Brainstorming

Post date: Mar 4, 2012 7:26:09 AM

Anna sent out this thought-provoking NY Times article the other day, called "The Rise of the New Groupthink." I had read a similar article in The New Yorker: "Groupthink: The Brainstorming Myth." Both got me thinking about how we believe knowledge is constructed and the role that collaboration plays in pushing the limits of our creativity. Of course, I found myself reflecting on how these perspectives on group work and brainstorming will affect the way that I understand my students and, in turn, the way that I teach.

I'm still not sure exactly what to make of all this but definitely think we need to rethink how we structure group work in our classes. Do we create the groups our students work in? Do we let them work with their friends? (See the "Q factor" in The New Yorker article.) Do we create spaces for spontaneous creativity to take place, instead of confining collaboration to certain times and places in class? What role does technology play in facilitating "individual brainstorming"?

Hm. Food for thought...