An Introduction to Critical Thinking and Creativity


Book Description

A valuable guide on creativity and critical thinking to improve reasoning and decision-making skills Critical thinking skills are essential in virtually any field of study or practice where individuals need to communicate ideas, make decisions, and analyze and solve problems. An Introduction to Critical Thinking and Creativity: Think More, Think Better outlines the necessary tools for readers to become critical as well as creative thinkers. By gaining a practical and solid foundation in the basic principles that underlie critical thinking and creativity, readers will become equipped to think in a more systematic, logical, and imaginative manner. Creativity is needed to generate new ideas to solve problems, and critical thinking evaluates and improves an idea. These concepts are uniquely introduced as a unified whole due to their dependence on each other. Each chapter introduces relevant theories in conjunction with real-life examples and findings from cognitive science and psychology to illustrate how the theories can be applied in numerous fields and careers. An emphasis on how theoretical principles of reasoning can be practical and useful in everyday life is featured, and special sections on presentation techniques, the analysis of meaning, decision-making, and reasoning about personal and moral values are also highlighted. All chapters conclude with a set of exercises, and detailed solutions are provided at the end of the book. A companion website features online tutorials that further explore topics including meaning analysis, argument analysis, logic, statistics, and strategic thinking, along with additional exercises and multimedia resources for continued study. An Introduction to Critical Thinking and Creativity is an excellent book for courses on critical thinking and logic at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The book also serves as a self-contained study guide for readers interested in the topics of critical thinking and creativity as a unified whole.




Critical Thinking, Idea Innovation, and Creativity


Book Description

Using topics of critical and creative thinking, Critical Thinking, Idea Innovation, and Creativity discusses methods of solving complex problems, demonstrates the benefits of using the methods of imaginative thinking, identifies ways to overcome problems and inhibitors such as a lack of confidence, provides guidelines for assessing creative experiences, and encourages the application of the methods to leadership, research, and decision-making. It allows readers to turn their unidimensional technical knowledge into a multi-dimensional knowledge framework that will provide a broader and more realistic framework for the solution of complex problems. Emphasis is placed on the fundamental concepts of critical and creative thinking and idea innovation, and each chapter presents numerous activities to accompany the knowledge-based educational material provided. Features: Provides educational material on creativity in a format that stresses application. An array of creative thinking tools will enable the reader to develop imaginative ideas. Emphasizes ways that critical thinking, idea innovation, and creativity can enhance a reader’s ability to solve problems related to leadership, the conduct of research, making decisions, and solving complex problems. Focuses on ways to improve the reader’s thinking skills, which will enhance the likelihood of developing novel solutions to complex problems; this skill set includes skills like curiosity, questioning, and skepticism, which are central to efficiently solving complex problems and meeting the requirements of effective leadership. Includes numerous activities in each chapter that will enable readers to apply the methods and develop actual experience in critical and creative thinking; these activities are appropriate for use either by individuals or by small groups.




Promoting Rigor Through Higher Level Questioning


Book Description

Promoting Rigor Through Higher Level Questioning equips teachers with effective questioning strategies and:




Critical and Creative Thinking


Book Description

Critical and Creative Thinking: A Guide for Teachers reveals ways to develop a capacity to think both critically and creatively in practical and productive ways. Explains why critical and creative thinking complement each other with clear examples Provides a practical toolkit of cognitive techniques for generating and evaluating ideas using both creative and critical thinking Enriches the discussion of creative and critical intersections with brief “inter-chapters” based on the thinking habits of Leonardo da Vinci Offers an overview of current trends in critical and creative thinking, with applications across a spectrum of disciplines




The Creative Thinking Handbook


Book Description

More than 82 per cent of companies believe creativity directly impacts results, yet few of us understand how it comes about or how to put it into practice. Some people say that creativity is about thinking outside the box, while others believe it is about being creative inside the box; but what if there is no box? The Creative Thinking Handbook argues that we need to identify and remove the 'box' around our thinking, so we canunlock unlimited streams of creativity for professional and business success. This book offers an integrated system of personalized insights, along with clear, practical tools and strategies - including the tried-and-trusted Solution Finder model. The authors show you how to develop your creative problem-solving skills to make better decisions with an individualized step-by-step strategy. Based on long-term research and testing of the creative thinking process, The Creative Thinking Handbook helps you generate more ideas and find brilliant solutions for any professional challenge.




