From 1 Oct 2010 to 30 September 2012 TA implemented the project Bringing Creativity and Thinking Skills in Educational Process supported by the Nordic Council of Ministers in the framework of the Nordplus programme. The project is carried our in collaboration with partner institutions from Norway, Finland, Lithuania and Latvia. During the project we developed the framework for integrating the thinking dimension in various disciplines taught at the secondary and tertiary level. You can see the project summary, as well as the info about the partners, below.

The partners are open to collaboration with any individuals and institutions interested in the topic of the project. Please let us know if you find the idea interesting and want to join.

Project partners:

TA Group (Latvia) - project coordinator
Primary school Turun yliopisto (Finland)
Kirkonkylä primary School (Finland)
University of Turku Department of Teacher Education (Finland)
Bergen International School (Norway)
Vilnius International School (Lithuania)
Daugavpils University (Latvia)

The modern rapidly changing world has created a real challenge for educators making them responsible not only for teaching their own subjects but also for developing learners’ skills and attitudes essential for succeeding in their future life. Nowadays teachers are expected to help students enhance their lifelong learning skills by integrating creativity and innovative thinking components in their work. Although many educators accept the new requirement in theory, the practical aspects of bringing creativity and thinking skills in the classroom are often fuzzy. It is not clear how additional room can be found for anything in the already ‘overcrowded’ subject curriculum.

The purpose of the project is to create an adequate framework for education professionals in the Nordic-Baltic area who are ready to face the existing challenge and bring creativity and thinking dimension in the curriculum.

What is the project about?

Hardly anyone argues nowadays against the need to bring creativity in the classroom. However, due to various reasons, real classroom still remain traditional in many respects. The project brings together partners from different countries and educational contexts that are passionate about the idea of integrating thinking skills and creativity in the educational process.

The project will adopt a specific methodological approach to the development of creativity and thinking skills across the curriculum based on the ideas of the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ). As a result of the project, a framework for the professional development of teachers will be developed. The framework will propose specific guidelines to teachers of different subjects and age groups wishing to bring thinking skills dimension in their curriculum.

Teachers of different subjects from partner institutions will be documenting the implementation of the framework in their teacher diaries. Together with concrete tasks used to develop creativity and thinking skills, these will serve as an illustration material for all education professionals wishing to use the framework for their own professional development.

Four workshops for project participants, two of which will be followed by open lessons and experience exchange seminars in partner countries, will constitute the structure of the project. The seminars, along with the final conference attended by the key stakeholders, will also act as important dissemination events, presenting the educational community with specific examples of how creativity and thinking skills can be nurtured.

Project aim:

to create a framework for professional development of education professionals that will allow them to integrate creativity and thinking skills dimension in the educational process.

Project objectives:

- guidelines for education professionals wishing to introduce creativity and thinking skills in the educational process;
- a set of professional development diaries of teachers of different subjects illustrating the implementation of the proposed guidelines;
- sample materials/tasks for different subjects (languages, mathematics, science, social studies) and levels (pre-primary, compulsory, tertiary) that illustrate the practical application of the proposed guidelines.