Promoting Creative Thinking

through Classroom Activities

Eduardo Santos

Why Creative Thinking?

Creativity is thinking outside the box.

Stefan Sagmeister TED Talk Oct 2009

“Every seven years, designer Stefan Sagmeister closes his New York studio for a yearlong sabbatical to rejuvenate and refresh their creative outlook. He explains the often overlooked value of

time off and shows the innovative projects inspired by his time in Bali.”

Sir Ken Robinson TED Talk June 2006

• “Creativity is as important in education as literacy and we should treat it with the same status.”

• “If you’re not prepared to be wrong, you’ll never come up with anything original.”

http://zhaolearning.com

• “Children learn things serendipitously. When we discover something new, an idea which is ours, this helps us develop our own thinking skills. – Herbert Puchta

• “Break out of the chase for right answers. Look for learning... not right answers.” – Jim Scrivener

Dr. Robert Fisher

We all have the capacity for creative thinking: generating and extending ideas, suggesting hypotheses, applying imagination, looking for alternative innovative outcomes

in any activity.

Fisher R. (in press), ‘Expanding Minds: Developing Creativity in Young Learners ', CATS: The IATEFL Young Learners SIG journal. Spring 2006

Open your eyes!

• Draw the Braz Tesol Conference.

• Compare your drawing with the person next to you. How similar/different are they?

Context & Meaning

Create the context & meaning for one of the following lines:

• “The door is open.”

• “I feel tired.”

• “What are you looking at?”

Lame Excuses

• Watch the first 10 seconds of the video.

• Discuss with the person next to you what happened before this scene.

• The group will choose the best excuse.

The book of your life

• Draw the cover of a book about your life.

• Explain what the book is about, set the price and sell your book to the group.

• Students choose which book they would like to buy.

Photo Stories.

• What’s the story behind this image?

• Ask SS to bring their own pictures to the classroom and come up with short stories or anecdotes.

• Encourage them to be creative and to explore different possibilities.

Define the word

• In groups of 5, each student will write the definition of a word given by the teacher (OR students will choose the word).

• Define the word: meretricious

meretricious

adjective very formal /ˌmerəˈtrɪʃəs/

Seeming to be good, useful, or important but not really having any value at all.

PUSH YOUR

STUDENTSFORWARD

Creativity is not about thinking outside the

box, it’s about thinking there IS no box.

Thank You!

@eltbakeryeltbakery@gmail.com