Project-based Learning for Gifted Students


Book Description

Project-Based Learning for Gifted Students: A Handbook for the 21st-Century Classroom makes the case that project-based learning is ideal for the gifted classroom, focusing on student choice, teacher responsibility, and opportunities for differentiation. The book also guides teachers to create a project-based learning environment in their own classroom, walking them step-by-step through topics and processes such as linking projects with standards, finding the right structure, and creating a practical classroom environment. Project-Based Learning for Gifted Students also provides helpful examples and lessons that all teachers can use to get started.




Educational Research and Innovation Fostering Students' Creativity and Critical Thinking What it Means in School


Book Description

Creativity and critical thinking are key skills for complex, globalised and increasingly digitalised economies and societies. While teachers and education policy makers consider creativity and critical thinking as important learning goals, it is still unclear to many what it means to develop these skills in a school setting. To make it more visible and tangible to practitioners, the OECD worked with networks of schools and teachers in 11 countries to develop and trial a set of pedagogical resources that exemplify what it means to teach, learn and make progress in creativity and critical thinking in primary and secondary education.




Creativity and Innovation


Book Description

This award-winning book brings together some of the world's best thinkers and researchers to offer insights on creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship. The new edition features fully updated chapters, including expanded coverage of exciting topics such as group creativity, ethics, development, Makerspaces, and lessons from other fields.




Innovation is a State of Mind


Book Description

A modern framework for practical innovation—from individual ideas to an innovative organisational culture Everyone says that innovation is important. The problem is that no one tells you how to be innovative. Innovation is a State of Mind sets out a step-by-step guide to creating innovative ideas and putting them into action. You'll learn how to generate more ideas with greater potential, how to grow and evaluate them, test their effectiveness and then implement the ones that are going to improve your business. Author James O'Loghlin has worked with over a thousand of Australia's best inventors and innovators in the eight years he hosted ABC-TV's The New Inventors. He studied what they do differently and how they are able to identify and take advantage of opportunities that the rest of us miss. Packed with engaging stories and a good dose of humour, this insightful guide helps you to make innovation a part of what you do every day. Change your thinking and identify overlooked opportunities Step around common roadblocks to innovation Generate better ideas, and find the ones that will improve your business Create a culture where innovation is part of everyone's job Harvest innovative ideas from the entire staff and find the ones that will make a difference Innovators see things differently. They solve problems that the rest of us can't, and create solutions to problems that we never noticed we had. Getting stuck in routine and procedure is the death knell for modern business. Most companies undervalue and underuse the creative potential of their people, because they underestimate the impact of continuous innovation. Innovation is a State of Mind shows you how to think like an innovator and create a culture of innovation, so you can stay out in front of the future of business.




Make, Learn, Succeed


Book Description

In order to adequately prepare students for success in their lifetimes, our schools need to be transformed into environments that encourage students to evolve and develop as creative individuals. Educators are challenged to establish an instructional practice that will encourage and support the development of student creativity as well as meet curricular goals and assessments. In this book, author Mark Gura shows that yes, creativity can be developed and--with the variety of technology resources currently available--doing so is not only possible, but practical and effective. Through examples and practical approaches the book guides educators in: * weaving Maker, STEAM, Robotics, and Gaming into Instruction * encouraging motivation, entrepreneurship, curiosity, and play * teaching creativity across the curriculum * finding technology tools and resources to support student creativity