Critical thinking and creative thinking are explored. Critical thinking is the process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, or evaluating information. It includes affective strategies such as thinking independently and developing intellectual perseverance. Certain teaching behaviors can encourage critical thinking, just as others can inhibit it. Students who are introduced to critical thinking skills build skills on a continuum and begin to acknowledge the opposition and variety of beliefs. Eventually students take a stand and defend their positions with intelligent arguments as they take responsibility for their thoughts and actions. Creative thinkers have a strong commitment to a personal aesthetic and a powerful drive toward wresting order from chaos. They have the mental faculties of adaptive flexibility, fluency of association, originality, and the ability to integrate complexity. Overall, critical thinking is identified with judging ideas and creative thinking with producing ideas. Students and teachers who use these modes can enjoy better learning, understanding, and processing of ideas. (Contains 5 references.) (SLD)