This is a good activity for critical thinking, it helps when practicing or reviewing discussion language. You will need cards with discussion expressions on them. In a previous activity you could get students to classify these according to function (see below). Continue reading
This is probably the most well-known ‘creative thinking’ activity. You may know it as ‘The Alternative Uses Test’. Show the class a brick and ask them to think of ways in which it can be used. They need to come up with as many ideas as they can in, say, 5 minutes. There are no bad ideas. You could brainstorm in a tradition, whole class way, or use a brainwriting technique (see last blog post). Continue reading
The World Economic Forum identifies four capabilities 21st century students require:
These skills are sought after in the Arts, the Sciences, Business, Education…everywhere you look these days. Continue reading
This is a FutureLearn course created in conjunction with the National Yang Ming Chaio Tung University. It’s another very short, asynchronous course. It is more practical than ‘Unlocking the Creative Brain’, giving a lot of practical suggestions for utilizing the neurological processes involved in creativity.
This is the first FutureLearn course I’m taking, it’s been created by Central Queensland University. I want to understand how to encourage creative thinking in classes, particularly when with EAP students, children and teenagers as teaching creative thinking is becoming more of a feature in mainstream education. Continue reading
This year we’ve started using Academic Reading Circles. They’ve really worked. Not just in training students to read texts more carefully but in giving them the opportunity to participate in seminar-type discussion afterwards. The students really enjoy them. Continue reading