Synectics is an approach to creative thinking that depends on understanding together that which is apparently different. Its main tool is analogy or metaphor. The approach, which is often used by groups, can help students develop creative responses to problem solving, to retain new information, to assist in generating writing, and to explore social and disciplinary problems. It helps users break existing mind sets and internalize abstract concepts. Synectics can be used with all ages and works well with those who withdraw from traditional methods. Teacher-facilitators can use synectics in the classroom by leading students to: (1) describe a topic by generating words or phrases; (2) generate a list of vivid mental images that are directly analogous to the first list created; (3) select one of the direct analogies and create a personal analogy by becoming the object they choose and describing what it feels like; (4) find word pairs that seem to be contradictory but actually yield creative insight; (5) choose one of the conflicting pairs and create a different direct analogy by generating examples of things that have the same compressed conflict; (6) reexamine the original topic to produce a product or description that uses the ideas generated in the process. (KRN)