You may wonder why a fiction novel includes a Discussion Guide in the first place? The Key on Edge is more than an engaging young adult mystery novel. Embedded within its pages are numerous life lessons, examples of critical thinking, and techniques for enhancing creativity. Within the characters interchange are nuggets of wisdom. Their subsequent actions are crafted to demonstrate points made in the discussion guide. By showing examples applied to real situations, obscure and somewhat abstract concepts can be more readily understood.
The author feels that the content of this guide is of utmost importance to future generations. They will face staggering advances in technology that will challenge every fiber of their existence, including artificial intelligence and quantum computing to name a few. We as a society need to be taught how to deal with uncertainty and embrace change by better understanding how to think critically.
A broad brush is given to the term creativity. It includes the arts, along with problem solving, innovation, and any activity for which one wishes to bring about change. This guide addresses these topics. It is constructed so that each lesson is first explained. Then book examples are offered to help solidify the understanding. This is followed by discussion questions, allowing students to reflect upon their own experiences and relate them to the material offered in the book.
Through this process most will discover that they have already implemented and perhaps mastered the techniques to some degree without having formalized the process in their mind. By becoming aware of the methods that have been so helpful to the author and many others, one can be more aware of the creative process. Allowing one to recognize their weaknesses, hone their skills, and develop new ones as creative thinking becomes a lifestyle.
Engage in lively discussion on these topics. They may seem like they are less relevant than a review of facts and figures of the day, but the author believes quite the contrary. In the future, all the facts and figures of the day and those of the past will be at one’s fingertips but the ability to analyze and navigate unfamiliar circumstances holds the key to fulfillment.
