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The Home Educator’s

Compiled by Steve Padget Found at www.steveslearning.com

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Contents

Introduction an overview of creative learning

Creativity a guide for the advanced learner — Article by Guy Claxton

A Compendium of creative learning approaches

If the hats fit …. information on Edward de Bono’s ‘Six Thinking Hats’ approach to problem

solving

Visible Thinking using LogoVisual Thinking Kits to generate higher order thinking

Thinking Skills a summary

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An Introduction to Creative Learning

Steve Padget

Teachers are being creative when they are using pedagogical approaches that involve both

themselves and learners in looking at possibilities, looking for flexibility, taking risks and

experimenting. Creativity is being employed when there are unusual and exciting learning

opportunities which provide high quality stimuli combined with the structure to generate

enquiring language and provide deep support for the learners’ thinking and efforts.

Learners are being creative when they are fully engaged in making meaning together through

stimulating learning tasks of which they feel ownership, they will feel confident enough to

make speculations and assertions, and feel empowered to articulate their learning to any of

the other people round them.

Learners are thinking critically when they step back and reflect on what they have achieved in

relation to a desired outcome; when they can discuss and evaluate these achievements either

individually or collectively against appropriate criteria and be conscious of and be able to

comment on the quality of the process of which they have been a part.

What links each of these ideas is the planned and deliberate use of language stemming from a

clear understanding of its importance as an integral part of thinking and learning in a social

context.

©Steve Padget 2012

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Useful Web resources for Creative Learning

Creative Partnerships http://www.creative-partnerships.com/about/schools-of-creativity/

Jigsaw Cooperative Learning: http://www.jigsaw.org/

De Bono Foundation: http://www.debonofoundation.co.uk/cort1.html

Mantle of the Expert: http://www.mantleoftheexpert.com/

Philosophy for Children: http://www.sapere.org.uk/

Habits of Mind Costa, A. L. & Kallick, B., http://www.instituteforhabitsofmind.com/

Thinking Actively in a Social Context (TASC), http://www.tascwheel.com/

ThinkBuzan.com http://www.thinkbuzan.com/uk/

LogoVisual Thinking: http://www.logovisual.com

For other sites see the Compendium page 7

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Compendium of Creative learning and teaching

With Key References and Sources

Competence

based curriculum Opening Minds Developed by the RSA http://

www.rsaopeningminds.org.uk/about-rsa-openingminds/

Disposition Habits Of Mind Art Costa and Bena Kallick http://www.habitsofmind.co.uk/

Building Learning Power Gornall, S, Chambers, M and Claxton, G. Building Learning Power in Action, TLO, Bristol, 2005 Claxton, G, Chambers, M, Powell, G & Lucas, B The

Learning Powered School, TLO, Bristol, 2011

Learning Power in Practice – the ELLI pro-

ject Deakin Crick, R. Learning Power in Practice Paul Chapman, London, 2006

Community Of

Enquiry Philosophy for Children (P4C) Matthew Lipman Thinking in Education, , Cambridge

University Press, 2003 (2nd Ed 2007) http://sapere.org.uk/ Robert Fisher (2008) Teaching Thinking, Philosophical

Enquiry In The Classroom (3rd Ed), Continuum, London.

Mantle of the Expert (MOE) Dorothy Heathcote, Brian Edmiston and others http://www.mantleoftheexpert.com/

Thinking Through Schools De A’Echevarria, A and Leat, D. Thinking Through

School suit of books (2006). http://www.teachingexpertise.com/publications/

thinking-through-school-1220

Thinking Tools LogoVisual Thinking Anthony Blake and John Varney http://www.logovisual.com/ Best, B. Blake, A and Varney, J. Making Meaning,

Learning through LogoVisual thinking, Chris Kington,

Cambridge (2005) The TASC wheel (Thinking Actively in

Social Contexts) Belle Wallace http://www.tascwheel.com/

Thinking Hats Edward De Bono Foundation http://debonoforschools.com/asp/six_hats.asp

