What is critical and creative thinking? Why critical and creative thinking skills are important for every student to learn.

What is critical and creative thinking? 

Critical and creative thinking as two types of overlapping logical thought processes that go beyond acquiring information or learning a skill. Creative thinking is difficult to define and even harder to measure. When something is said to be creative, it is said to be novel or original and useful, adaptive, or functional. Even behaviorist have trouble defining creativity. Identification of most behaviors is accomplished by identifying variables that occur when that particular behavior is present. Creative behavior, however, is defined by its unknown set of variables. Creativity is a directed thought process that without logic would be haphazard and meandering. Harold Cohen wrote a computer program, AARON, to produce new, original images. While the logic of the program is present, without the human creativity to program in newly acquired knowledge the images created may be unique but will lack development and the ability to evolve over time.

This image is from Harold Cohen's 2002 article
 "A Self-Defining Game for One Player:
 On the Nature of Creativity and the Possibility of Creative Computer Programs"

Why is critical and creative thinking a necessity for learners? 

In the past students did not need to synthesize information. Memorization and learning a skill was all that was needed from the work force. According to the National Education Association, learners today need to be able problem-solve and have adaptability to meet new challenges with ever changing technology. These are the challenges facing the 21st Century Learner. Problem-solving, creative-innovators are needed to compete in the world economy.

Articles consulted:

Cohen, H. (2002). A self-defining game for one player: On the nature of creativity and the possibility of creative computer programs. Leonardo, 35 (1), 59-64. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/1577077

Epstein, R. (1980). Defining creativity. The Behavior Analyst, 3 (65). 65. Retrieved from http://drrobertepstein.com/downloads/Epstein-Defining_Creativity-Behavior_Analyst-1980.pdf?lbisphpreq=1  

National Education Association. (ND). Preparing 21st Century students for a global society:  An educator’s guide to the “four Cs”. Retrieved from http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/A-Guide-to-Four-Cs.pdf

Paul, R. (1993). The logic of creative and critical thinking. The American Behavioral Scientist (1986-1994), 37, 1. Retrieved from http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2087/docview/194862465?acco 

Simonton, D. (2012). Quantifying creativity: can measures span the spectrum? Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 14(1), 100–104. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1577077

Makerspaces, STEAM and art: a student lead connection.

Trends in education find their way in and out of popularity under new pseudonyms and fresh research with startling regularity. To find enough time in the day for new programs, schools are discarding activities that don't have test-ready quantitative results yet produce a better all around student. By combining the curriculum from science, technology, engineering, art, and math, educators are providing an opportunity for students to see their education as a whole product relying on each discipline to solve problems in the real world rather than compartmentalized and only used when seated in the classroom.

What is a makerspace?

One idea that is bucking that trend and is making it's way into practice is the makerspace. Makerspaces are where people come to create and explore ideas and materials - think centers with a twist. The underlying theme is to do-it-yourself. Spaces are only limited by the supplies available to the makers. While low-tech supplies would seem to lend themselves to low-tech products, the results can actually encompass much more than the usual art and crafts. Caine is a young man who put together an arcade using a few simple tools and cardboard. His success and genuine delight at creating an original product received national attention and many costumers.

Caine's Arcade

Many makerspaces are combining low-tech with high-tech. Sewing special thread into fabric to create LED lit clothing is inspiring a group of mostly young girls in Portland, Oregon to learn circuitry. 

 

PDX Young Makers LED lit clothing 

Makerspace connecting with STEAM

Exploring science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) through project driven innovations is gaining momentum in schools prompting the incorporation of makerspaces into the school day. Not all projects have to be high-end technology creations, although who can argue with the wow factor of a 3D printer? Students are introduced to a way of creatively thinking about how to solve real problems with physical solutions. The real winner in this cross-curricular movement is the student who normally wouldn't be attracted to learning about science, technology, engineering and math suddenly has ownership in their learning. Maintaining the student lead direction of the maker movement into STEAM promotes a bottom up project planning. Students shift from sitting in a classroom passively learning concepts to actively engaging in discovering how those same concepts react in the world around them. Teachers encourage peer collaboration and help provide different viewpoints for learners to explore. Too many initiatives are lead by educational leaders or corporate America causing what students are interested in, and want to learn, to get pushed aside. 

Makerspace and STEAM connecting in the Visual Arts classroom

I began teaching Lego robotics in my Visual Arts class last year.I didn't want those students who thrive creatively in my class intimidated by learning programming from a pure engineering perspective, yet I also wanted to foster an environment of creative logical thinking and problem solving.  Thankfully, even my most creative students remained engaged throughout the unit. By adding the art component to STEAM and makerspaces, students are encouraged to take risks.


One student asked how a robot could start with the insertion of a coin. 
Through trial and error, success!

My class built the base robot and I taught the basics of how to use the Lego Mindstorm programming blocks. The idea is to give the students a problem to solve and let them take control of how to find a solution. We wound up with an amazing variety of robots and programming as students sought solutions to the assignment. How does robotics connect with the maker movement, Steam, and Visual Art? Allowing each student the freedom to become a tinker with their robot, not limiting supplies, and giving open ended problems to solve with their robots and programming. The Visual Arts classroom is more than a space to create art from traditional and digital art media. Students are learning how to be curious, solve questions, and experiment. They are learning that if the first design does not work, try again. Through this process of  trial and error, my students are learning how to go beyond their first inspiration - a practice that is difficult to achieve with their art.

The problem: knock all objects outside of the black

 line while  keeping the robot on the table.

Attempt 1

Attempt 2 with modifications

Sources consulted

Ertmer, P., & Newby, T. (1993). Behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism: Comparing critical features from an instructional design perspective. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 6 (4), 50-71.
DOI10.1002/piq.21143

Merrill, M. (2002). First principles of instruction. Educational Technology, Research and Development, 50 (3), 43.  DOI 10.1007/BF02505024

Quiggley, C., & Herro, D. (February, 2016). "Finding th joy in the unknown": Implementation of STEAM teaching practices in middle school math and science classrooms. Science Education Technology, 25, 410-426. DOI 10.1007/s10956-016-9602-z