The CATs Model
Kim (2019) presents the CATs model, which is cultivating climates, nurturing attitudes, and developing thinking skills. This strength-based model as shown above suggests that creative potential becomes innovation through a nurturing creative climate. In turn this climate helps facilitate creative attitudes which lead to mastering creative thinking skills (Kim 2019). Using the image of an apple tree Kim (2019) describes thinking skills as the roots, tree trunk, branches, and apples. This apple tree or creative thinking/potential is supported by sun, storm, soil, and space attitudes and climates.
The CAT’s model focuses on nurturing and developing creative thinking skills. These creative thinking skills are broken into four sections: (a) inbox expertise, (b) outbox imagination, (c) inbox critical thinking, and (d) new box connections (Kim, 2019).
Creative Thinking Skills
Inbox Expertise – Novice
Inbox expertise is the foundation for students to develop and eventually become experts in their field of interest. Memorization, comprehension, and application are the thinking skills required to gain inbox expertise (Kim, 2019). Inbox expertise is when students begin as novice explorers, acquire skills, and become experts after many hours of practice (Kim, 2019).
Outbox Imagination – Developing Expertise
Outbox imagination describes how students expand and explore their skills and knowledge while on their path to developing expertise. This stage requires imagination and thinking skills such as divergent thinking, fluency, flexibility, and originality.
Kim (2019) utilizes Guilford’s (1957) divergent thinking and describes fluent imagination as having many different ideas, much like an apple tree with many blossoms during springtime.
According to Kim (2019) the more experience a student has within their domain the more “fluent, flexible and original their outbox imagination will be if they have developed creative attitudes” (p.122).
Inbox Critical Thinking – Developing Expertise
Inbox Critical Thinking requires students to analyze and evaluate all their big outbox imaginings. Inbox critical thinking teaches students to edit and refine their ideas through checking, analyzing, and evaluation (Kim 2019; Mullen et al., 2019). By learning the differences between unsuccessful and successful ideas, students can create their own learning goals and evaluations. Once students have decided and selected their ideas from the critical thinking stage, Kim (2019) introduces the final stage; Newbox Connection.
NewBox Connection – Expert
New box thinking is the highest level of thinking and combines inbox critical thinking and outbox imagination to create a new idea or concept (Mullen et al., 2019). Kim (2019) suggests using synthesis to find similarities and essential elements between promising new ideas. Once combined, students refine their ideas, creating interpretations and improvements with the skills of elaboration and simplification.
The Four Climates
Kim (2019) and Mullen et al., (2019) believe a students climate is the most essential influence on creative products. Using an apple as a metaphor for creative innovators, Kim (2019) and Mullen et al., (2019) suggest that students require
Activities for the four climates
Activities for Sun climate
- Drama activities
- Creative reading activities
- Learning through play
- Introduce real-life examples of innovators and inventors
Activities for Storm climate
- Provide learning challenges of varying levels of difficulty
- Allow students to make mistakes and guide them when they become frustrated
- Provide constructive feedback
- Teach self-reflection skills such as; documenting learning process, asking leading questions, collaborating with others and moving away from perfectionism
Activities for Soil climate
- Present diverse ideas, cultures and people through books, mentors, and interaction with different communities
- Encourage interdisciplinary collaboration – assign groups of student together with different strengths when doing group work
- Encourage students to share their cultural beliefs and practices throughout the year
Activities for Space climate
- Schedule free time blocks where students are free to work or play
- Teach critical thinking skills
- Host a debate club or debate unit
- Nurture empathy and compassion through books and activities
Attitudes cultivated in the four climates
Sun Attitudes
Inquisitive Visionaries
- Optimistic
- Big-picture thinking
- Curious
- Spontaneous
- Playful
- Energetic
Storm Attitudes
Courageously Persistent
- Independent
- Self-disciplined
- Diligent
- Self-efficacious
- Resilient
- Risk-Taking
- Persistent
- Uncertainty-accepting
Soil Attitudes
Complex Cross-pollinators
- Open-minded
- Bicultural
- Mentored
- Complexity-seeking
- Resourceful
Space Attitudes
Compassionate Rebels
- Emotional
- Compassionate
- Self-reflective
- Autonomous
- Daydreaming
- Nonconforming
- Gender bias-free
- Defiant