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EXPLORING 21st CENTURY SKILLS and ISSUES
How to Develop Associational Thinking Skills
Associational thinking means drawing connections between questions, problems, or ideas from unrelated fields . Pulling ideas – even just bits and pieces of things, from other seemingly unrelated fields fuels creativity. It’s also been referred to as cross-pollenization of ideas . Here are some ways to develop your associational thinking skills. Read them, check the ideas that appeal to you, and make a plan to practice associational thinking every day. Step out of your mental comfort zone – often! Disillusioned with his required college classes and looking for a change of pace, Steve Jobs broke ranks and took a calligraphy class. Calligraphy is
the art of hand-lettering. Jobs knew it had little practical application to his life as a 20 year old, but he loved it. Years later, when he was designing his first computer, it occurred to him that computers ought to be able to create a variety of fonts and document designs. He credited his knowledge of calligraphy for the inspiration which eventually made a huge difference in the functionality of computers and the success of Apple. The point is, the ability to think associatively requires that you expose your brain to new and novel ideas. Go ahead. Delve into a few subjects and activities that are out of your normal routine. Check the activities that appeal to you and make a plan to do them! Apply for a local internship or community service project where you will meet new people, and have new experiences; observe how activities are organized. Observe group dynamics and how problems are solved. Go to a museum – any museum. They all have cool stuff. Make museums part of your regular routine. If you don’t live near one, most offer virtual exhibit tours through their websites. Take an online class in a subject not offered at your school, such as astronomy, archeology, even calligraphy. Adopt a Take 5 routine. Once a day select a topic completely at random. Read about it for five minutes. Learn to play chess. Campaign for a cause. Surround yourself with intelligent and ambitious people. That may require making a lifestyle change, joining some clubs, or working harder at school. It may also mean losing so-called friends who drag you down with wasteful habits, bad attitudes, and no respect for education. Watch the financial news or videos from Bloomberg West or Bloomberg Brink at least 15 minutes every day. Other: _ _________________________________________________________________________ _ ______________________________________________________________________________ PRODUCT PREVIEW
165 THE 21st CENTURY STUDENT’S GUIDE TO FINANCIAL LITERACY
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