|
Creative Techniques "Improving Your Creative Thinking Skills" http://www.tiac.net/users/seeker/creathink.html A brief article by Melvin D. Sanders introducing Edward de Bono's lateral thinking approach to creativity. Summarize the article and critique it. (This is a commercial site.) Center for the Development of Creative Thinking (CODC) http://www.cocd.be/ This is a commercial site offering training in creative thinking and, especially, problem solving. After entering the site, click the "free download" button (you do not need to actually download the program). This will bring you to "the COCD-BOX". Apply the four boxes to a personal or group brainstorming session. How valid is this approach? Introduction to Creative Thinking http://www.virtualsalt.com/crebook1.htm An excellent short essay by Robert Harris taking up many of the fundamental questions of creativity, including techniques of critical and creative thinking (compared and contrast in a chart), the creative person, etc? What have you learned about creativity from this site that we have not yet discussed in class? Outline all new ideas and comment on each one in a few sentences. Inventio: creative thinking about learning and teaching http://www.doiiit.gmu.edu/inventio/ Magazine published by George Mason University. Explore the current and past issues to find an article to read and review. Center for Creative Thinking http://www.ccthinking.com/ A commercial site offering training and consulting in creative thinking. Read one of the short articles in the archives (all are written by Sam Swaminathan) which considers an aspect of creative thinking already dealt with in class. Compare and contrast the ideas of Swaminathan with what you've been learning in class. Creative and Lateral Thinking http://www.brainstorming.co.uk/tutorials/creativethinkingcontents.html This is an interesting site of tutorials in creative thinking techniques and includes a free 30 day download of a program called "Brainstorming Toolbox" (this is safe to download). Explore the first four creative techniques including both the training and tutorial pages and "Try technique now" sections. What proved most valuable? Why? Design Creativity Exercises http://desktoppub.about.com/cs/creativity/ This is a commercial site with lots of valuable "Tips and Tricks" relating especially to design issues. Unfortunately you get alot of advertisement popping up each time you click on a tip or trick. Try one anyhow. What's your response to this site? Was it worth exploring given the "ad hassle"? Why? Mind Mapping http://members.ozemail.com.au/~caveman/Creative/Mindmap/Radiant.html Some notes by Charles Cave on this book on mind mapping. How could you use mind mapping to further a creative project of yours. Create a mind map of this project. Start2Think http://www.start2think.com/ This is a commercial site. How well is it constructed. Try playing "Save Tony the Fish." Was this a valuable excercise? Why? "Creative Thinking" http://www.lecb.ncifcrf.gov/~toms/pierce/creative.thinking.html This is a long and rather philosophical article by J.R. Pierce. He says he wants "to distinguish creative from original and especially from the bizarre or novel. To me, creative thinking produces substancial and reasonably permanent, something which may be understanding, art, or a piece of equipment." How valid is this distinction? How well does he support his thesis? "Good research begins with a good question" http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/researchskills/thinking.htm This is a site developed in Australia for teachers offering analyses of concepts, strategies for teaching creative and critical thinking, creative software, etc. How well do you think this site supports the assertion that "Creative thinking is the creation or generation of ideas, processes, experiences or objects. Critical thinking is concerned with their evaluation"? If you were a teacher would you find the site valuable? Why? Creative Quotations http://www.creativequotations.com/ This is a huge site offering thousands of quotations relating to creativity. Look at as many as you can; then chose three that you consider to be particularly insightful and analyze them. |
Gary Richmond, Humanities Department E202S,
richmondga@lagcc.cuny.edu,
718-482-5700