Critical and Creative Thinking
Trish Baran • July 24, 2017
In a constantly changing world, as educators it is paramount that we support children to be independent life-long learners. However, this notion is not limited to the classroom. It extends into the home, on the sporting ground and into out of school extra-curricular activities. In every aspect of a child's life they are faced with decisions and presented with ways to solve problems which can be solved. Two key components involved in solving problems are developing critical and creative thinking
In a constantly changing world, as educators it is paramount that we support children to be independent life-long learners. However, this notion is not limited to the classroom. It extends into the home, on the sporting ground and into out of school extra-curricular activities. In every aspect of a child's life they are faced with decisions and presented with ways to solve problems which can be solved.
Two key components involved in solving problems are developing critical and creative thinking skills. In its most simplest form creative thinking is the thinking we do to generate ideas, to present suggestions, images, or experience in unique ways. Whilst on the other hand, critical thinking is the thinking we do when we judge ideas, and provide evidence and logical arguments. According to the Australian Curriculum
the two can be linked and are interchangeable bringing complimentary dimensions to thinking and learning.
Critical and creative thinking is a component of the general capabilities that students should develop throughout their schooling lives and teachers are expected to teach and assess these general capabilities and incorporate them within learning area content.
Typically by the end of early childhood learning, students should be able to pose factual and exploratory questions based on personal interests and experiences, identify and describe familiar information and ideas during a discussion or investigation and gather similar information or depictions from given sources. On the other end of schooling by year 10, a student should be able to critically analyse independently sourced information to determine bias and reliability, clarify complex information and ideas drawn from a range of sources and pose questions to critically analyse complex issues and abstract ideas.
That's a great deal of thinking to develop between the ages of six and sixteen! Often what can happen in-between these years, is that students may not fully grasp these skills and fall short of developing the more critical skills required in senior high school years. For example when writing extended essays and analytical reports. An Intuition Educational Support tutor has the training and expertise to encourage both creative and critical thinking for students. Don't get caught behind the eight ball. Contact us to discuss our programmes and how they can help develop these skills.
By adopting some of the strategies of clever students, one can also improve reading comprehension marks.
Choosing the right tutor for your child can be challenging due to the industry's lack of regulation. This blog post provides essential tips for parents, emphasizing the importance of selecting tutors from reputable tutoring centres. It highlights key factors to consider, such as a tutor's qualifications, accreditation from the Australian Tutoring Association (ATA), and industry experience. The post also addresses budget concerns and offers practical advice for ensuring your child receives effective tutoring support.
Preparing for high school and scholarship tests can feel like navigating a maze of stress and expectations, especially for students stepping into the high-stakes arena for the first time. I vividly recall the pressure of those moments from my journey as a student, sandwiched between my parents' lofty ambitions and my aspirations. The to-do list seemed endless: study diligently, seize every opportunity, broaden your reading horizons.
It is always interesting to meet a new class of creative writing students every year and ask them how many write between classes. Usually, a couple of students raise their hands. This response always astonishes me, for I cannot think of a single student who plays the piano and does not practice between classes.
GATE stands for Gifted and Talented Entrance or officially known as the Western Australian Selective Schools Entrance Test (WASET). Testing for Gifted and Talented Programs occurs in March each year. All applicants for Gifted and Talented Programs need to sit the Academic Selective Entrance Test and may also need to complete combined workshops; auditions; and interviews, depending on the programs they are applying for. Students sit a four part exam consisting of Reading Comprehension, Writing, Quantitative and Abstract Reasoning which can be the pathway for your child gaining a place in selective high school programmes. Obtaining a place in a selective school will give your child many opportunities for their future academic success. Your child will study with other like-minded students and be engaged in a specially designed curriculum. Additionally, they will enjoy a rich learning environment that is challenging and stimulating. Children can gain entry into either academic programmes, arts programmes or language programs. At Intuition Educational Support our team of expert tutors have designed programs that engage students and give them the tools necessary for achieving optimal results for the test. These tests differ greatly from regular school work. Questions that appear in the tests are more advanced than what students are currently learning at school and require clear professional guidance to prepare otherwise they may be at a disadvantage. Learning concepts and being familiar with the different types of questions that are likely to come up, as well as practising good test taking techniques will put your child in a much better position to gain entrance into their preferred school. By exposing students to the types of questions asked, as well as their structure we give our students the best possible chance of achieving high scores needed to gain a place in any of the selective schools. We offer programs leading up to the test that will focus on a specific part of the test as well as running weekly small group programs that also have a selective school entrance focus. We strongly recommend starting now, so that students are ready for the exam. More than 50% of students who attended our programs received high marks and were offered places in Selective Schools across Perth. In the January holidays we run several GATE Test preparation workshops which cover all four areas of the test as well as give students strategies on this type of test taking. We are also offering weekly small group preparation classes beginning in January. CONTACT US today to take advantage of our great programs.
