IT for Higher Thinking Skills and Creativity

             The old or traditional methods of teaching make use of audio-visual aids or devices, chalk and black board for illustrations, magazines and books for references, which are always provided by the teacher.  The students are given specific projects to perform and assignments have definite objectives.  Sometimes the old method is called spoon-feeding with the teacher giving guidelines all throughout the lessons being taught.  

Now in the new era of modern technology, students are encouraged to develop their own ideas and ways on how to gather information needed for their subjects in school.  Their creativity is developed and intellectual independence is nurtured when they are given the leeway to produce projects and reports using the software of the computer.

The traditional information absorption model of teaching is that the teacher is the one who organizes and presents information to student-learners. He/she may use the chalkboard, videotape, newspaper or magazine and photos. Then the presentation is followed by a discussion and the giving of assignment. But a new challenge has arisen for today’s learners and this is not simply to achieve learning objectives but to encourage the development of students who can do more than receive, recite and apply the knowledge they have acquired. Today students are expected not only to be mentally excellent, but also flexible, analytical and creative.

THINKING SKILLS FRAMEWORK

Complex Thinking Skills	Sub-skills
Focusing	Defining the problem, goal/objective-setting, brainstorming
Information gathering	Selection, recording of data of information
Remembering	Associating, relating new data with old
Analyzing	Identifying idea constructs, patterns
Generating	Deducing, inducting, elaborating
Organizing	Classifying, relating
Imagining	Visualizing, predicting
Designing	Planning, formulating
Integration	Summarizing, abstracting
Evaluating	Setting criteria, testing idea, verifying outcomes, revising

The Upgraded Project Method

          Given these complex thinking skills, the modern day teacher can now be guided on his goal to help student achieve higher level thinking skills and creativity beyond the ordinary benchmark of the student’s passing, even excelling achievements tests. When the ordinary classrooms are lacking with instructional kits, use the project method to bring students to higher domains.

In a project method, students work on projects with depth complexity, duration, and relevance to the real world. There is already a revised project method wherein the students would make decisions about what to put on the project, how to organize information and how to package the outcomes for presentation while the teacher guides and facilitates the learning process.

REFLECTION:

          I do not think that with the new framework on higher thinking skills and creativity, teachers should no longer make efforts to help students pass achievements test. Of course the teacher has the biggest responsibility for that for he/she is the one who facilitates the learning process. With the new framework, it will give the teacher strategies on how to guide his/her students on the learning process, which students would enjoy, and with hands-on experience about the topic. With the new framework, there will be no longer spoon-feeding discussions but a new focused one that would surely benefit the students and enhance their thinking skills.

 

          I also believe that the complex thinking skills could still be achieved even without educational technology, but the in depths of these skills could be properly facilitated and learned with the use of educational technology. Students learned to innovate and enhance with the used of educational technology as well as their creativity will be widened and broadened with its use.

          Since people now days are fond of visuals as to photos and graphics, it is easier to attract and enhance their creativity. It is easier to facilitate learning when students are attracted and influence to do creativity in their reports or presentations. They would love to make assignments and create projects for they know with the use of the educational technology; there is variety, originality, and limited options to use.