Critical and Creative Thinking for active learning

Rock and Roll Painting with ConkersBy: Anna RansonHave fun with an active painting activity using conkers or chestnuts to rock and roll over the paper!

In a world fueled by technology, an emphasis on creativity could help change today's education system and prepare students with skills they need. That's a major problem that Ken Robinson highlighted in his keynote address at the EDUCAUSE 2013 conference for higher education IT leaders.

Do you consider yourself a passionate person? What are the things about which you are passionate? Are you passionate about kids and helping kids learn? Are you passionate about opening up new vistas of experiences and understanding for others which – absent your intervention – they might never experience? Are you passionate about creating moments of unforgettable learning? Learning that is SO engaging, so motivating, so interesting, and so fun – that those fortunate enough to experience it will NEVER forget it? Nevada elementary teacher Brian Crosby is this kind of person, and this kind of educational leader. Brian gave the world a seventeen minute glimpse into his 4th grade classroom a few weeks ago in Denver at the TEDx event. I strongly encourage you to set aside seventeen minutes of your day and listen to what Brian had to say

6 Elements Of Play: The Spectrum Of A Relaxed Mind

As education continues to evolve, adding in new trends, technologies, standards, and 21st century thinking habits, there is one constant that doesn’t change...he human brain. But neuroscience isn’t exactly accessible to most educators, rarely published, and when it is, it’s often full of odd phrasing and intimidating jargon.

Ideally, teaching kids how to think critically becomes an integral part of your approach, no matter what subject you teach. But if you’re just getting started, here are some concrete ways you can begin leveraging your students’ critical-thinking skills in the classroom and beyond.

The Shift From Teaching Content To Teaching Learning

What does it mean to read?

What does it mean to think?

What does it mean to solve problems?

What should you be doing in your head when you translate the Spanish?

In sum, what is meant to be going on inside that black box called the mind and what is actually going on in their minds? These are our Essential Questions as teachers. It is the continual addressing of these questions that moves us from the ranks of the naïve and okay teachers to skilled professionals.

We move from being “teachers” to coaches of learning.

"The intuitive mind is a sacred gift, the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift." - Albert Einstein

We do not need to teac