Thinking in the "Box"

You may have heard of the term "thinking outside the box". This is an illustrative way of saying that we should think and act in ways beyond which we normally think and act. Another way to say "thinking outside the box" is the expression "paradigm shift." The engineers in the introductory example who used bicycle brakes to model a golf cart brake system underwent a paradigm shift.

All teachers have paradigms for certain tasks they do. Consider how you begin each class. Is there a regular routine that you follow? When you design an assessment, are there certain styles of test items that you use? These are paradigms.

In this Session we will explore how we can think beyond the box in ways that align to the Innovative Teachers Awards judging criteria.

First of all, we will establish what your current thinking and activities are. This will define the boundaries of the box . That will give us a springboard to explore how we can break boundaries and think out of the box.

Task: Defining Your Own " Box"

1. Working on your own, open the Defining Your Box worksheet.
2. Using the categories provided, describe in point form what you normally do in your classroom and beyond.