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First, let鈥檚 thumbnail the Common Core. Its literacy standards cluster around three main ideas: 1) Text-based answers to reading comprehension questions, 2) Source-based writing, and 3) Academic vocabulary.

Where is there room, then, for creative thinking? Although the Common Core decidedly calls for less narrative writing, it certainly does not eliminate the classroom staples of having students write stories, either fiction or memoir. At the elementary level, we are working toward a 50/50 balance between informational and narrative writing; at the secondary level, English language arts classes retain the narrative writing component for about 20% of the writing curriculum. And the few secondary teachers who have always used creative writing as a means for learning content outside of English class, there鈥檚 no reason for them to discontinue that practice. Excellent teachers in all subject areas have long recognized the value of having students process, extend, and remember facts and figures by creative language activities such as skits, creative writing, and word play.

Academic vocabulary, foundational to both comprehension and production of academic text, offers lots of opportunities for creative thinking. Here are three tools for accelerating language acquisition:

1. Word games: Word games are great for generating language profusion, flexibility, and the repeated exposure that is so necessary moving words from receptive (鈥淚 know it when I hear or read it.鈥�) to productive (鈥淚 use it in my own speech and writing.鈥�) On you can find (free) classroom-ready puzzles that recruit the words from the Academic Word List (Coxhead).

2. Synthesis: Some teachers present a handful of generic academic words (Tier II), and simply ask students to put these together in a sentence that expresses something that they鈥檝e recently learned in class. This valuable activity synthesizes Tier II and Tier III (domain-specific) words and is an excellent, low-maintenance way to solidify learning.

3. Metaphorical thinking: 鈥淚t is the greatest thing by far to be a master of metaphor.鈥� So said Aristotle in his Poetics (350 B.C.E.). Metaphor-making is the embodiment of creative thinking, as a metaphor is, by definition, a new combination, a new perspective that ingeniously brings together the salient elements of two disparate things. We can ask students to explain, in speech or writing, their understandings of newly learned concepts and definitions by devising a metaphor and then explaining its aptness.

Creative and analytical thinking are not mutually exclusive. We should work to make them mutually supportive to engage the whole brains of our students.

As they explicitly state (, page 6), The Common Core Standards in English Language Arts represent what teachers should teach not how. This empowers educators to teach meaningful content in engaging ways, ways that tap into students鈥� creativity and that develop critical thinking skills.

There is one writing anchor standard that jumps out as well suited for developing students鈥� creative thinking--anchor standard six: 鈥淯se technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.鈥�

Several tools exist that would enable students to not only meet this standard, but express themselves in creative ways. Two of my favorites are blogs and wikis. Both are easy to use and free.

With blogging, students are able to easily write the persuasive, informational, and narrative pieces called for by the standards. However, the added element of a potential global audience can be highly motivational. For students younger than 13, I love what KidBlog.org has to offer. For students old enough for a gmail account, is a very user-friendly option. (Check out this post for more details about blogging with students.)

Here鈥檚 where the creative thinking comes in: student bloggers should be challenged to design a blog that will appeal to their audience. This involves visual design and content. Asking 鈥淲hat makes a blog attractive to readers?鈥� can push students to think carefully about the writing their publishing and thus raise the quality of their work.

Wikis, websites that are easy to create collaboratively, allow for creative thinking, as well. A site such as wikispaces allows educators to create student accounts. Within no time, students will be building their own web pages, which can integrate video and images along with text and other plug-ins. I鈥檝e enjoyed great success having students as young as fourth grade build wikis that serve as electronic portfolios for all of their digital projects. Wikis also can be used collaboratively, with multiple students building pages together.

Both blogs and wikis not only provide an avenue for student creativity, but they enable students to meet Common Core Standards as well.

Teaching Levels of Questioning is vital. is a great place to start because it鈥檚 a simpler version of Blooms and it can be more user friendly.

Also, I think student developed rubrics are awesome. Having the students own their own standards and expectations is very effective in establishing their own comprehension. Introduce them to something like rubistar4teachers. Have them build their own rubrics for each other to assess their work. Have them develop their own rubrics to turn in with their work so that they are working in tandem with their teachers.

Critical thinking is about independent learning, and independent learning is about seeing the teacher as a partner and a guide rather than the sole authority. If there is not a sole information authority on the room, but instead a guide to help them find the answers they seek, then their brains will really be forced to sweat. Kids will lean back on what they can. If your purpose is to create kids who utilize their own resources and only use you as a guide to find resources, than you must teach some kind of internet literacy or safe search strategies. Alan November鈥檚 is a great resource for tools to help along those lines.