Creative Thinking: A Problem-Based Approach to Teaching Creativity in STEM

Problems are at the center of what we do at work every day. Being a creative and confident problem solver is really important to one’s success in the modern, knowledge-based economy. Much of that confidence comes from having a good understanding of strategy and tools to use when approaching a problem. Therefore, it is essential for students to develop the skills and techniques for creative thinking and problem solving at an early age, when they are in elementary school. This book presents a simple framework for teaching some of the advanced concepts of creative thinking related to STEM subjects in K–12 classes. Filled with many examples, Creative Thinking is an important guide to the techniques and activities that can be put in place to make math and science more enjoyable and success more achievable for all students. Creative Thinking also presents a short history of different concepts and their contemporary applications to give a historical perspective on some of the basic discoveries about the thinking process and to make the subject relevant for students.