Brainstorming

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.