Cognitive Research Trust (CoRT1,2,3,4,5 &

6) Edward De Bono Foundation http://www.debonofoundation.co.uk/whycort.html

Thinking Maps David Hyerle and Chris Yeager, http://www.thinkingmaps.com/

Mind Maps Tony Buzan http://www.thinkbuzan.com/uk/ and many readily available books

Accelerated

Learning Accelerated Learning and ALPS Alistair Smith

http://www.acceleratedlearning.co.uk/ Cognitive Acceleration in Science Education

(CASE) Philip Adey and Michael Shayer Really Raising Standards: Cognitive Intervention And

Academic Achievement, Psychology Press, 1994.

Mapwise Oliver Caviglioli and Ian Harris Accelerated Learning Through Visible Thinking, Con-

tinuum, 2000 Other sources Jig Saw Cooperative Classroom Elliot Aronson

http://www.jigsaw.org/ The Thinking Classroom Mike Fleetham

http://www.thinkingclassroom.co.uk/

Socratic Dialogue Various sources http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/the-role-of-

socratic-questioning-in-thinking-teaching-amp-

learning/522

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Creative methodologies described

(to be read in conjunction with the compendium)

Steve Padget

It is useful at this point to look at the increasing number of very accessible and effective classroom techniques in

terms of four broad and overlapping areas

• The strengthening of learning dispositions,

• the development of a community of enquiry,

• the use of thinking tools,

• methods of cognitive acceleration.

The importance of disposition

Building Learning Power devised by Guy Claxton and colleagues from the University of Bristol challenges teach-

ers and learners to look at learning in terms of the dispositions of Resilience, Resourcefulness, Reflectiveness and

Reciprocity and how these can be actively developed to enhance learning. Each of these dispositions is made up of

a series of learning behaviours, ‘capacities’ as they are called by the authors and the underlying belief is that each

of these can be developed by learners given the right opportunity. This is a school wide strategic approach that im-

pacts not only on what happens in the classroom, but what the whole school says about learning and the vision for

the preparation of learners for an uncertain future. (Claxton, G. 2011, p2)

‘A central concern of Building Learning Power is with enabling students to become more self aware as learners, to

develop the habits of a successful learner, and to appreciate that they can continually improve those habits.’ (Gornel

et al, 2005, p5) . This work was built upon and developed in the ELLI (Effective Lifelong Learning Index) project.

Both BLP and ELLI emphasize the need to create a language that can be used to articulate the importance of learn-

ing itself which learners and teachers can share in order to be successful. The authors of the ELLI project echo Har-

rington’s notion of the creative ecosystem when they talk about the ecology of learning and the need to balance the

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broad elements of value, attitude and disposition in the classroom in order to promote the development of the whole

person. (Deakin Crick, 2006, p.2-3)

An example of a similar approach is ‘Habits of Mind’ devised by Art Costa & Bena Kallick. ‘A “Habit of Mind”

means having a disposition toward behaving intelligently when confronted with problems, the answers to which are

not immediately known.’ The proponents of HoM stress the importance of using pedagogic approaches that strike a

balance between learners’ achievement of the necessary cognitive skills and their acquisition of life skills such as

persistence, risk taking and metacognition.

Over the last ten years the Royal Society of Arts’ Opening Minds scheme has attracted over two hundred schools in

the UK to a vision of a competence based model of learning and teaching. By focusing the learning around the five

‘key competences’ of Citizenship, Learning, Managing Information, Relating to people and Managing Situations

they aim to be ‘reclaiming ownership of learning’ and making a coherent whole of the National Curriculum which

they say is composed of a jigsaw of fragments that don’t really fit together. These five competences and their com-

ponent subsections provide an unarguable and comprehensive list of the skills and attributes that are needed by

learners who are going to be making their way in the 21st century world. The vision is of a school wide learning

strategy expressly geared to providing a curriculum promoting of the development of the five competences above

thus providing a solid foundation of skills that will be needed in key stage 4 and beyond.

