Critical and Creative Thinking

Author(s): Susan Wilks

Publisher: Eleanor Curtin Publishing, 1996

Better questioning, greater participation and more open discussion lead to a positive change in classroom dynamics, creating an environment in which children learn to value independent and autonomous thinking. Critical and Creative Thinking uses the techniques of philosophical inquiry as a means of developing the skills of dialogue and thinking. This approach provides a supportive and nurturing environment, a community of inquiry, which fosters reasoning and critical thinking.

Critical and Creative Thinking is a valuable resource for teachers. It provides a strong rationale for the role of inquiry in the classroom, a range of activities for encouraging pupil participation, and teaching strategies to develop and refine thinking skills and processes such as: identifying assumptions; prioritising; seeking alternatives; speculating; drawing inferences and identifying faulty logic

Case studies are included as useful guidelines showing how the strategies work for a range of year levels, and units of work invite teachers to develop and discover for themselves the features of a community of inquiry.