Instructional materials designed to increase creative thinking abilities and language achievement were used in nine training conditions with children in grades 4, 5, and 6. Results indicated that treatment conditions were most effective at the 4th grade level, where at least one treatment was effective for all variables. At the 5th grade, two…

The authors have defined process education as the systematic...cultivation of those generalizable and adaptive behaviors which underlie all creative activity and which the learner engages in to acquire, organize, and utilize information and experience for effective problem solving and productive living. The curricula listed in this document are…

Argues that there is a sense of surprise and wonder that can result from looking back at problem solutions and there is a potential for then creating unexpected, even memorable, alternative solutions. Example problems with routine solutions and alternative approaches uncovered while "looking back" at the solution are given. (PK)

This book presents findings of a 1993 study of how design in the curriculum helps students achieve national educational objectives. It also explores opportunities for expanding the role design can play in students' academic lives. Results of the 1993 study reveal how the use of design experiences in classrooms provides teachers and students with a…

Original thinking was examined in 142 middle- and lower-class children across a wide range of age (7-13 years) and intellectual ability (low average to gifted). The instruments were lenient and stringent solution-standard measures of original problem solving and two subtests of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children. (Author/PN)

Five problem-based learning activities tested by fourth-grade gifted students are suggested. Each open-ended problem is intended to be worked on by a small group for 30 minutes. Student reactions are quoted and analyzed, noting that students became more willing to take risks, test the properties and limits of their materials, and learn from their…

An English-as-second-language teacher feels that everyone has creativity and imagination, and the teacher's role is to nurture those qualities. Drawing on the Foxfire core practices, she acknowledges and reinforces those moments when learners reveal their own unique insights into learning, and she facilitates exploratory and innovative thinking…

One method of making magic squares using a prolongated square is illustrated. Discussed are third-order magic squares, fractional magic squares, fifth-order magic squares, decimal magic squares, and even magic squares. (CW)

A model of transformational change in education is presented and implications for guiding students to higher levels of communication, critical thinking, problem solving, interpersonal relationships, and creativity are explored. (AEF)

Describes "Bop," a game that considers solely the sequence of letters. Words are determined to be equivalent if different letters of one word become different letters in the other word in exactly the same order. Examples of four-, five-, and six-letter words and BOProblems are provided. (MDH)

The report "Workplace Basics: the Skills Employers Want" was based on interviews with hundreds of employers, who identified seven groups of desirable skills: reading, writing, and computation; listening and speaking; learning to learn, problem-solving and creative thinking; personal management; teamwork; and leadership and organizational…

Presents illustrated examples that promote problem solving through the student's consideration of a visible predicament from a three-dimensional viewpoint rather than the typical planar perspective. Includes six student exercises involving rays, circles, quadrilaterals, and hexagons, with hints and solutions provided. (JJK)

This paper reviews trends in research into creativity and describes the Profiling Project which is examining Creative Problem Solving (CPS), an ecologically based process model used to define problems, generate ideas, and refine solutions. Research into five dimensions of CPS are proposed: the situational outlook, personal orientation, outcomes,…

Describes what research has found about the use of collaborative mind mapping to facilitate the development of constructivist preservice teacher education programs. The paper discusses explicit connections between collaborative mind mapping and constructivism, varieties of mind maps, mind mapping as an invitation to thought, and how to use mind…

Utah advocates for gifted and talented education used creative problem-solving processes to design a mutually acceptable mission and goals statement that gave direction to statewide advocacy efforts. The document recognizes ownership of the tasks belonging to each advocacy group and provides flexibility for future growth and development in gifted…