Tony Ryan has worked with over 1,000 education, business and parenting groups in 10

different countries throughout his career. He is the author of The Next Generation, Thinkers
Keys, and The Ripple Effect, and is the co-founder of School2School .

Through his studies of thinking routines, Tony Ryan developed twenty keys or clues that
directly unlock our critical and creative thinking.

 Keys for the development of critical thinking.

They help us to start an investigation, to organize ourselves, to develop the plan that
will lead to our learning action, to carry out a reflection...

 Keys to the development of creative thinking.

For example, to generate new ideas, to expand our thinking, to modify our initial point
of view, to reconsider options...

The inverse

The main idea of this key is to put ourselves in an opposite situation regarding a topic in which
we have to enumerate a list of concepts. For example:

Make a list of 5 animals you have never seen.

Name 10 things you can't reach with your hand.

Name things you wouldn't say to a friend.

Make a list of countries that have no sea.

Name sports that cannot be done indoors.

Name things you can't eat with a fork

Write things that cannot be found in the forest.

With this key we enhance the so-called lateral thinking, seeing things from another
perspective, since we start from the opposite.

What would happen if…

With this key we can theorize about a hypothetical situation, and even fable about it, boosting
our most creative thinking, such as, for example:
The disadvantages

We often accept the shortcomings of many products, without really considering how they can
be improved. This key and we will be surprised with the number of everyday products that can
be developed further. For example:

Once we have created a list of disadvantages, we can find ideas to correct or eliminate them,
and thus improve. For example:

Disadvantage of the umbrella: it is annoying to carry it in your hand.

Proposal: That the case have a strip long enough to carry it on the back.

The combination

List the attributes of two concepts, ideas, objects, and then combine those attributes. For
example:

The alphabet

An object, concept or idea to be discussed is chosen and a list of words from A to Z that have
some relevance to the area of study being discussed is compiled. For example:

 Countries of the world.

 Children's names.

 Animals.
After making the list, we will try to expand some ideas that can be linked to each of the words.
For example, if you are studying geography, you can locate the different countries listed in
their corresponding continents or the names of children that are more typical of one area or
another.

The MAC

Known in English as the BAR key, this key refers to the following acronym:

A practical strategy to develop step by step innovative ideas that may seem unusual to us. This
type of strategy is often used to reinvent or redesign everyday objects.

For example:

 Think of a skateboard.

 Now think about:

 How to make it bigger.

 How to change something about it.

Possible answers could be:

 Major : Extend the back, and put some supports to store it better.

 Add : Add a small rocket motor, which can be controlled with a foot throttle near the
back of the skateboard.

 Change : Replace the wheels with a small hovercraft unit, which is controlled by a
handheld rotary device.

Other possible examples would be:

Use MAC to:

 Redesign your school table

 Improve your bike

 Redesign a birdhouse

The variations
Some very practical ideas often result from using this key, as it is commonly used to expand
your thinking.

It is simply about raising the topic to reflect on, introducing the following question: In how
many ways can you...? . For example:

In how many ways can you…

 …prepare the pasta?

 …paint a wall?

 …making new friends?

Other possible examples would be:

 How many ways can you communicate with someone without talking?

 How many ways can you stay dry in the rain?

The picture

The teacher draws a simple shape, a scribble, or an abstract figure that apparently has nothing
to do with the area of study being covered. Students should try to find ways to link it to that
area, adding new shapes from the original. For example, to complement this strategy, as a
form of imaginative writing, students could be asked to compile a list of 10 things that the
diagram could represent. For example:

Study area : Animals

Posed form :

From this form, students can imagine the four legs of different mammals:
This enhances the development of spatial and visual intelligence capabilities, which improves
learning in practically all fields of study.

The prediction

As will be?

With this key, students are asked to make a series of predictions regarding a particular
situation, product or set of circumstances.

 What appliances will be obsolete in 10 years?

 What will cities be like in 200 years?

 What will cars be like in the future?

 Who will do the housework?

Possible answers to predicting what cars will be like in the future could be:

 Electric/gasoline combination, with the driver determining the choice before the start
of the trip.

 Autonomous driving of the vehicle, with maps that have been predetermined by the
on-board computer.

It is important to remember that trying to predict the future does not have to be the waste of
time that some might believe. The trip is always easier if you know where you are going.

The different uses

A very interesting key to test your imagination, since it involves listing some very different uses
for an object chosen from your area of study.

For example:

 Find 5 different uses for…

 a cardboard box

 a clip

 A clown nose

In this key we also highlight the concept of recycling, which is very important here. This key is
worth applying to many of our everyday (and often disposable) products.

Ridicule

The expressions: That's not possible and That's ridiculous often prevent the development of
many excellent ideas. For this reason, we must learn to break those barriers. Using this key we
will try to justify a ridiculous statement. That is, we will make a ridiculous statement, which
would be practically impossible to implement, and then we must try to argue for it. For
example:

Ridiculous statement

The government should buy a new car for every taxpayer.

Consequences

 It would provide an incredible boost to the industry.

 More money from wages would be injected into the economy and a wide variety of
businesses would be boosted.

Other possible examples could be:

 All takeaway outlets will be demolished and all food must be cooked at home.

 We should all live underwater.

 We should be able to pay with chocolate chip cookies.

Points in common

On this occasion, we are faced with the strategy of observing two objects that generally would
have nothing in common, and trying to outline some common points between them. What is
mainly sought is a new approach by observing two apparently different elements. This is ideal
for generating creative ideas as well as developing unusual concepts. For example:

Points in common

 Both change color throughout the day.

