Empowering students' futures through Creativity and Critical thinking

In our pursuit of preparing students for real-world careers and challenges while equipping them with 21st-century skills, we often overlook our responsibility as educators to foster environments where creativity thrives. It is our duty to create spaces that inspire everyone to tap into their potential and bring out the best in themselves.
 
The new edition of the course “Creativity for the future: promoting Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving in the classroom​” took place in Tenerife from 11/08/2024 to 17/08/2024. The participants came from all across Europe, with Eva, Michaela and Zdeňka from Czech Republic, Nataša and Jona from Croatia, Krister, Hanna and Martin from Sweden and Ágnes from Hungary.

When discussing key competences for thriving in the 21st century, participants explored learning and innovation skills, digital skills, and career and life skills, with a particular focus on the 4Cs: critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration. Most importantly, we gained insight through hands-on practice into how our brain and thinking skills function differently when faced with a problem to solve.
 
Participants were presented with a series of challenges to reflect on how common barriers to out-of-the-box thinking can be overcome using specific strategies. For example, the 6 Thinking Hats method enabled participants to practice lateral thinking and apply it to existing teaching content. Through individual practice and peer review, it became clear that this method is versatile and can be applied to any subject, from science to language learning, and even as a formative assessment tool to encourage students to think beyond conventional boundaries.

Shifting to visual strategies, participants engaged in activities designed to stimulate creative expression. These exercises served as a foundation for brainstorming and idea discussions, challenging the notion that visual thinking is solely for "art." We introduced an innovative, digital perspective that expanded its scope.
 
In a world where students are often passively exposed to vast amounts of (dis)information, participants reflected on the significance of training critical thinking skills. They engaged in reasoning, questioning, and debating activities adaptable to various classroom settings, empowering students to become active, informed participants in their own learning.

To inject creativity and critical thinking into the classroom, innovation sometimes requires reframing traditional tools. Participants enjoyed modifying traditional games like Taboo and Battleship to fit their subjects, building a stronger educational framework around them.
 
At the course’s conclusion, everyone had the opportunity to create a personalized display showcasing their training and cultural journey in Tenerfie. From a fashion show to a snowball battle, we wrapped up a week filled with laughter, creativity, and new experiences!

​Discover more about this course here.