Creating a community of enquiry

Philosophy for Children (P4C) and Mantle of the Expert (MoE) are approaches built on the idea of creating a com-

munity of enquiry. Devised by Matthew Lipman, Philosophy for Children ‘.. aims to encourage children and adults

to think critically, caringly, creatively and collaboratively’. This method builds a ‘community of enquiry’ where

participants create and enquire into their own questions, and ‘learn how to learn’ in the process (Sapere, 2010).

Learners move, in a spirit of enquiry, beyond information to seek understanding thence to transforming reflection.

If enquiry is placed centre stage the classroom becomes the community of enquiry. Friendship and cooperation are

welcomed as positive contributions to the learning atmosphere and replace the ‘semi-adversarial and competitive

conditions’ that frequently exist (Lipman, 2003, p94). When these conditions are achieved the aim of P4C is real-

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ised: to improve the critical, the creative and the caring thinking of learners.

Rather than lessons, the proponents of P4C prefer to talk about ‘enquiries’ which follow a set procedure allowing

the community of enquiry to be formed and operate effectively. The use of the word enquiry is important - it takes

the focus from the teacher and the dispensing of knowledge and places it with the words and thoughts of the partici-

pants and the cooperative processes of making meaning and understanding. The merits of questions generated by

the learners in response to a chosen stimulus are discussed before the key question is democratically decided upon.

The process of deciding which question to address is an important part of the enquiry as it encourages active par-

ticipation and allows learners to understand how decisions can be made and how to listen to and take into account

other points of view.

Mantle of the Expert (MoE) was developed by Dorothy Heathcote and is ‘a drama-inquiry approach to teaching and

learning’ (Mantle of the Expert.com). Another technique using the community of enquiry principle MoE can be

powerful in many areas of the curriculum. Groups of learners take on the role of experts - explorers, archaeologists,

escaping refugees, as they find solutions to problems and answers to questions. Learners are able to take ownership

of what is called the ‘enterprise’ as they take on ‘the mantle of the expert’ and benefit from being able to see issues

through the eyes of others.

Thinking tools

The third type of methodology, which is very wide in scope, consists of a range of powerful techniques usually

called thinking tools. Starting from the premise that creative thinking is a complex of skills that must be actively

developed these widely available tactical classroom techniques involve the use of specific props and procedures to

create problem solving opportunities for groups of learners across the age and ability range. As with any set of tools

specific techniques have specific uses and the creative teacher will use the tool that is appropriate for a particular

task bearing in mind the needs and aptitudes of the learners.

Edward de Bono’s Thinking Hats is one such technique (de Bono, 2000). Familiar to many are the liberating effects

of this technique which has migrated over the years from business training into schools where it frequently takes its

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place in a teacher’s repertoire of creative methodologies. Learners take on problems and discuss solutions using the

different characteristics and viewpoints represented by each different coloured hat. The key to the success of this

method is the separation of the individual from the opinion, each hat representing a different way of looking at the

issue in question giving an empowering effect that allows learners to think for themselves as big problems are bro-

ken down in to more manageable chunks. Associated with this is the CoRT (Cognitive Research Trust) material.

The six sections of the CoRT Thinking Programme (CoRT for Schools) provide a detailed and structured approach

to the explicit teaching of thinking skills emphasising de Bono’s assertion that learners’ capacities for ‘constructive

thinking’ in real life need to be increased.

TASC (Thinking Actively in a Social Context), a ‘thinking-skills framework’ devised by Belle Wallace, is an ex-

ample of a methodology that looks at the process of developing learners’ thinking in a collaborative eight stage

process (TASC, 2010). It begins with gathering knowledge that learners already possess as they identify the prob-

lem and the questions that it poses. Ideas generated are selected, then implemented. The processes of evaluating,

communicating the ideas to someone else and reflecting on the experience complete the cycle. The core feature of

this method is the staged process, the breaking down of a problem into manageable chunks by using the interrelated

stages of the process which allows learners to move together from what they already know to the understanding of

something new which is shown by their ability to articulate the new learning to others.

