101 Activities For Teaching Creativity And Problem Solving

338 101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving

84. Idea Mixer

Background

I don’t know much Japanese, so I have to assume that Hiroshi

Takahashi is correct when he says that NHK is a Japanese

acronym for the Japan Broadcasting Corporation. Takahashi

developed what I call Idea Mixer while he worked for NHK

(he calls the method NHK Brainstorming). Although he refers

to it as a brainstorming activity and it involves some oral idea

generation, Idea Mixer actually is a combination brainwrit-

ing/brainstorming activity.

Objectives

• To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible


• To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas

Participants

Small groups of four to seven people each

Materials, Supplies, and Equipment

• For each group: markers, two flip charts, and masking tape for posting flip-chart
  sheets


• For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots
  (^1 ⁄ 2 ” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it®Notes


• (Optional) One overhead projector, at least ten blank transparencies, and markers

Procedure

1. Divide participants into small groups and give each member of a group a pad of
   Post-it®Notes and pens or pencils.


2. Ask group members to write down ideas individually on their Post-its without
   sharing them with others. Stress that they should write down only one idea per
   Post-it. Allow no more than 10 minutes for this step.

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