SCHOOLS SHOULD ACTIVELY TEACH CREATIVE THINKING SKILLS When it becomes a controversial issue that schools should teach creative thinking skills as compulsory parts of their curriculum, some people doubt of its possibility and effectiveness because they assume that thinking is not a skill which cannot be taught normally. However, many experts assert that teaching higher-order thinking skills benefit students greatly. This essay will argue that educational institutions should instruct creative thinking skills actively. Initially, schools can create an interactive learning environment in which creativities are concentrated requirements. Professor Adey (quoted in “Thinking Skills”, TES, 2003) states that thinking is about mental process which cannot be taught directly at school. By contrast, he also says: “But you can create a learning environment that will stimulate their development”. The interactive learning environment, where students dynamically work in group, ask critical questions, give their opinions or even evaluate one’s idea, supports them to be reflective learners, creative thinkers and independent enquirers. They can think critically and collaborate actively with other members in both academic and social discussions. As a result, they will be more self-reflected. Furthermore, Claxton (quoted in “Thinking skills”, TES, 2003) says: “it’s no good just tinkering with a few ideas in the classroom”. In this study environment, knowledge is not passively provided by teachers. On the contrary, students become dynamic participants by giving questions and interaction enhancing their understanding deeply and effectively. Hence, schools possibly assist students improving their thinking abilities by forming the highly interactive learning environment. Secondly, creative thinking skills can develop students’ cognition vastly. Students are proposed to generate and apply new ideas in specific contexts in order to maximise their creativities, address existing situations in clever ways, identify substitute solutions and make new links that operate good outcomes based on their knowledge, experiences and thinking abilities. Regarding “Critical and Creative thinking” (2014), creative thinking is also about communicative process expanding both flexibility and precision. Creative thinking can be heightened tremendously through combining reason, logic, imagination and innovation. Bartel (2001) says: “I kill creativity when I protect students from making mistake”. It is perhaps implied that students are able to learn to value the diversity of cognition about success and failure from their mistakes by giving and receiving appropriate feedback. Thus, mental activities enable students to compare, contrast and classify ideas, objects and events which result in increasing their cognitive development. Last but not least, creative thinking skills are significantly essential for students’ daily life. They might face to a hundred of unexpected situations or optional choices which involve their key decisions in life. Surely, they need highly professional thinking skills to compare pros and cons to make up their minds. Creativities, which are based on the cognitive development to reflect themselves and make links to the current context effectively, help them be well-prepared for future rather than receiving background knowledge passively. Best (2014) believes: “More able students are likely to form the key decision-makers of tomorrow”. Schools are responsible for teaching and training more able students for the future. By fostering their creativities, and providing strategies to think creatively, academies are outfitting them with important lifelong skills. They will be helpful individuals for society by using their knowledge and skills to contribute useful achievement and bring benefits to society. Without doubts, shaping students’ creative thinking skills are playing a crucial role in developing society. In conclusion, society is more and more developing that requires students not only knowledge, but also highly professional thinking skills. Fundamentally, schools teach background knowledge in science, art, languages and technology. They suppose students can apply the mastery to their daily life. However, without critical and creative thinking skills, students are seldom successful to utilise and practise what they learn from schools. This results in education not working for a developing society. Therefore, teaching thinking skills at schools actively is definitely necessary. References: Australiancurriculum.edu.au, “Critical and Creative thinking”, australiancurriculum.edu.au/GeneralCapabilities/Pdf/Critical-and-creative-thinking, viewed on 21/10/2014. Bartel, M (2001), “Eleven Classroom Creativity Killers”, goshen.edu, goshen.edu/art/ed/creativitykillers.html, viewed on 21/10/2014. Best, B. “Creativity For More Able Students”, brinbest, brinbest/id9.html, viewed on 21/10/2014. Senra, M. & Scott Fogler H. “Teaching Creative Thinking and Transitioning Students to the Workplace in an Academic Setting”, umich.edu, umich.edu/~scps/html/learning/syllabus/CEEPaperSenraFogler.pdf, viewed on 21/10/2014. Tes.co.uk, “Thinking Skills” (2003), tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=379714, 23/05/2003 and updated on 15/06/2012, viewed on 13/10/2014.
Posted on: Thu, 30 Oct 2014 11:05:41 +0000
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