There are parallels between this method and another technique that takes learners through a staged thinking process.

In using the LogoVisual Thinking (LVT) tools small groups of learners move through a cyclical core process that

begins with focusing upon the problem, the task, expressed in an open ‘key question’. Then by gathering what is

already known and putting responses to the key question in short sentences on repositionable shapes, thoughts can

be arranged, grouped and rearranged as the discussion develops (Best, Blake and Varney, 2005). This technique has

the ability to show new and sometimes unexpected and original relationships between thoughts and ideas as they

are juxtaposed on the board in the organising phase of the process. This is followed by the final stage, that of the

application of the new understandings in the response to the original challenge. The process allows the develop-

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ment of learners’ deeply valuable talk which facilitates the decision making process. The benefits of this method

are several and include:

• The tactile and visual aspects of this tool are appreciated by many learners as is the physical flexibility that

allows changes of mind to be seen and discussed as the shapes are arranged and rearranged based on the new think-

ing that emerges actively from the discussion. The thoughts can be permanent or they can be temporary.

• Learners can understand the importance of their own contributions as they see their thoughts in relation to

those of others, they begin to appreciate the democracy of the process, the synergy of the whole and their part in

that process.

• The board provides the medium to integrate thinking, bringing together into new patterns the diverse thoughts

of the members of the group.

• The use of large boards means that groups can easily show, discuss and share their ideas with others within

and beyond the working group.

The visibility of the board allows teachers and other learners to see not only what the group is thinking, but how

the group is thinking.

LVT is a powerful tool that has the capacity to promote the development of the skills of information processing,

reasoning, enquiry, creative thinking and critical thinking. Figure 7.1 shows an array of ideas that came from a re-

cent examination of the effects of crime and criminality on young people.

Accelerating the learning

Mind Maps, devised by Tony Buzan (ThinkBuzan.com), is a technique that dates from the mid 1970s. It was the

first of the ‘brain-based learning’ techniques which were informed by rapid developments in neuroscience and the

understanding of how we learn. It continues to be a very influential and distinctively graphical technique used in

schools to boost memory and accelerate learning. This technique enables learners to generate and organise ideas on

paper the better to recall them and their relationships later; Mind mapping is beneficial for individual work but it is

also effective when carried out by a group.

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Philip Adey and Michael Shayer (1994) in their exploration of cognitive acceleration (Cognitive Acceleration

through Science Education – CASE) sought to demonstrate a method of promoting learners’ thinking from con-

crete to abstract by means of a specific lesson structure. This was done by building on the constructivist idea that

learners need to create meaning for themselves and do this best in the context of a working group.

The lesson consists of five parts:

An introduction which sets the scene (concrete preparation)

A puzzle or challenge which needs to be solved (cognitive conflict)

Group-work and discussion where pupils share ideas for solutions (social construction)

Explaining the thinking which gave the answer (metacognition)

Making links to everyday applications of the ideas discussed (bridging)

(ibid)

One of the key findings of this work was that the effect on the learners was that their performance improved not

only in the science lessons, but also in English and maths, thus demonstrating the successful improvement of ge-

neric learning skills.

Methods based on an understanding of Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligences theory (1983) and the findings of

cognitive science are also seen as accelerating learning. The term ‘Accelerated Learning’ was coined in 1985 by

Colin Rose in his book of that title where he articulated the principles, values and advantages that underpin what

was called ‘brain-based learning’. Other methods followed with Mapwise, (Oliver Caviglioli and Ian Harris), and

Accelerated Learning (Alistair Smith). Both of these approaches have been influential in the way that learning is

managed in many schools. In each of these approaches the understanding is that critical thinking processes are in-

tertwined with factual knowledge, that ‘factual knowledge must precede skill’, (Willingham, 2009 p30) underlining

the importance of infusing the two in the design and delivery of learning.

