Developing Minds 2020

Connect Creative with Critical Thinking in the Classroom

Developing Minds 2020 took place on Friday February 14th at SFU Harbour Centre in Vancouver. 

Teaching critical thinking from an early age equips students with transferrable skills eagerly sought by modern employers. However, for onward educational and career success, this skill should not be taught in isolation. Connecting Creative with Critical Thinking for Developing Minds brings teachers and experts to a one-day workshop that explores best practices in teaching critical thinking within the secondary school system. This year our focus is on creativity, exploring interconnections and synergy between creative and critical thinking for practical solutions for BC teachers. During collaborative breakout sessions, provincial education stakeholders and recognized experts will develop comprehensive lesson plans as practical tools for the classroom.

The Faculty of Education and the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) at Simon Fraser University co-present a one-day conference with roundtable discussion on teaching critical thinking in BC secondary schools. Join us to share global best practices and experience on K-12 pedagogy, focusing on creativity and creative thinking in the BC secondary classroom.

Open to teachers and education professionals, Developing Minds gives delegates an opportunity to share and explore key concepts in teaching critical thinking at the secondary and post-secondary levels. 

EVENT DETAILS

  • Friday, February 14th, 2020
  • 8:00am to 5:00pm
  • SFU Harbour Centre, 515 West Hastings Street, Vancouver

Recordings 

Watch on YouTube

Proceedings

About Developing Minds

Recent changes in the BC education curriculum established 'Critical Thinking' as a core teaching approach throughout K-12 classrooms. Students benefit from a rich community of inquiry that promotes deeper understanding of curriculum content and equips them with valuable life skills. School systems already using this approach have documented success using a number of outcome metrics.

Critical thinking skills transfer readily from the classroom into post-secondary education, and beyond. Not only do they enhance learning outcomes but students also gain a competitive advantage in the job market by acquiring skills in critical, creative and collaborative thinking frequently sought by modern employers.

The Developing Minds conference seeks to open up discussion among provincial education stakeholders keen to explore how teaching critical thinking in K-12 classrooms transfers into post-secondary education for student benefit. 

Simon Fraser University presents a day of roundtable discussion and keynote presentations on teaching critical thinking within BC’s education system, with a focus on connecting creative thinking with critical thinking skills in the classroom. Attendees will hear from keynote speakers with direct experience, and then collaborate to build a provincial framework of reference.