Critical and Creative Thinking: The Way Ahead Erasmus Project

Project Title

Critical and Creative Thinking: The Way Ahead

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Inclusion – equity; Creativity and culture; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

Traditionally, our schoolwork involves more memorization than critical thinking. Assignments are based more on the ability to consolidate information, memorize it, and then write it out at an exam, without ever really teaching us or testing us on our ability to logically think information through. Knowledge is one thing, but it is equally important to be able to think critically, and to apply logic to the knowledge that we have. Critical thinking is not a new thing. It has been here for decades; what has changed is its significance over the past few years. Today, a sea of choices in life, decision making with global impact (e.g. elections) surrounds us; people get often easily manipulated by someone powerful and persuasive rethoric without taking their time to stop, think and take a stand. A lot of people consume any kind of information without asking themselves the basic critical questions and often go for some simplified, processed kind of explanation. This isn´t happening only with respect to media, but also in studying, everyday discussions, debates and arguments of any kind or in decision making. That is why it is vital today to promote critical thinking and help our pupils acquire the skills and foster an interest in critical thinking, mainly in its utilisation in studies and, most of all, in everyday life. Creative thinking, however different by principle it may seem, is an extremely important part of the educational process. Critical and creative thinking complement each other. Mostly, creative thinking and creative activities are based on imagination and feelings and that is a significant activity that we, educators, need to promote all the time. This is what makes people human, special – to be able to create something that does not necessarily need explanations or analysis, something that appeals to our inner senses. Something difficult to describe, yet with a message. It is fascinating how both of them are typically human: Logical thinking, inferences, premises and conclusions – all of these are basis of logical reasoning and argumentation. Yet, it is also extremely human to think creatively as well, to take a different perspective, to go beyond the obvious and sometimes obsolete solutions in a fast developing world and also be creative in arts, let imagination and the senses speak for you when you create something. Today, we can observe radicalization of governments in various aspects, within and outside of Europe. These governments came to power in free, democratic elections, which seems worrying. It is therefore of grave importance to draw our attention towards these aspects of education (that are still often omitted, or carried out at random) to help pupils develop in this way and to become good, responsible citizens and independent and creative thinkers. This project aims to develop participants’ skills of critical and creative thinking.
The objectives are:
1) To raise awareness among young people, about the necessity of checking the validity of sources and information.
2) To develop skills of critical thinking, which include: memory, analysis, argumentation and creativity.
3) To increase the confidence of young people in the process of decision making.
4) To raise the level of tolerance and appreciation for diversity in all its forms: culture, opinions, life choices.
5) To try to think outside of the box and be encouraged to look for (sometimes unusual) creative solutions
6) To increase organizational and logistic skills and raise awareness of the needs of the local community
Activities
Staff trainings on critical thinking
media education and application of creative approach critical analysis of texts classroom debates
critical writing (e.g. argumentative essays)
critical news analysis
studentsTED talks
Feedback and evaluation
Surveys
Lesson Study on Flipped Classroom
Photo exhibitions

Results /dissemination
Result: Students improve their understanding of critical (and creative) thinking. They will learn how to argue properly, to analyse problems and come up with creative solutions. Students will have more opportunities to express themselves in a their own creative way and present their potential. Teachers´erudition and expertise will increase. The set of pedagogical exemplars of student/teacher work describing what students at different levels of mastery of these skills could do and give examples of progress/standards in these skills. All of these will be disseminated (mainly) through project and the eTwinning website and also, apart from other numerous channels by means of cooperation with our partner institutions.

Impact
Impact on students: the improved critical thinking skills, creative (outside-of-the-box) thinking and
problem solving; planning, organizing & leadership skills (organizing civic activities and community events.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 84042 Eur

Project Coordinator

GYMNÁZIUM JANA PALACHA PRAHA 1,s.r.o. & Country: CZ

Project Partners

• Prywatne Liceum Ogolnoksztalcace im. M.Wankowicza w Katowicach
• Profilirana matematicheska gymnasia “Konstantin Velichkov”
• Anyksciai r. Svedasai Juozas Tumas – Vaizgantas gymnasium
• Srednja trgovska sola Maribor