Chapter 3By Samantha Thomsit

DIVERGENT THINKINGA type of creative thinking that starts from a

common point and moves outward to a variety of perspectives.

CONVERGENT THINKINGA type of thinking that attempts to bring together

thoughts from different perspectives in order to achieve a common understanding or conclusion

INNOVATIONA type of divergent thinking that aims to produce

something that is original and of value. It involves generating and developing ideas, hypothesizing, imagining possibilities, and seeking new solutions.

CRITICAL THINKINGA type of convergent thinking that determines the

validity or value of something. Sometimes called analytical thinking, it involves precise, persistent, objective analysis.

INDUCTIVE THINKINGA type of reasoning that moves from parts to the

whole, from examples to generalizations.e.g Students might be asked to answer the

following: “What pattern do you observe?” “Where have we seen this before?” etc.

DEDUCTIVE THINKINGA type of reasoning that moves from the whole to its

parts, from generalizations to underlying concepts to examples.

Sample questions include: “What are the similar components of these two objects?” “What are some examples of this principle?”

SUMMARY OF CREATIVE THINKINGWhile creative thinking is a phrase that gets

thrown around a lot, its not usually defined, and to make matters even more complicated, its typically described as either an outcome, or a component, of a variety of different approaches and types of thinking: inquiry learning, interdisciplinary learning, critical thinking, problem solving, informed decision making, knowledge construction, inductive reasoning, reflective thinking, and innovation, to name just a few.