Motivating Students to Think Critically and Develop New Ideas
By Dr. William Wright, KSU iTeach
As an educator, one obsessive goal of mine has been to wean students away from a reliance of what I have coined “microwavable thinking”—that is, thinking which is stuck inside the box, zapped into seeming fresh, and convenient in so far as it conforms to whatever it is the teacher “apparently” wants to hear (contrary to a daring suggestion or a novel observation).
To encourage students to pioneer their thinking, I fastened a giant, baseball-sized button to the whiteboard at the front of my classroom that flashed red when pushed, an act I reserved for when a student said something keenly perceptive or original. I did this selectively, such that it was a point of pride if a student could push it.
I did this to ward off one of the most persistent “villains” in the classroom: the Creativity Crusher—a villain who stifles students' creativity and discourages out-of-the-box thinking. The Creativity Crusher thrives off strict rules, rigid structures, lack of encouragement, and a fear of failure. It wields a conformity-inducing red pen, a tick—tick—ticking stopwatch, and a monochrome paintbrush that paints only in dull, lifeless colors.
Think of the big, flashing button I spoke of as a form of alarm warding off the Creativity Crusher.
The good news: the Creativity Crusher is vulnerable to many different forms of kryptonite. Inquiry-based learning, open-ended assignments, arts integration, innovative uses of technology, and the cultivation of a growth mindset are just a few of the most effective strategies to send the Creativity Crusher back to the dreary, dimensionless depths from whence it came.
Inquiry-based learning:
The Creativity Crusher loathes it when we design inquiries around real-world issues and problems that are relevant to students' lives and communities. That imagination-inhibiting pest especially dislikes it when students talk with each other at length about pressing, complex issues. We should therefore routinely set aside time for students to discuss their thoughts and ideas. We might even plan a Socratic Seminar: a structured, student-led discussion that encourages critical thinking and deeper understanding. Tip: providing students with sentence starters and discussion guidelines can help them articulate their ideas!
Open-ended assignments:
The innovation-inhibiting imp with which we speak also vehemently detests when we provide students with a variety of assignment options. Providing a choice board, for example, allows them to select tasks that interest them the most, increasing engagement and ownership of their learning. What’s to stop us from writing an assignment that reads something like this?
“An essay, a podcast, a brochure, or even a puppet show—choose some way to demonstrate your understanding in a purposeful, in-depth way. You have absolute liberty to be creative, so long as your work demonstrates relevance, detail, and effort toward our learning goal(s).”
Arts integration:
That originality-obliterating ogre, the Creativity Crusher, is also severely allergic to arts integration. Art integration supports active learning and can provide social and emotional benefits to a diverse range of students. The invitation to produce a work of art that no one in the world has ever produced—the exact opposite of a standard, one-size-fits-all worksheet, mind you—is a powerful means of inviting students to bring their unique voices and perspectives into the learning environment.
Innovative uses of technology:
Another strategy that is repulsive to that spark-suffocating sleazeball is the innovative use of technology. Inviting your students to create infographics, blogs, podcasts, stop-motion videos, websites, and the like can bring renewed life, energy, and focus into a classroom. If the extra time it takes to learn a new tool concerns you, remember, you do not have to be an expert. Your students can figure out a tool for themselves, a process that improves their digital literacy, which itself is a vital form of learning!
Cultivation of a growth mindset:
Finally, that thought-thwarting trickster, the Creativity Crusher, is thoroughly vanquished by a classroom community that has cultivated a growth mindset. To do this, encourage students to set learning goals and reflect on their progress regularly. As you do, work to foster an atmosphere where mistakes are seen as a natural part of the learning process. In addition, work to use growth mindset language in your interactions with students by replacing fixed mindset statements with growth-oriented alternatives. For example, instead of saying, "You're so smart," say, "You worked really hard on this!"
Remember, too, as the teacher, to maintain a growth mindset yourself as you work to build this classroom culture over time!
In conclusion:
Together, these approaches help create a more dynamic and effective learning environment. The Creativity Crusher is always lurking. But classroom communities that embrace strategies like inquiry-based learning, open-ended assignments, arts integration, innovative uses of technology, and the cultivation of a growth mindset are generally resistant to the Creativity Crusher’s draining, dreary energy. Alas, send the Creativity Crusher back to whatever Cliché Corner or Stagnant Swamp it came from. For it has no place in our classroom!
Additional Resources:
5 Ways to Gamify Your Classroom – ISTE
Make Room for Innovation and Creativity in PBL (Project Based Learning) – PBL Works
The Power of Open-Ended Questions for Kids – My Teaching Cupboard
How Does Generative Artificial Intelligence Impact Student Creativity – Journal of Creativity Article
AI Can Help – And Hurt – Student Creativity – Univ. South Carolina
