There are many ways to incorporate creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration skills into the classroom. Starting with creativity, teachers must demonstrate originality by having children draw ideas from their own experience and research. Teachers must help students to understand creativity and innovation is long term and it will evolve each day. Students must understand they will encounter big and small mistakes, accomplishments and even setbacks in the classroom. Students have to gain a love and respect for all of their work. Students should take pride in every piece of work they complete. Critical thinking skills can be incorporated in the form of questions. These are questions used to make judgments and solve problems. Teachers should teach student to effectively analyze and evaluate evidence, arguments, claims and beliefs. This will help students to recognize bogus websites and false information online or in books. Students should be taught to synthesize and make connections between information and their real life. Critical thinking skills will be necessary in the classroom now and later on in life. Communication and collaboration are also key for the 21 century classroom. Students must be able to clearly articulate thoughts and ideas using oral, written, and nonverbal skills to teachers, peers and any other group members. These communication skills will be used to inform, instruct and persuade in future conversations and presentations. Student’s should have access to multiple media and technology and the teacher will judge if it is effective or conducive to learning outcomes. Students will be placed in groups to collaborate with people of different strengths and weakness. Students should be able to work with people with different passions and talents other than theirs and still work effectively. Students should be flexible in groups, adapting to the needs of the members. Everybody in the group should be contributing to the project and respecting each other’s input to produce a cohesive project.
These skills are fundamental for a student’s education in the classroom. Students must master all of these skills to effectively use technology. These skills will equip students to be more competent in the use of technological tools. These skills will also help them to be better group members and citizens. These are important skills that they will take from the classroom into everyday life.
These skills are fundamental for a student’s education in the classroom. Students must master all of these skills to effectively use technology. These skills will equip students to be more competent in the use of technological tools. These skills will also help them to be better group members and citizens. These are important skills that they will take from the classroom into everyday life.
Learning and innovation skills prepare our students for post-secondary life. Teachers can promote innovation by encouraging their students to create new ideas, communicate their ideas with each other, brainstorm the feasibility of real-world application, and treat the creative process as a long-term development. This is one example of how there is a need to be “real” not just relevant in the classroom.
Students should be encouraged and prompted to use various critical thinking strategies, break down complex ideas, and analyze and critically reflect on ideas presented by experts and peers. Teachers should present opportunities for students to decision-make and problem-solve. They should learn what questions to ask in order to find the solution they desire.
Rhetoric and general communication skills should be addressed in the classroom. Students will need to understand how to communicate for a variety of purposes. It is important that students learn to compromise, share, lead, and collaborate effectively with others in order to be successful in the future. This type of learning should happen in the classroom because it prepares students for their future and their post-secondary goals.
Students should be encouraged and prompted to use various critical thinking strategies, break down complex ideas, and analyze and critically reflect on ideas presented by experts and peers. Teachers should present opportunities for students to decision-make and problem-solve. They should learn what questions to ask in order to find the solution they desire.
Rhetoric and general communication skills should be addressed in the classroom. Students will need to understand how to communicate for a variety of purposes. It is important that students learn to compromise, share, lead, and collaborate effectively with others in order to be successful in the future. This type of learning should happen in the classroom because it prepares students for their future and their post-secondary goals.
The 4 C's are a set of skills that go beyond the simple classroom expectations that we have of students, such as completing their assignments and engaging in discussion. They focus on the skills required in real world applications and for the students to use in their futures outside of the classroom.
Communication is such a vital experience that does not just mean communicating verbally anymore. It relates to the need that we are now communicators through the internet, with discussions taking place all around the world. Our students have the ability to join these conversations taking place on blogs and debate websites across the world.
In addition, communication is important because in order to successfully collaborate one must have communication skills. The ability to discuss, critique, and develop any collaborative piece requires a strong level of communication. Communication can be done via e-mail and Twitter, while collaboration is accomplished through shared documents (Google Docs).
Creativity asks students to create a piece of work that is not only original, but gives them nearly unlimited choices in how to express themselves. The days of just relying on essays or PowerPoints for so many assessments have long past. In history classes I have asked students to use comic strips, role play, sing, perform puppet shows, and whatever else they could think of for just one assignment. Another option in a social studies classroom would be to allow students to join in on world conversations and stake their claim based on their work and research. Overall, being open to students different types of creativity in any medium is key in the classroom.
Critical thinking calls on students to utilize more higher order thinking skills to question, criticize, and interpret history. History is an open book for interpretation and students should be able to criticize it instead of just accepting the facts. Createdebate.com I felt was a site that allowed them to think critically on major topics of history and voice their opinions on matters that are relevant to today as well, such as nuclear disarmament.
Communication is such a vital experience that does not just mean communicating verbally anymore. It relates to the need that we are now communicators through the internet, with discussions taking place all around the world. Our students have the ability to join these conversations taking place on blogs and debate websites across the world.
In addition, communication is important because in order to successfully collaborate one must have communication skills. The ability to discuss, critique, and develop any collaborative piece requires a strong level of communication. Communication can be done via e-mail and Twitter, while collaboration is accomplished through shared documents (Google Docs).
Creativity asks students to create a piece of work that is not only original, but gives them nearly unlimited choices in how to express themselves. The days of just relying on essays or PowerPoints for so many assessments have long past. In history classes I have asked students to use comic strips, role play, sing, perform puppet shows, and whatever else they could think of for just one assignment. Another option in a social studies classroom would be to allow students to join in on world conversations and stake their claim based on their work and research. Overall, being open to students different types of creativity in any medium is key in the classroom.
Critical thinking calls on students to utilize more higher order thinking skills to question, criticize, and interpret history. History is an open book for interpretation and students should be able to criticize it instead of just accepting the facts. Createdebate.com I felt was a site that allowed them to think critically on major topics of history and voice their opinions on matters that are relevant to today as well, such as nuclear disarmament.
Creativity, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration are so important because they are the tools of the future. These skills are necessary for students to be successful. They are not content-based – they can and should be taught and used in all classrooms regardless of subject area. Partnering is the perfect platform for our classrooms because it promotes these ideas. We’re not spoon-feeding the students anymore; we are allowing them to be creative and think for themselves. They communicate and collaborate with each other (or even with people outside the classroom!) to solve problems, form opinions, and create. This is so relevant in life outside the classroom because no matter what career path you choose, you will always have to work with other people and/or communicate with them.
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