The emphasis in Accelerated Learning techniques is upon the physical readiness of the learners, their psychological

readiness and the use of teaching techniques that will appeal to all preferred learning styles in the context of a

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highly structured four part sequence of challenging and engaging learning activities (Smith, 1998). Between these

10-15 minute lesson chunks are breaks of 1-2 minutes designed to allow learners to process what has just been

taught. This structure with the use of selected music as a background is designed to be conducive to learning and

deliver the optimum learning conditions.

©Steve Padget 2012

Bibliography

Adey, P., and Shayer, M., 1994. Really raising standards: cognitive intervention and academic achievement. Lon-

don: Routledge.

Best, B. Blake, A and Varney, J. 2005. Making Meaning, Learning through LogoVisual thinking, Cambridge: Chris

Kington,

Caviglioli, O. and Harris, I., 2000. Mapwise – Accelerated Learning Through Visual Thinking. London: Continuum

Claxton, G. Chambers, M. Powell, G. & Lucas, B. 2011 The Learning Powered School, Bristol: TLO

Claxton, G. 2008 What’s The Point of School? Oxford: One World Publications

Craft, A. 2005 Creativity In Schools, Tensions And Dilemmas. Oxford: Routledge.

Craft, A., Cremin, T., Burnard, P. and Chappell, K., 2007. Teacher stance in creative learning: A study of progres-

sion. Journal of Thinking Skills and Creativity, 2(2), pp. 136–147.

Deakin Crick, R., 2006. Learning Power in Action. London: Paul Chapman Publishing,

De Bono, E. 2000. Six Thinking Hats, London: Penguin.

Dweck, C., 1985. Motivational processes in transfer of learning. American Psychologist, vol 41, No.10, October

1986

Gardner, H., 1993 Frames of Mind: the theory of multiple intelligences. New York: Basic Books

Gornell, S. Chambers, M & Claxton, G. 2005 Building Learning Power in Action. Bristol: TLO

Jacobs, G. M., Lee, C, & Ng, M., 1997. Co-operative learning in the thinking classroom. Paper presented at the

International Conference on Thinking, Singapore.

Johnson, D.W. and Johnson, R.T., 1990. Cooperative learning and achievement. In S. Sharan (ed.), Cooperative

learning: Theory and research, 23-37. New York: Praeger.

Kagan, S. and Kagan, M., 2009. Kagan Cooperative Learning, San Clemente, California, USA: Kagan Publishing.

Lipman, M., 2003. Thinking in Education 2nd ed New York: Cambridge University Press,

Rose, C., 1985. Accelerated Learning. Accelerated Learning Systems Ltd.

Smith, A., 1998. Accelerated Learning in Practice. Stafford: Network Educational Press.

Watkins, C., 2010. Learning, Performance and Improvement. INSI Research Matters, No 34, Summer 2010

Willingham, D.T., 2009. Why Students Don’t Like School., San Francisco, USA: Jossey-Bass

Government documents

National Advisory Committee on Creative and Cultural Education. 1999 All Our Futures: Creativity, Culture and

Education, The Robinson Report, London: HMSO.

Ofsted, 2010 Learning: creative approaches that raise standards Manchester: Ofsted, 2010

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It the hat fits … Two articles discussing the use of de Bono’s Thinking Hats

