Brainstorming:
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. Students
then express possible answers, relevant words and ideas. Contributions are
accepted without criticism or judgment and usually summarized on a whiteboard
by the teacher or a scribe as the ideas are called out. These ideas are then
examined, usually in a open class Discussion format.
Brainstorming is a
process one goes through in an effort to generate ideas, let the creative
juices flow, and problem solve. It can be applied to a variety of activities
including conflict resolution, writing, developing a search on the Internet,
and figuring out math problems. Brainstorming is an effective way to think of
new ideas individually or within a group. First, the steps are outlined with a
group in mind. Second, ideas for brainstorming are presented with an individual
in mind. Follow the steps in the group strategy, but use the individual
strategies to widen your scope for ideas, creativity, and solutions.
How
to Brainstorming?
Write down every
thought and idea. Every thought and idea has value. Record thoughts and ideas
very quickly. Keep things moving with a rapid flow of ideas? Do not interrupt the flow to judge any
thoughts or ideas. Record all thoughts even if they seem off topic, unrelated,
or even dumb. Remember that ideas that
do not seem worth recording might prove to be important after all. At the very
least, they may lead to other valuable ideas. Brainstorming can be done alone, but the more
people involved in the process, the more ideas will be generated. Keep
brainstorming until the ideas slow down. Take a deep breath, pause, and be
ready to record some more ideas. They will still trickle in for a while. When the ideas finally seem to slow to a stop,
look over what was generated. Use the best ideas
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 main purposes are to:
Focus students'
attention on a particular topic ,Generate a quantity of ideas ,teach acceptance
and respect for individual differences, encourage learners to take risks in
sharing their ideas and opinions, demonstrate to students that their knowledge
and their language abilities are valued and accepted ,introduce the practice of
idea collection prior to beginning tasks such as writing or solving problems ,provide
an opportunity for students to share ideas and expand their existing knowledge
by building on each other's contributions.
Common
issues using brainstorming
Initially, some
students may be reluctant to speak out in a group setting, but brainstorming is
an open sharing activity which encourages all students to
participate. Teachers should emphasize active listening during these
sessions. And should be encouraged to:
Listen carefully and
politely to what their classmates contribute, tell the speakers or the teacher
when they cannot hear others clearly and, think of different suggestions or
responses to share.
Effective
brainstorming: how do I achieve it?
In a small or large group select a leader and
a scribe (or this may be the teacher). Define the problem or idea to be brainstormed.
Make sure everyone is clear on the topic being explored. 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 gathered
Recording each answer,
unless it repeats, setting a time limit and stopping when that time is up. 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. 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.
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.
How
to adapt brainstorming?
Use this procedure to
plan a classroom activity such as a research project, a field trip, a concert
or a party. Groups and individuals can use brainstorming to generate
pre-writing ideas for projects or assignments. Categorize brainstormed words,
ideas and suggestions. Use brainstormed words and sentences for exploring
discipline-based jargon.
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