What is the relationship of creativity

and giftedness?

What is Giftedness?Gifted individuals are those who demonstrate outstanding levels of aptitude (defined as an exceptional ability to reason and learn) or competence (documented performance or achievement in top 10% or rarer) in one or more domains.  Domains include any structured area of activity with its own symbol system (e.g., mathematics, music, language) and/or set of sensorimotor skills (e.g., painting, dance, sports).

- NAGC

What is Intelligence?

Intelligence is classically defined as “the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills.”

- Oxford Dictionary

What is Creativity?

•Fluency, flexibility, originality, elaboration•Divergent thinking skills•Problem solving strategies

- Tom Luna, Idaho State Department of Education

So, what is the relationship of creativity and giftedness?

There are conflicting theories about the relationship between creativity and giftedness:

Guilford, 1961

• Creativity is independent from IQ

• Divergent thinking

Piirto, 1992

• Creativity is the fundamental concept of giftedness construct

Cropley, 1993

• Creativity is a separate category/style of giftedness

Comparison Chart on following slide:http://www.bertiekingore.com/high-gt-create.htm

A High Achiever... A Gifted Learner... A Creative Thinker...

Remembers the answers. Poses unforeseen questions. Sees exceptions.

Is interested. Is curious. Wonders.

Is attentive. Is selectively mentally engaged. Daydreams; may seem off task.

Generates advanced ideas. Generates complex, abstract ideas.Overflows with ideas, many of which will never be developed.

Works hard to achieve. Knows without working hard. Plays with ideas and concepts.

Answer the questions in detail.Ponders with depth and multiple perspectives.

Injects new possibilities.

Performs at the top of the group. Is beyond the group. Is in own group.

Responds with interest and opinions.Exhibits feelings and opinions from multiple perspectives.

Shares bizarre, sometimes conflicting opinions.

Learns with ease. Already knows. Questions: What if...

Needs 6 to 8 repetitions to master. Needs 1 to 3 repetitions to master. Questions the need for mastery.

Comprehends at a high level. Comprehends in-depth, complex ideas.Overflows with ideas--many of which will never be developed.

Enjoys the company of age peers. Prefers the company of intellectual peers.Prefers the company of creative peers but often works alone.

Completes assignments on time.Initiates projects and extensions of assignments.

Initiates more projects that will ever be completed.

Is accurate and complete. Is original and continually developing. Is original and continually developing.

Enjoys school often. Enjoys self-directed learning. Enjoys creating.

Gets A's. May not be motivated by grades. May not be motivated by grades.

Creativity Assessments:Assessment Author - Date Information About AssessmentThe Instances TestUses Test

Wallach and Kogan, 1965 Untimed, game-like listing of uses or descriptions of everyday objects

Structure of the Intellect (SOI)

Guilford, 1967 24 components of divergent thinkingFour content areas:Figural, symbolic, semantic, behavioralSix types of product:Units, classes, relations, systems, transformations, implicationsOne example is sketch test – draw as many objects as possible using a basic figure

Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT)

Torrance, 1974, 2008 Most widely used Longest running, continually publishedTwo forms: A/BTwo sections: Figural (picture construction, picture completion, lines and

circles) Verbal section (Ask and Guess, Asking, Guessing Causes,

Guessing Consequences, Product improvement, Unusual uses, unusual questions, just suppose)

Profile of Creative Abilities Ryser, 2007 Similar to Torrance, but uses real-world divergent thinking items

Assessment Author - Date Information About Assessment

Consensual Assessment Technique CAT

Baer, 1994Amabile. 1996 

A type of assessment where a participant produces some type of creative product which is judged by a panel of experts in the field.Does not have standardized scoresUsed less in schools

Creativity Checkllist Proctor and Burnett2004

A Gifted Rating ScaleA checklist for creative behaviors or characteristicsNo norms, only valid for comparisons

Creative Behavior Inventory Hocevar, 1981 Self-reporting checklist of activities and attainments

Creative Achievement Questionnaire CAQ

Carson, Peterson, Higgins, 2005 Self-reporting checklist 96 items across nine domains within the arts or the sciences

Abedi-Schummacher Creativity Test CT

Abedi, 2002Auzmendi, Villa, Abedi, 1996

Unique because it has a Spanish – language version

Runco Ideation Behavior Scale RIBS

Runco, Plucker, Lim, 2000-2001 Self-reporting checklistExample: I come up with a lot of ideas or solutions to problems.

Ideas for the classroom:• Allow students to pursue independent projects based on their own

individual interests. (http://www.education.udel.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/GiftedStudents.pdf)

• Allow gifted children to create and publish a class newspaper to distribute as well as allow them to explore ways of connecting unrelated issues in creative ways. (http://www.education.udel.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/GiftedStudents.pdf)

• In his work titled “Teaching for Creativity,” E. Paul Torrance records nine ways of teaching children to think creatively based on his research. The following is taken from his list:• Implementing media and reading programs such as Reading 360 or Junior

Great Books which focuses on shared inquiry-Socratic seminar style of learning and engagement

• Use the creative arts as vehicles for teaching and practicing creative thinking (http://cpsb.com/resources/downloads/public/TeachingforCreaTorrance.pdf)

Strategies for Unlocking Creativity in Gifted Students:

(http://prezi.com/x10f4t-j7ppt/unlocking-creativity-in-gifted-and-talented-learners/)

• Promoting Intrinsic Motivation to Students (Henssey)• Integrating the arts into academic curriculum (e.g. Hetland,

2000; Seeley, 1994; Walders, 2002; and Willet, 1992)The following strategies come from Milhaly Csikszentmihalyi’s

FLOW model from McGuiness, M. 2009 video:• Encourage concentration• Immersion• Risk-taking• Making a contribution• Providing a challenge

Resources to utilize:• Junior Great Books series for implementing shared

inquiry

• Think It series

• Make It Real: Strategies for Success with Informational Text