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Teaching Tip Category: Teaching Techniques

Brainstorming

Brainstorming is an effective technique for stimulating creative thinking in your classes. Here are some guidelines for using brainstorming.

• Identify a problem (e.g., what can we do about global warming?) or a situation (e.g., what would happen if there were no traffic laws?).

• Keep the brainstorming session short - no more than a few minutes.

• Have students generate as many ideas as possible. Write the ideas on the chalkboard or appoint a student to write them on a large sheet of paper.

• Make it fun. Encourage "out of the box" ideas.

• Have students build on the ideas of other students.

• End the brainstorming session by having students evaluate and select the best ideas. Have students write these best ideas in their notebooks.

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