CREATIVE THINKING
CHRISTOPHER F. TORIO
“Children do not develop their thinking skills by memorizing the products of adults’ thinking. Children develop these thinking skills by manipulating ideas, critically examining them, and trying to combine them in new ways. Data become meaningful only when individuals perform certain mental operations on those data.” (Taba, 1971, pp. 240–241)
Truly, this phrase from a research proves the need to recognize the need for gifted learners to develop and practice higher-order critical and creative thinking skills that go beyond fundamental acquisition of information.
Gifted students need to be involved with analysis, evaluation, and creative synthesis of data and information, asking new questions and generating innovative ideas, solutions, and products because of their advanced cognitive development, preference for complexity, questioning of the status quo, idealism, and need for social action. This is particularly true of the creatively gifted learner who must find relevance and opportunities for creative synthesis and expression in order to truly engage in the learning process.
We also know that, in order to develop these critical and creative thinking skills as thinking habits, students must engage in these kinds of thinking activities frequently, in meaningful, appropriate contexts.
Gifted students must be given opportunities for exploring ideas and developing skills of critical analysis, evaluation, and creativity in cl assr ooms.
As such, focus should be given on standardization in curriculum, instruction, and assessment with emphasis on acquisition of information, facts and details, and finding “the right answer” rather than critical analysis and evaluation of content or creative exploration of ideas and innovative thinking. This is teaching critical and creative thinking skills in context of content instruction.
Students then must be engaged in a meaningful, purposeful way, nor actually involved in the higher order thinking intended.
— oOo—
The author is Teacher II (Senior High School) at Diosdado Macapagal High School, Mexico, Pampanga