Preview

Divergent Thinking

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
568 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Divergent Thinking
What role should divergent thinking play in education?
Divergent thinking is a process or method used to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions. Learning through play, creative projects and imaginary are ways that encourage divergent thinking. Teaching methods for divergent thinking involve offering schools many ideas and solutions for problem as well as encouraging children to find creative ways to learn. Divergent thinking encourages children to take risks, learn how to be flexible and use their imagination. Without imagination, no one will be able to stand out from the crowd and go a bit further into the solution, coming up with fresh, new ideas.
Starting with a single idea, the divergent thinker allows his or her mind to wander in many different directions, gathering numerous thoughts and ideas which relate to the concept. Divergent thinking can be used as a method of brainstorming in a wide variety of settings, ranging from the research and development department of a major company to the class room. Divergent thinkers tend to throw the rules out the window. They are artistic and always find ways to express themselves. Impressive 5 year olds scored 98% at the genius level in such a test of divergent thinking. Test takers age 10 however, saw their number drop to 32%, on the other hand the high school level was only 10%. It seems that as student mature through the educational system they have some of these creative instincts driven out or socialized out of them.
It is often said that school teaches us to stop thinking creatively, how to conform, to come up the correct idea or answer: Convergent thinking. But as children grow older, they will be expected to come up with new ideas, projects, and innovations to make them stand out in the job market and on the career level. For too long, "divergent thinking" has taken a backseat to its more well-recognized and well-respected cousin, "critical thinking." I think that building your divergent

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Different brain areas for convergent thinking: the type required for intelligence test solutions, and divergent thinking: the type required for multiple imaginative solutions…

    • 1085 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Grades of Thinking

    • 526 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In “Thinking as a Hobby” by William Golding, the narrator describes what he thinks three grades of thinking are. He believes that most people are grade three thinkers. Grade three thinkers tend to feel, and not to think. Golding gives an example of his teacher Mr. Houghton, who would always talk about “good life, sexless, and free of duty”, while “his neck would turn of itself” if a girl passed by the window. “Mr. Houghton thought with his neck.” A grade-two thinker is someone who can detect contradictions—someone who is critical but does not produce fresh ideas. While grade one and two thinking may “make life fun and exciting”, it does not make for content. They have elevated their thinking above nine-tenths of society and are able to see more than the average person. Grade-two thinkers are not nearly as enlightened as grade-one thinkers though, who, according to Golding, are brilliant free-thinkers like Einstein whose ideas change the way that everyone else sees the world.…

    • 526 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    * Filtering: You take the negative details and magnify them while filtering out all positive aspects of a situation.…

    • 567 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Hum 114 Syllabus

    • 3394 Words
    • 14 Pages

    This course focuses on developing the critical and creative thinking skills necessary to analyze and solve problems, make decisions, implement strategies, and formulate well supported points of view on key academic, social, and professional issues. The principles of creative thinking are essential to critical thinking skills. Students will learn how to evaluate their ideas and how to communicate their points of view persuasively.…

    • 3394 Words
    • 14 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    |The Beginning Thinker |Analyze thinking pattern and recognize | Avoids challenges because of intellectual |…

    • 339 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    By completing the competencies assessment, it has helped me analyze my results such as, adapting to change, delivering results or innovating and how I can apply them to critical thinking. By understanding my personal competencies, what I can do to improve my skills can be using my results to help look outside the box. One result I found very intriguing was innovating. “To innovate” means to show something as if it was the first time or to alter something and I found that intriguing as one of my results. Applying innovation to critical thinking would mean to think outside the box, change my perception on how I see the problem so that the solution may present itself.…

    • 334 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Critical Thinking Paper

    • 1607 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Kirby, G., & Goodpastor, J. (2007). Thinking: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Critical and Creative Thought. Retrieved from https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/content/eBookLibrary2/content/TOC.aspx?assetdataid=d714d42b-a9b3-4644-abe2-bd0499f8f9ca&assetmetaid=8b8803a8-2bba-48b1-be11-f0f4106b8920.…

    • 1607 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Mental Mindset

    • 1261 Words
    • 6 Pages

    References: Rowe, A. J. (2004). Creative intelligence: Discovering the innovative potential in ourselves and others. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.…

    • 1261 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    For me, when someone is able to think and come out with something different it is defined as Creative thinking. There are two types of thinking: Divergent and Convergent thinking. Divergent thinking is someone who is able to brainstorms as much ideas as possible, considering others possibility and ask for opinions from others. Furthermore they seek references form other resources to build up on their ideas. They think out the box and have a wider perspective of view. Whereas, Convergent thinking focuses just on the main idea only and come out with a few possibilities. So I personally feel that divergent thinking is the best way to build rapport and camaraderie with one another and also an effective way to solve our task effectively and efficiently.…

    • 147 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Sensory Perceptions

    • 921 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Cited: Kirby, G. R., & Goodpaster, J. R. (2007). THINKING: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Critical and Creative Thought, Fourth Edition. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education.…

    • 921 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Critical Thinking

    • 1976 Words
    • 8 Pages

    I liked this paper especially because it advocates the importance of critical thinking in our day-to-day life. Thinking critically has become an important tool of education. Knowing to carry an umbrella on a rainy day or not touching a hot fire are not examples of critical thinking. Critical thinking allows an…

    • 1976 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Paradoxical thinking

    • 1777 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Post-recession business trends show companies that survive and continue to develop; apply agile business models that respond quickly to external change. Traditionally linear approaches to problem solving such rational goals models or “cause and effect” thinking were standard in the workplace during the first quarter of the twentieth century. Is “cause and effect” thinking going to generate the type of results needed to survive with today’s post-recession business dynamics? Complexities of the workplace today require Master Managers to think both creatively and critically to drive results. When leadership applies paradoxical thinking supported by the Competing Values Framework, organizations have opportunities to thrive.…

    • 1777 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    To Dril or Not to Drill

    • 674 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Stewart, D. (2010). A Short and Simple Economic Critique of the Case for Drilling in ANWR.…

    • 674 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Creative and critical thinking is the process in which you can generate ideas that are unique and distinctive, pose difficult questions that challenge issues by looking at problems in a different light. It is important during creative and critical thinking to not judge ideas early in the process, it is necessary to treat all ideas as if they may contain the seeds of something potentially useful in the near or far future. It is seeking other possibilities and considering and reflecting upon those alternatives. Also, it is about learning and applying new skills and acquiring knowledge as well as judging how appropriate the circumstances and environments are to then use that knowledge. Another important aspect of…

    • 1016 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    3 mile island

    • 288 Words
    • 2 Pages

    4. Explain the difference between divergence and convergence. What does effective creativity require? What might failure to produces creative solutions be linked to?…

    • 288 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays