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Episode #4: The Ultimate Classroom Mixtape: Pumping Up the Volume on Creativity, Collaboration, Communication and Critical Thinking

Season #1 Episode #4


In this episode you will learn multiple strategies to support students with the skills they need to be college and career ready; communication, critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity. 

Communication Strategies: 

Strategy #1:  Partner Summary

Strategy #2: Open Ended Question Using AI

Strategy #3: Tiered Communication Opportunities

Five ways to increase communication in your classroom: 

  1. Provide students with choices in how they communicate what they know. 

  2. Require students to use academic language when they communicate in the classroom. 

  3. Increase opportunities for student to share in pairs, small groups and whole class.

  4. Ask student open ended questions 

  5. Have students participate in a Partner Summary to promote active listening.    

Collaboration Strategies: 

Strategy #4: Classroom Collaboration One Pager  

Three ways to increase collaboration in your classroom: 

  1. Increase the amount of time students have to talk with one another by 5 times. 

  2. Have students work in group no larger than three to solve problems. 

  3. Give students options to work together to teach the class utilizing digital tools. 

Creativity Strategies: 

Strategy #5: Illustrative Vocabulary 

Strategy #6: Choice Boards with Rubrics

Three ways to increase creativity in your classroom: 

  1. Give options to your students to show what they know. 

  2. Look for ways to infuse creativity in your day to day activities. 

  3. Find ways to integrate technology to create not just receive. 

Critical Thinking Strategies: 

Strategy #7: Stump the Teacher

Strategy #8: Share Your Thinking-Metacognitive Best Practices 

Four ways to increase critical thinking in your classroom: 

  1. Find ways to challenge your students to solve problems. 

  2. Encourage students to share their thinking, and as you are teaching, share your thoughts as you solve problems. 

  3. Encourage students to think creatively and to find multiple outcomes to a single problem. 

  4. Emphasize the importance of asking questions and set up opportunities for student questions to be utilized in your lesson.