In order to leverage the wisdom in the room, we will conduct a divergent thinking protocol, and invite others to share their favorite resources for finding high quality texts on this page.
Divergent Thinking Protocol
In this protocol, we will work in groups of 3. Person A will in one minute, share a dilemma they have in finding resources. For example, person A might share that they are looking for resources about gentrification appropriate for 1st graders. For two minutes, Person B and C will practice divergent thinking, brainstorming ways to solve this dilemma. They might share ideas like taking students on fieldwork, or inviting an expert to talk to students. They might recommend resources, or help break down the dilemma. After two minutes, person A will have one minute to summarize and make connections. We will repeat this round until each person has shared their dilemma and received feedback from the group.
Strategies of Divergent thinking:
The goal of divergent thinking is to generate many different ideas about a topic in a short period of time. It involves breaking a topic down into its various component parts in order to gain insight about the various aspects of the topic. Divergent th inking typically occurs in a spontaneous, free-flowing manner, such that the ideas are generated in a random, unorganized fashion. Following divergent thinking, the ideas and information will be organized using convergent thinking; i.e., putting the var ious ideas back together in some organized, structured way.