Six Thinking Hats

What is it? Six Thinking Hats is a strategy devised by Edward de Bono which requires students (and teach-ers), to extend their way of thinking about a topic by wearing a range of different ’thinking‘ hats: White hat thinking focuses on the information available and needed. Black hat thinking examines the difficulties and problems associated with a topic. Yellow hat thinking focuses on benefits and values. Red hat thinking looks at a topic from the point of view of emotions, feelings and hunches. Green hat thinking requires imaginative, creative and lateral thinking about a topic. Blue hat thinking focuses on reflection, metacognition (thinking about the thinking that is required), and the need to manage the thinking process. The colours help students to visualise six separate modes of thinking and to convey something of the meaning of that thinking, for example, red as pertaining to matters of the heart, white as neutral and objective. What is its purpose? Students learn to reflect on their thinking and to recognise that different thinking is required in different learning situations. How do I do it? Consider an issue or topic which you would like your students to explore, for example, in Band C, the influence of RADIO CITY on its listening audience, or, in Band A, the influence of a particular cartoon show on a young audience. Explain what thinking is required for each of the hats. Have students working in small groups to ask themselves a range of questions: White hat - what are the facts about the radio station RADIO CITY? Black hat - what are some of the negatives about RADIO CITY? Yellow hat - what do people gain from listening to RADIO CITY? Red hat - how does listening to RADIO CITY make us feel? Green hat - what could be changed to make the station more accessible or more appealing?

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Blue hat - how do the mass media in general affect our youth culture? Groups report back to the whole class about the types of ideas generated using the six hats. The teacher points to the breadth of views and thoughts, and explains that this is as a result of making ourselves apply a range of different types of ’thinking‘. How can I adapt it? Six Hat Thinking can be applied to many situations in which brainstorming, problem solving, creative and lateral thinking are required. This strategy can be a very useful tool in reviewing a range of texts or even creating a character profile. How can it be used to evaluate students' language learning? There is a range of possible assessment outcomes in using Six Hat Thinking including:

• Understands and interprets the task

• Uses strategies to assist or facilitate discussion

• Contributes to discussion

• Comprehends and applies the six ways of thinking Where can I get more information? See the de Bono Institute for further information. See also a summary of Six Hats Thinking.

Six Thinking HatsSix Thinking Hats——summarysummary

Intuitive Informative Constructive

Cautious Creative

Reflective

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Six Thinking Hats

Looking at a Decision from All Points of View "Six Thinking Hats" is a powerful technique that helps you look at important decisions from a number of different perspectives. It helps you make better decisions by pushing you to move outside your habitual ways of thinking. As such, it helps you understand the full complexity of a decision, and spot issues and opportunities which you might otherwise not notice. Many successful people think from a very rational, positive viewpoint, and this is part of the reason that they are successful. Often, though, they may fail to look at problems from emo-tional, intuitive, creative or negative viewpoints. This can mean that they underestimate resis-tance to change, don't make creative leaps, and fail to make essential contingency plans. Similarly, pessimists may be excessively defensive, and people used to a very logical approach to problem solving may fail to engage their creativity or listen to their intuition. If you look at a problem using the Six Thinking Hats technique, then you'll use all of these ap-proaches to develop your best solution. Your decisions and plans will mix ambition, skill in execution, sensitivity, creativity and good contingency planning. This tool was created by Edward de Bono in his book "6 Thinking Hats". How to Use the Tool: To use Six Thinking Hats to improve the quality of your decision-making, look at the decision "wearing" each of the thinking hats in turn. Each "Thinking Hat" is a different style of thinking. These are explained below: White Hat: With this thinking hat, you focus on the data available. Look at the information you have, and see what you can learn from it. Look for gaps in your knowledge, and either try to fill them or take account of them. This is where you analyze past trends, and try to extrapolate from historical data. Red Hat: Wearing the red hat, you look at the decision using intuition, gut reaction, and emotion. Also try to think how other people will react emotionally, and try to understand the intuitive re-sponses of people who do not fully know your reasoning. Black Hat: When using black hat thinking, look at things pessimistically, cautiously and defensively. Try to see why ideas and approaches might not work. This is important because it highlights the weak points in a plan or course of action. It allows you to eliminate them, alter your approach, or prepare contingency plans to counter problems that arise. Black Hat thinking helps to make your plans tougher and more resilient. It can also help you to spot fatal flaws and risks before you embark on a course of action. Black Hat thinking is one of the real benefits of this technique, as many successful people get so used to thinking positively