 Both have a rough surface.

 You can't drive cars in any of them.

Other examples to look for common points could be:

 A mouse and a car.

 A ruler and ice cream.

 A friend and a gift.

The question

This key begins by giving a word, which is the answer to a question, but it does not show what
the question itself is, so students must creatively imagine the possible questions that may have
only that answer.
In this way, an excellent break is proposed from the role of the teacher, since he is traditionally
the one who asks questions to the students, who adopt a passive role in the teaching-learning
process. This exchange of roles causes students to have an active role in their learning, as they
take the initiative and demonstrate the basis of their knowledge.

For example:

 Think of questions so that the answer is MIDNIGHT:

 When is 12 hours after noon?

 When did Cinderella's carriage turn into a pumpkin?

 What word is MIDNIGHTS in English?

Other examples of responses to raise questions could be:

 Christmas

 Rainbow

 Blue

 Time Machine

 Butterflies

The brainstorm

An ideal key to find solutions to everyday problems together.

The class is presented with a problem that needs to be solved and a list of possible solutions is
brainstormed.

This key has some basic rules to follow, which will be made known to the students before
starting the brainstorming session.

Think of as many ideas as you can: don't hesitate, just write it down. Unusual or silly ideas are
also welcome. Criticism of any idea is not allowed.

An example of this key would be:

Other examples to apply this key could be:

 How to get rid of space junk floating in our upper atmosphere.

 How to encourage people not to abandon their pets during the holidays.
  How to reduce the crime rate.

The inventions

We children (and adults too) love to invent things if we are given the opportunity.
Unfortunately, the opportunities to develop this creative facet in today's society seem to be
decreasing more and more.

The idea behind this key is precisely to develop inventions that are built in an unusual way and
with unusual materials. The first step would be to outline the product on paper, which would
then lead to a possible build.

Some examples that could be presented to the class could be:

 A knife and fork combination

 A mosquito trap

 Waking up in the morning without an alarm clock

Other possible examples could be:

 Make the bed

 Iron

 To comb

 A machine that can peel and cut onions

 A machine to help you get dressed in the morning

Design a machine to send messages throughout the classroom

brick wall

We often give in too quickly when we question many of the current situations in the world.
Through this key, we try to overcome obstacles that a priori seem insurmountable to us,
practicing the development of alternative strategies.

The class will be presented with a situation that is generally not questioned or discussed, and
then try to break down this wall of obstacles by describing other ways of dealing with the
situation.

Example: The minimum age to vote must be 18 years or older.

Possible alternatives: Consider the differences in maturational age of people.

Establish tests to check if someone is sufficiently prepared to vote, even if they have not
reached the stipulated age.

Other examples could be:

 Children need to attend school in person to get a good education.

 Newspapers must be printed on paper.

 Christmas should always be celebrated at the same time of year.

  Zoos should exist so that people can see animals they have not seen before.

 It is not good to eat chocolate because of its high sugar content.

Construction

Here we are faced with an example of truly practical creative thinking, which goes hand in
hand with a fun dynamic. The idea behind it is to propose options for solving the problems that
arise when carrying out a construction, using readily available materials.

Some examples would be:

 Build a structure stable enough to support a person.

 Materials: 10 balloons and adhesive tape.

 Build the tallest structure possible.

 Materials: dried spaghetti and marshmallows

 Suspend a marble as high in the air as possible.

 Materials: a marble, 20 straws and a paper clip.

 Build a trap for the big bad wolf.

 Materials: 10 straws and 4 rubber bands.

Other examples could be:

 Build a trap for a spider.

 Materials: a sheet of newspaper, 10 elastic bands and scissors.

 How could you cross a river with a tennis ball, a rope and a brick?

 Build the longest bridge with a sheet of newspaper, 10 straws, tape and scissors.

forced relationships

With this key we will try to find a solution to a problem that involves two completely different
objects. Through this, we place special emphasis on constantly developing alternative
strategies, approaching it from new dimensions.

It can be taken into account that the older the students are, the more objects they will be
given to solve problems.

An example would be:

 A rubber band

 Cookies

 A piece of cloth

Other examples could be:

 Lowering a kite from a tree with balloons

 Build a boat only with objects found in the class.

The alternative

We continue working on creative thinking through this key, since in this case it is about finding
ways to complete a task without using normal tools. Furthermore, it helps us to make our
perspective more flexible and lose rigidity in the face of things that, apparently, only have one
way of being possible.

The way to pose it would be, for example:

 Find three ways to…

 Brush your teeth without a brush

 Wash your dog without using water

 Toast bread without a toaster

This key can help us find everyday solutions, such as alternatives to making a cake without
sugar or without eggs, when we have a person with some type of intolerance, for example.

We interpret

Another exercise in innovative thinking. Develops the ability to consider a wide range of
explanations for what we see. So, it's about describing a situation (it can be common or
unusual) and asking students to think of different possibilities that can explain it.

In this way, we will pose the key as follows:

Explain three possible explanations for:

 Two people crying and hugging.

 A mouse running towards a cat.

 The teacher arrives at school with a suitcase full of candy.

 A man walking backwards.

Other examples could be:

 A person smiling while talking on the phone.

 Two people talking and then laughing hysterically.

 Your neighbor sweeping the roof.

 Five people standing in a field waving their arms above their heads.