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Teacher: You aren’t paying attention to me. Are you having trouble hearing?
Brainstorming is a problem-solving technique that is not
always easy for students. However, once mastered it is
a transferable skill that
they will be able to utilize in
education and the world of work.
Many students feel they must come up with the correct
answer, whereas
brainstorming is a way of generating
ideas to be examined later.
Brainstorming generates
new ideas and creative thought.
It totally
encourages the free flow of ideas that builds
on previous knowledge which enables students thinking
process. When brainstorming you note everything and
then sort out the good from the bad. .
Brainstorming is a large or small group activity that
encourages
students to focus on a topic and contribute
to the free flow of ideas.
The teacher may begin a brainstorming session by
posing a question or a problem, or by introducing a
topic.
Brainstorming Activities for Students
There are several tools available to make it easier for
students to participate in a brainstorming activity.
These are great for encouraging students to come
up with a large number of ideas fairly quickly.
Pre-printed mind maps, concept maps, online
mapping tools, and
software such as Video and
PowerPoint provide a great structure for students.
Place the topic or concept in the
middle of the mind
map and branch off of ideas as primary or secondary
thoughts. These brainstorming activities for students
are probably the
most tried and tested that you
remember yourself for effective brainstorming.
Example:
In the classroom, Learners
brainstorm the topic of
smoking by writing all the words they associate with
it on the board. This is then followed by a discursive
essay-writing lesson on the topic.
Brainstorming
can encourage learners to think more
freely and creatively than if they
were doing a more
controlled planning exercise.It allows learners to
remember what they know, and to teach each
other. It is a dynamic and
stimulating way to lead
learners into a topic.
Reverse Brainstorming
A creative problem-solving technique in which the
problem is
turned around and considered from a
different point of view to spur new and different
solutions.
Stop-and-Go Brainstorming
A problem-solving technique in which a group
alternately
engages in brainstorming solutions without
evaluation for ten minutes then engages
in a short
period of evaluation. The group continues alternating
between brainstorming and evaluation.
Phillips 66 Brainstorming
Brain-writing
A problem-solving technique in which participants
individually brainstorm ideas and document them, then
share them with a group to further push their thinking.
Effective brainstorming: how do
I achieve it?
1) In a small or large group select a leader and a
scribe (or this may be the teacher).
2) Define the problem or idea to be brainstormed.
Make sure everyone is clear on the topic being
explored.
3) Set up the rules for the session. They should include:
- letting the leader have control
- allowing everyone to contribute
- suspending evaluation of ideas until all ideas are
4) Start the brainstorming. Have the leader select
members of
the group to share their answers.
The scribe should write down all responses,
if possible so that everyone can see them.
Make sure not to
evaluate or criticize any
answers until the brainstorming is complete.
5) Once you have finished brainstorming, go through
the results and
begin evaluating the responses.
This can be done quickly by a show of hands to
rank the ideas.
6) Some initial qualities to look for when examining
the responses include:
- looking for any answers that are repeated or similar
- grouping similar concepts together
- eliminating responses that definitely do not fit
7) Now that you have narrowed your list down
somewhat, discuss the remaining responses
as a group.
It is important for the teacher to:
- establish a warm, supportive environment
- emphasize that a quantity rather than the quality of ideas is the goal, and that it's okay for students to think outside the box
- discourage evaluative or critical comments from peers during the ideas-gathering phase
- encourage and provide opportunity for all students to participate
- initially emphasize the importance of listening to expressed ideas, and model printing and recording of the ideas, then read each contribution to the group.
Some of the most widely used brainstorming tools for
logging thoughts and suggestions include:
- flip charts and whiteboards,
- sticky notes in different colors,
- a computer with a data projector, and
- flexible brainstorming software
If you look closely, you’ll notice there’s one thing these tools
have in common: they all serve as impromptu (or ready-
made, in the case of
software) brainstorming templates
where visual cues encourage collaboration.
By using interactive tools like these, ideas can be grouped
and rearranged on the fly, making them easier for everyone
to see, understand, and expand on.
To set yourself up for success, you should
begin every brainstorming project by
gathering your team together, and:
1-getting clear on the problem or objective at hand,
2-reviewing your company’s knowledge mapping assets
when they’re available, and
3-choosing the most relevant brainstorming methods
Different brainstorming tools can help you work through
ideas and
problem-solving suggestions in different ways.
And since teams,
challenges, and goals vary, it’s worth
trying out a variety of tools to
determine which ones work
best for you.
Brainstorming tools for logging thoughts
and suggestions include:
- flip charts and whiteboards,
- sticky notes in different colors,
- a computer with a data projector, and
- flexible brainstorming software
If you look closely, you’ll notice there’s one thing these
tools have
in common: they all serve as impromptu (or
ready-made, in the case of
software) brainstorming
templates where visual cues encourage collaboration.
By using interactive tools like these, ideas can be grouped
and
rearranged on the fly, making them easier for
everyone to see, understand, and expand on.
Why use brainstorming?
By expressing ideas and listening to what others say,
students adjust
their previous knowledge or
understanding, accommodate new information
and
increase their levels of awareness. Brainstorming's
main purposes are to:
1-focus students' attention on a particular topic
2-generate a quantity of ideas
3-teach acceptance and respect for individual
differences.
4-encourage learners to take risks in sharing their
ideas and opinions.
5-demonstrate to students that their knowledge and
their language abilities are valued and accepted.
6-introduce the practice of idea collection prior to
beginning tasks such as writing or solving problems.
7--provide an opportunity for students to share ideas
and expand their
existing knowledge by building on
each other's contributions.