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that often they cannot see problems in advance, leaving them under-prepared for difficulties. Yellow Hat: The yellow hat helps you to think positively. It is the optimistic viewpoint that helps you to see all the benefits of the decision and the value in it, and spot the opportunities that arise from it. Yellow Hat thinking helps you to keep going when everything looks gloomy and difficult. Green Hat: The Green Hat stands for creativity. This is where you can develop creative solutions to a problem. It is a freewheeling way of thinking, in which there is little criticism of ideas. A whole range of creativity tools can help you here. Blue Hat: The Blue Hat stands for process control. This is the hat worn by people chairing meetings. When running into difficulties because ideas are running dry, they may direct activity into Green Hat thinking. When contingency plans are needed, they will ask for Black Hat thinking, and so on. You can use Six Thinking Hats in meetings or on your own. In meetings it has the benefit of defusing the disagreements that can happen when people with different thinking styles discuss the same problem. A similar approach is to look at problems from the point of view of different professionals (e.g. doctors, architects, sales directors) or different customers. Example: The directors of a property company are looking at whether they should construct a new of-fice building. The economy is doing well, and the amount of vacant office space is reducing sharply. As part of their decision they decide to use the 6 Thinking Hats technique during a planning meeting. Looking at the problem with the White Hat, they analyze the data they have. They examine the trend in vacant office space, which shows a sharp reduction. They anticipate that by the time the office block would be completed, that there will be a severe shortage of office space. Current government projections show steady economic growth for at least the construction period. With Red Hat thinking, some of the directors think the proposed building looks quite ugly. While it would be highly cost-effective, they worry that people would not like to work in it. When they think with the Black Hat, they worry that government projections may be wrong. The economy may be about to enter a 'cyclical downturn', in which case the office building may be empty for a long time. If the building is not attractive, then companies will choose to work in another better-looking building at the same rent.

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With the Yellow Hat, however, if the economy holds up and their projections are correct, the company stands to make a great deal of money. If they are lucky, maybe they could sell the building before the next downturn, or rent to ten-ants on long-term leases that will last through any recession. With Green Hat thinking they consider whether they should change the design to make the building more pleasant. Perhaps they could build prestige offices that people would want to rent in any economic climate. Alternatively, maybe they should invest the money in the short term to buy up property at a low cost when a recession comes. The Blue Hat has been used by the meeting's Chair to move between the different thinking styles. He or she may have needed to keep other members of the team from switching styles, or from criticizing other peoples' points. Key points:

• Six Thinking Hats is a good technique for looking at the effects of a decision from a number of different points of view.

• It allows necessary emotion and scepticism to be brought into what would otherwise be purely rational decisions. It opens up the opportunity for creativity within Decision Making. It also helps, for example, persistently pessimistic people to be positive and creative. Plans developed using the '6 Thinking Hats' technique are sounder and more resilient than would otherwise be the case. This technique may also help you to avoid public relations mis-takes, and spot good reasons not to follow a course of action, before you have committed to it.

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Focus By using powerful stimulus—appealing to wide range of learning styles ..

On the guiding question ...

Key open question: How … ?

Gather Tap into prior knowledge of the learners—thus making links and connections be-

tween their experience and the new learning

Write statements on the yellow magnotes that respond to the question. Think

freely, think independently, think laterally, think quickly..

Place yellow magnotes on the board randomly.

Organise Take turns to move the magnotes so that associated ideas get close to each

other—the board will take on shape now and relationships between thoughts will

become clearer—and can sometimes be surprising.

Now use green magnotes to label the newly emerged groups.

Understand Your board now shows a unique array of thoughts and ideas—from this you will

be able to begin to make your group response to the guiding question.

Apply Draft your response to the guiding question in a form that can be shared by eve-

ryone else.

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