AS the only organisation in the UK working directly with Dr Edward de Bono in training teachers and students, we were delighted to see your article on thinking skills (TES, Friday magazine, May 23).
We commend The TES for giving a broad analysis of the issues. However, we would like to put right the description of the “six hats” technique as set out in the article.
The “six hats” are tools designed to reduce adversarial discussion and debate and to increase collaboration and exploration of ideas in a focused and directed manner, whether in a group situation or for an individual. For example, when “yellow hat” thinking is being used, all members of the group wear the “yellow hat” at the same time, thus feeding off one another’s value and benefit suggestions, increasing collaboration and minimising debate and argument. This maximises the likelihood of capturing all of the benefit and value in an ideasuggestion or proposed solution. The “six hats” is often referred to as the “parallel thinking technique”, because all individuals are applying the same mode of thinking at the same time.
We have more than 30 accredited Edward de Bono thinking schools, and six Edward de Bono training schools in the UK.
Denise Inwood
Atkey Solutions PO Box 322 Guildford Surrey