Critical Thinking: Inventive Problem-Solving

“Creativity – it means to dig deeper, to watch better, to dive into the depths, to pass through walls, to light the sun, to build a castle in the sand, to welcome the future”. - Paul Torrance
 
Our world is changing at a rate that has never been seen before. Young people will be pursuing careers that don’t even exist yet. They will also have to solve humanity’s greatest problems, from climate change to inequality, through to advancing technologies across every possible industry. 
 
According to the report of the World Economic Forum, the crucial five skills that will be most required in 2025 are:
analytical thinking and innovation
complex problem-solving
critical thinking and analysis
creativity, originality, and initiative
 
It is crucial to develop these skills during K-12 years before our children start their first job. Moreover, incorporating such strategies as creative and critical thinking at a young age improves content learning, increases motivation, and leads to deeper learning. The course “Inventive Problem-Solving” is designed to cover all these areas.
 
This course goes beyond talking about what creativity is and what we need to enhance it. It is equipped with several systematic techniques which help directly generate new “out-of-the-box” ideas and systematically develop creative imagination. Not only will we study these techniques, but we will also learn how to evolve our imagination and capabilities to think out of the box. Like any skill, creative imagination requires development – and it can be developed. 
 
Every class we will:
Solve open-ended problems
Use specific techniques that help develop creative thinking
Overcome cognitive inertia (with out of the box thinking tools)
Practice associative and system thinking
 
After this course students will:
Have more creative curiosity and observation skills
Develop creative imagination
Increase their critical thinking toolkit
Be able to logically explain and evaluate available creative solutions
Have different approaches to solve problems
Have a system of various multiple perspectives in accordance with diversity of possibilities (resources)
Overcome cognitive inertia
Know how to find contradictions and to generate ideas for resolving them
Become better problem-solvers
 
 
Minimum recommended age: 11
Instructor: Ms Olga Vaskova
Mondays, 2:00 - 3:00 PM ET
8 classes
February 5 - April 1, 2024
Spring Break: March 25 - 29, 2024
Materials needed: notebook and a pencil