An increase in research on the teaching of creativity in learning environments is being witnessed as more studies continue to reveal its effects on learning outcomes and academic achievement. Thus, any investigative attempt to examine the relevant approaches to teaching of creative thinking skills is appreciated within the creativity literature.…

Makerspaces, collaborative workspaces stocked with materials and tools for creating, building, designing, and learning, are becoming more and more common in schools and, in particular, in school libraries. Makerspaces in the school library allow for connections between making and literacy. Indeed, such connections are authentic and natural as…

This article describes the author's experience using SCAMPER, a creativity-building technique, in a creative problem-solving session that was conducted in an environmental conflict course to generate ideas for managing postconflict stability. SCAMPER relies on cues to help students connect ideas from different domains of knowledge, explore random…

This column presents ideas and techniques to enhance science teaching. In today's classrooms, teachers face numerous challenges. They are preparing students for jobs and careers that are not even conceived of yet. Assessments are being used to address students' college and career readiness and to promote critical thinking and problem solving.…

Often students have a difficult time when asked to use critical thinking skills to solve a problem. Perhaps students have a difficult time adjusting because teachers frequently tell them exactly what to do and how to do it. When asked to use critical thinking skills, students may suddenly become confused and discouraged because the teacher no…

For most millennials, information has always been a couple of quick taps away. Sites have seemingly always existed to provide them with "the answer." Instructors must recognize that not only are they teaching material from their disciplines, but also they are trying to teach the skill and value of critical inquiry. Adopting a Freirean…

Brainstorming is a teaching method covering concepts such as critical thinking, decision taking, putting forward proposals for a solution to a problem, generating ideas and creative thinking. Through this method, students can hypothesize about the events, analyze events, make connections between topics, and reach accurate, reliable and definitive…

Today's college students, "digital natives," have had digital technology at their fingertips (Rushkoff, 1996; Prensky, 2001a). Technology habits and expectations of young people are changing; the educational and business worlds have placed a focus on skills called "21st century skills," to prepare students for the digital age (Lemke, 2002). Skills…

In this second article of a series, the first three stages of the CPS (Creative Problem Solving) process are described and several facilitation techniques that can be used in each stage are discussed. The three stages discussed (Mess-Finding, Data-Finding, and Problem-Finding) each involve a creative thought and a critical thought phase. (JDD)

The title of this book is an acronym that serves to describe the mental activity the games of the book are intended to bring about. Each of the seven letters in "scamper" is the initial letter for the word phrases making up the checklist used to create the Scamper games. Sections of the book include: (1) "Scampering with the Experts--Thinking and…

The "Future Problem Solving" exercises (originated by E. Paul Torrance at the University of Georgia) can be used as a method to teach literature. The process used in future problem solving entails all the higher level processes, involves both critical and creative thinking, as well as cooperative learning, and lends itself to the…

Direct instruction of brainstorming, product-improvement techniques, and verbal problem solving to 19 third graders for 30 minutes per week significantly improved their performance on the flexibility and originality components of the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking. No significant change occurred on the fluency component, perhaps a result of…

This book is a sequel to the book "Scamper" by the same author and builds upon the ideas of imagination development introduced in the first book. SCAMPER is an acronym with each of the seven letters serving as the initial letter or word phrases that form an idea-spurring checklist. The checklist provokes children's minds and spurs the production…

Noting that the ability to think critically and creatively can be encouraged even in the very young, this book provides practical strategies and lesson plans for introducing children in kindergarten through grade 3 to the fun and rigors of skillful thinking. The first set of four lessons is designed to start children thinking and to lay the…

Top-down problem solving is a methodical approach to obtaining real solutions for open-ended problems common in the realms of engineering and science. The technique provides a means for logically understanding a problem prior to attempting a solution. Steps in the top-down problem-solving method include the following: (1) identifying a need; (2)…