzed and rules are introduced for the next one (it is recommended to conduct the first debate without any rules so the children get used to the concept).
Topics for debate:
- How Young Is Too Young for an iPhone?
- Does Class Size Matter?
- When Do You Become an Adult?
- Does Life Exist Somewhere Besides Earth?
More topics for debate can be found on Udemy Blog.
2. How is my hero like me?
A great creative exercise for elementary and middle school students. They are asked to identify the person who they consider their hero and prepare an oral report. In this report, students need to write at least five ways in which they are similar to their heroes.
A hero could be a parent, an athlete, a movie character, or someone who played a prominent role in the life of a student. The teacher needs to encourage the class to be figurative and creative.
3. Opposing debates
This exercise is a great variation of debates. We all know that one of the essential aspects of critical thinking is considering and refuting opposing viewpoints. This is the purpose of students in this exercise. Create a list of controversial topics or use the ones you debated earlier and ask the class who agrees with each side of each topic.
Surprise them by asking to defend opposing viewpoints in a short speech. As the result, the students will have to use their critical thinking skills to argue for the opposing side.
4. Tour guide for aliens
The last exercise on our list aims to test the creativity. The students are to pretend they need to conduct a tour for aliens who are visiting the Earth for the first time. Given that they are unfamiliar with human way of life, everything needs to be explained to them.
For example, the curious aliens asked to see the school's stadium and the students need to explain to them the following:
- What is a game?
- What is a ball?
- Why people cheer watching others play games?
- Why can't people in the seats join the players?
Let some of your students play the aliens! After the exercise, the students will realize that things around them are not always logical, this taking a deeper look at what we do every day.
Creativity and critical thinking are critical skills that should be developed in school because they give the opportunity to be a problem solver. Use the activities and tools described in this article to give your students a chance to be indispensable experts!
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Njia za kuvutia za kuendeleza ujuzi wa ubunifu na kufikiri kwa ukali Katika juhudi zetu za kuandaa wanafunzi kwa changamoto za ulimwengu halisi na kuwapa fursa ya kuwa na kazi nzuri, ujuzi wa ubunifu na muhimu unahitaji kuwa katika lengo. Wao ni muhimu kwa ajili ya kuendeleza uwezo wa kutatua matatizo ambayo ni yenye thamani sana na waajiri wa kisasa. Ili kuhakikisha matokeo bora, ujuzi huu unahitaji kufanywa katika darasa. Walimu hupanga masomo ya pekee ili kuonyesha jinsi kufikiri kwa njia ya ubunifu na ya kuchambua kunavyoweza kutumiwa katika hali za ulimwengu halisi. Katika makala hii, nimekusanya mbinu tano nzuri za kukusaidia kuwawezesha wanafunzi wako kuwa watatuaji wa matatizo, wasomi muhimu, na wasomi wa ubunifu ambao wako tayari kuchukua changamoto ngumu zaidi. Njia ya kwanza kwenye orodha yetu ni zoezi lenye kusisimua. Mwalimu anaanzisha taarifa na kuhamasisha wanafunzi kuchukua msimamo fulani (kwa kiasi fulani kukubali, kabisa kukubali, kiasi fulani kukataa, kabisa kukataa nk). Wanafunzi wamegawanywa katika vikundi vinne kulingana na cheo chao. Mazungumzo huanza, wanafunzi wanapokuwa wakieleza kwa nini walichagua cheo chao, bila msaada wa mwalimu. Baada ya kila mtu kumaliza, matokeo ya mjadala yanachambuliwa na sheria zinaanzishwa kwa ajili ya moja inayofuata (inashauriwa kufanya mjadala wa kwanza bila sheria yoyote ili watoto wazoe wazo hilo). Mada za mjadala: - Ni vijana wangapi ni vijana sana kwa iPhone? - Je, Ukubwa wa Darasa Unahusika? - Unakuwa Mzee-Mzee Wakati Gani? - Je, Kuna Uhai Mahali Pengine Mbali na Duniani? Mada zaidi kwa ajili ya mjadala inaweza kupatikana juu ya Udemy Blog. 2. Uwezekano wa kupata Ni kwa nini shujaa wangu ni kama mimi? Mazoezi mazuri ya ubunifu kwa wanafunzi wa shule ya msingi na ya kati. Wanaulizwa kumtambulisha mtu ambaye wanaona kuwa shujaa wao na kuandaa ripoti ya mdomo. Katika ripoti hii, wanafunzi wanapaswa kuandika angalau njia tano ambazo wanafanana na mashujaa wao. Mhusika mkuu anaweza kuwa mzazi, mwanariadha, mhusika wa filamu, au mtu aliyehusika sana katika maisha ya mwanafunzi. Mwalimu anahitaji kuchochea darasa liwe la mfano na lenye ubunifu. 3. Uwe na mtazamo wa kweli Kupinga mjadala Mazoezi haya ni tofauti kubwa ya mjadala. Sisi sote tunajua kwamba moja ya mambo muhimu ya kufikiri kwa ukali ni kuzingatia na kupinga maoni yanayopingana. Hii ni kusudi la wanafunzi katika zoezi hili. Fanya orodha ya mada zenye utata au tumia zile ulizozungumzia hapo awali na uulize darasa ni nani anayekubaliana na kila upande wa kila mada. Waushangaze kwa kuwaomba watete maoni yanayopingana katika hotuba fupi. Matokeo ni kwamba, wanafunzi watalazimika kutumia ustadi wao wa kufikiri kwa njia ya kukosoa ili kutetea upande unaopinga. 4. Uwe na uhakika Mwongozo wa ziara kwa ajili ya wageni zoezi la mwisho kwenye orodha yetu inalenga mtihani wa ubunifu. Wanafunzi wanapaswa kujifanya kwamba wanahitaji kuongoza ziara kwa wageni ambao wanatembelea Dunia kwa mara ya kwanza. Kwa kuwa hawajui jinsi watu wanavyoishi, ni lazima waeleze kila kitu. Kwa mfano, wageni wenye udadisi waliuliza kuona uwanja wa shule na wanafunzi wanahitaji kuwaeleza yafuatayo: - Ni nini mchezo? - Mpira ni nini? - Kwa nini watu hufurahi wanapoona wengine wakicheza michezo? - Kwa nini watu walio katika viti hawawezi kujiunga na wachezaji? Acha baadhi ya wanafunzi wako kucheza wageni! Baada ya mazoezi, wanafunzi watagundua kuwa mambo yanayowazunguka si ya busara kila wakati, hii inachukua kuangalia kwa kina zaidi kile tunachofanya kila siku. Ubunifu na kufikiri kwa njia ya kukosoa ni ujuzi muhimu ambao unapaswa kuendelezwa shuleni kwa sababu hutoa fursa ya kuwa suluhisho la tatizo. Tumia shughuli na vifaa vilivyoelezwa katika makala hii kuwapa wanafunzi wako nafasi ya kuwa wataalamu wa lazima! Soma habari zote