Assignment:
Creative thinking is about the process used when coming to decisions and solving problems, not about artistic ability. This unit asks you to consider the different ways that creativity plays a role in making decisions, solving problems, and critical thinking. Imagination and curiosity are both creative components of critical thinking, the components that allow us to "think outside the box" and generate multiple options. There are things that get in the way of creativity and inhibit or restrict the ability to imagine. This unit also asks you to understand those dynamics and confront them within yourself, turning what the textbook calls the paralyzing "Voice of Criticism" into a constructive, supportive critic.
Unit 1 Movies - watch 1 of these
• Mona Lisa Smile
• Mr. Holland's Opus
• School of Rock
• Finding Forrester
Each of the films selected for Unit I portrays a teacher/student relationship that proves to be life changing. Identify your movie selection with a brief synopsis of the main characters, the underlying issue, and how it is or is not solved. Touch on the key points of the process of change in your movie. What needed to happen? What risks were taken? What were the positive and negative (if any) outcomes? This should be no more than half of your essay.
In the second part of your essay, discuss your own experience with education. How much of your education has consisted of teachers pouring ideas into your mind and then requiring you to pour them back onto a test? How many teachers have tried to inspire your mind in new ways? Which type of education do you prefer, and why?
Your essay should be no less than two full pages in length, roughly 500 words. If you use outside sources, please cite and reference them per APA standards. Use a word processing program, such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs, and submit your file as an attachment.
Below is a possible breakdown for your essay
• Para 1: Introduction
• Sentence 1 - provide an overview of the main topic. You can get this directly from the unit study guide. EXAMPLE: Teacher/student relationships can prove to be life changing.
• Use paragraph 1 to introduce your movie selection with a brief synopsis of the main characters, the underlying issue, and how it is or is not solved (keep this short, 2-3 sentences).
• Use your last sentence to lead into the body of your paper
• Para 2: give more detail on the key points of the process of change in your movie. What needed to happen? What risks were taken?
Cite specific parts of the textbook and movie and reference sources to support your narrative.
• Para 3: describe the positive and negative (if any) outcomes.
• Para 4: In the second part of your essay, discuss your own experience with education - How much of your education has consisted of teachers pouring ideas into your mind and then requiring you to pour them back onto a test?
• Para 5: How many teachers have tried to inspire your mind in new ways? Which teacher made an imprint on your life? Tell more. Which type of education do you prefer, and why? Cite specific parts of the textbook and movie and reference sources to support your narrative.
• Para 6: Conclusion - Restate the main idea of your essay, or your thesis statement: Summarize the points of your essay, leave the reader with an interesting final impression
• New page: References
Weekly essay - write up in Word or other word processing software so you have spell-check and grammar check - due Tuesday - topic is in the course syllabus (found on the course home page, link on left in purple side bar). The weekly essays are not movie reviews; they are your analysis of the essay question posed to you. In writing your essay, you will use citations from the movie and textbook. Essays should be APA formatted, well-organized and demonstrate your understanding of the unit material by including textbook citations, with a separate reference page for your sources. You do not need a title page or abstract page. Start on page 1, with title centered and page number in upper right-hand corner. End with a References page, hanging indent, double-spaced. 1" margins all around with Times New Roman size 12 font. Please limit your essays to 2 pages plus 1 references page, for a total of 3 pages (@500 words)