I provide interactive videoconferences for schools all over
the country. My programs are listed and available to request on the web site for the Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration (CILC). I do a variety of programs;
one of my favorites is teaching a class of students how to brainstorm.
First I explain that in my session-and in
brainstorming-there are no wrong answers.
I assure them that when they brainstorm for their own ideas it is quick,
painless and best of all, no one will see their ideas or grade their
brainstorming session. It is only for
them and will help THEM. And I really
mean it.
Brainstorming is a prewriting
skill that with minimal effort produces maximum results.
Once I explain how easy brainstorming is to do, I tell them
why brainstorming helps. It is
simple: the point of brainstorming is to
come up with a unique angle for your research paper (or book or article in the
case of writers.)
In these sessions I model brainstorming and lead them along
with me. The way I teach brainstorming
is to tell them to jot down things you know about the topic AND things
you don’t know—in the form of questions.
You don’t have to know the answers to the questions. Sometimes it is the questions from a
brainstorming session that gives you the angle of your research paper.
The key is to just let thoughts about the topic develop
naturally and let one thought go to the next.
The first few thoughts on any topics are usually about the basic things
that everyone knows. The “good stuff”
and by that I mean unique ideas- are never those first few ideas. The best ideas are the fifth or sixth or
later ideas that you consider once you think a little longer about the
topic.
As my session continues, I get them to participate in on the
spot brainstorming. Soon they start
giving suggestions. I remind them there
are no wrong answers or silly answers-it is all just loose thoughts. No pressure.
Once they get the hang of that, we move on. We brainstorm again and this time I ask them
to give me some ideas on possible angles for a research paper. They can do it.
In less than an hour, many of these students seem to really
grasp the benefits of brainstorming. The feedback I get from teachers for the
session make me think that for some of these students, they have a good grasp
on a brainstorming as a useful tool in their prewriting toolbox.
Carla Killough McClafferty
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| Morguefile.com |
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2 comments:
Thanks so much for sharing this, Carla. Sounds like a great class!
May I take your class, please?
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