Spontaneity has been linked to high quality learning experiences in mathematics (Csikszentmihalyi & Csikszentmihalyi, 1992; Williams, 2002).This paper shows how spontaneity can be identified by attending to the nature of social elements in the process of abstracting (Dreyfus, Hershkowitz, & Schwarz, 2001). This process is elaborated…

This document provides an introduction to the relationship between the current knowledge of focused and creative thinking and artificial intelligence. A model for stages of focused and creative thinking gives: problem encounter/setting, preparation, concentration/incubation, clarification/generation and evaluation/judgment. While a computer can…

This paper discusses George Kelly's theories concerning ways that individuals build personal constructs of reality to interpret their experiences and illustrates how these theories could apply to science education. Teachers should encourage students to express their personal constructs; views of students and teachers should be respected. (PP)

Eleven specific thinking skills are discussed, along with activities to help teachers develop each skill in their students. The skills are: (1) observing; (2) comparing; (3) classifying; (4) imagining; (5) hypothesizing; (6) looking for assumptions; (7) collecting and organizing data; (8) summarizing; (9) interpreting; (10) problem solving; and…

Reports on a pilot study that investigated the creative impact of information and communication technology (ICT) in a grade 6 class in England. Presents a model of creativity that includes problem solving, creative cognition, and social interaction; and discusses the creation of personal Web pages. (Author/LRW)

This review of 20 studies examines 3 predictions concerning the effects of conceptual models on students' understanding of scientific prose: (1) that models improve recall of conceptual information; (2) that they decrease verbatim retention; and (3) that they increase creative solutions on transfer problems. (SLD)

Teachers' actions are thought to produce certain types of student thinking. To devise effective inservice programs, educators must understand four learning principles and five thinking dimensions enabling students to develop positive learning attitudes and acquire, integrate, and extend their knowledge. A new "curriculum" of preservice…

This study investigates young children's humourous activity as a form of play and considers the implications on their cognitive development and learning. The study was conducted in an infant room of a university based group child care center and multiple qualitative data collection methods were used. The findings of this study suggest that during…

This book offers ideas and strategies for teaching thinking in schools. Sixteen chapters and a concluding discussion, each preceded by an introductory article, are written by experts recognized in their fields. The chapters include: (1) "Reading and Thinking with History and Science Text" (Isabel L. Beck and Janice A. Dole; (2) "Developing…

This document contains the following 30 papers (most with short abstracts): "The Teacher Transition Response" (Carley); "There Must Be Some Meaning to This: Storytelling as a Research Method" (Group for Collaborative Inquiry); "The Impact of Patient, Social and Political, Practice Environment, and Physician Factors on the Integration of Health…

Research indicates that people have two distinct information processing modalities, one for verbal material and one for nonverbal material. The nonverbal mode is used for visual images and is characterized by creative and relatively undisciplined associations. The verbal mode deals with abstract stimuli and is restrained by logic and the need to…

The interdependence of the creative process and the communication process is examined. Artistic creativity, humanistic creativity, and creativity in the psychological laboratory are briefly examined, and Guilford's structure-of-intellect (SI) model is analyzed. Instead of categorizing people according to their general intellectual ability, the SI…

Evaluates the effectiveness of a sixth grade experimental language arts program designed to teach higher-level thinking skills. Reports on different types of instruments for measuring higher-level thinking skills, including verbal and nonverbal tests of divergent thinking, a nonverbal test of flexible thinking, and a verbal divergent production…

A statistical analysis of the predictive potential of academic and nonacademic student characteristics in an architecture school provides a model for other institutions to make their admissions processes and programs for retention more effective. The study was of 10 freshman architecture classes at the University of Kansas. (MSE)

Argues that, to maximize a child's educational experience in history/social science, it is imperative that teachers utilize a whole-brain teaching approach by using a variety of experiences that stimulate both sides of the brain. Discusses the three general modes in which students appear to learn: oral, visual, and kinesthetic. Suggests specific…