Creativity across the life-span: A systems view Csikszentmihalyi, M. Talent Development III, pp. 9-18 Gifted Psychology Press 1995 This article by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi looks at three major issues related to creativity over a lifespan. They are: what can be learned about creativity; a model of optimal aging; and how to work with creative children. The author based this work on six years of interviews with scores of older adults who are still actively creative. I am going to talk about a set of studies on creativity which focuses on adults and which will result in a book scheduled to appear next year (Csikszentmihalyi, 1996). Most of you are interested in creativity in children, and of course that makes sense, because that's where the long process of creative development begins. In this paper, I want to bring up three major issues, which are among the topics of our study. The third issue is to use what we have learned about creativity in later life as a model for how to deal with creative children.
Digital Differentiation Technology is a tool that can be used to help teachers facilitate learning experiences that address the diverse learning needs of all students and help them develop 21st Century Skills. At it's most basic level, digital tools can be used to help students find, understand and use information. When combined with student-driven learning experiences fueled by Essential Questions offering flexible learning paths, it can be the ticket to success. Here is a closer look at three components of effectively using technology as a tool for digital differentiation. Note: The interactive graphics you see below have been updated. They can be found in a newer post on this blog. The goal is to design student-driven learning experiences that are fueled by standards-based Essential Questions and facilitated by digital tools to provide students with flexible learning paths. Essential Questions: Student-driven learning experiences should be driven by standards-based Essential Questions.
Teaching critical thinking Benjamin Bloom (1956) created this taxonomy or classification system for categorizing "competencies" in educational settings, as defined by skills demonstrated by learner type or intelligence. This breakdown provides a useful, incremental framework of complexity in demonstrating mastery of a subject or topic. The verbs include the skills that demonstrate each: Knowledge:To know something means to be able to remember or recall facts or bits of information, though one can "know" something without understanding it or being able to put it into a higher context. This process is illustrated by recall of sequences and lists, of events and dates; landmarks on a route; pictures and their graphic details; songs and lyrics; titles and names; even memorized definitions and explanations. Verbs include: choose, define, describe, enumerate, identify, label, list, locate, match, memorize, name, quote, recall, recite, recognize, reproduce, select, show, state Curricular guides and resources:
Intellectual Giftedness Intellectual giftedness, often referred to as high IQ, is usually given short shrift when it comes to considerations of the special needs of exceptional people. Because giftedness appears on the surface to be nothing but an advantage, the challenges it presents are often ignored and unknown. Giftedness is not about being better, it's about being *different*. A gifted person's life experience is significantly different from the norm. Along with it's blessings, it brings it's own set of challenges. Feelings of extreme isolation are fairly common, while introversion and emotional intensity conspire to keep others at bay. I'm of the opinion that, despite our desire for simple quantification of intelligence, noting characteristics of giftedness is perhaps a more useful, or at least complementary, method of detecting the intelligent. Almost all those characteristics, while pretty general, are present in every really smart person I know.
NRC/GT—Spring '98 Newsletter-Underachieving Gifted Students: A Mother's Perspective Pamela Hunter-Braden Boise State University Boise, ID I teach preschool. I have done so for long enough to watch a number of my students reach high school. I also parent. All studies comparing the characteristics of the achiever with those of the underachiever indicate that negative self-concepts are the central trait distinguishing underachievers from those who are achieving commensurate with their ability. Coil (1992) believes that "while signs of underachievement often begin by third or fourth grade, middle school or junior high usually marks the highest point of consistent underachievement" (p. 2). . . . come to realize that underachievers want school to be different. The first problem to overcome is the cycle of blame which begins when a child fails. References Clark, B. (1997). Coil, C. (1992). Heacox, D. (1991). Karnes, M. McCall, R. Raph, J., Goldberg, M., & Passow, A. Whitmore, J. (1980).
Myths About Giftedness ~ by Mary Rocamora, M.A. ~ There are many myths about the gifted that are held in the mainstream culture. The gifted can make it by themselves — they don’t need any extra attention, either as children or as adults. Actually, gifted children and adults need more mirroring and mentoring than most people because there is more inside that is yearning to be lived. Even if you have extraordinary talents, keep your light under a bushel. One should never feel too good about one’s abilities or show them off except when invited or alone. You can be gifted on your own time. After you have done everything you “should” do, you will finally be free to do something meaningful or creative. In the awareness work we offer, the gifted are moved irrevocably away from the obligatory demands of family, friends, being a “good person,” and even our ideas about survival. You can’t earn a living being who you are. If you get too big, you’ll die. The path to realization for the gifted is littered with land mines.
Ten Takeaway Tips for Teaching Critical Thinking Suggestions from educators at KIPP King Collegiate High School on how to help develop and assess critical-thinking skills in your students. Ideally, teaching kids how to think critically becomes an integral part of your approach, no matter what subject you teach. But if you're just getting started, here are some concrete ways you can begin leveraging your students' critical-thinking skills in the classroom and beyond. 1. Questioning is at the heart of critical thinking, so you want to create an environment where intellectual curiosity is fostered and questions are encouraged. In the beginning stages, you may be doing most of the asking to show your students the types of questions that will lead to higher-level thinking and understanding. 2. Pose a provocative question to build an argument around and help your students break it down. 3. 4. "It all comes back to modeling," says Kellan McNulty, who teaches AP world history and AP U.S. history at KIPP King Collegiate. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Radical thinking Are you looking for new ideas? Has your path reached a dead-end?Are your options limited, or just invisible? Often the way we experience the world is built on and bordered by our experiences! When we find ourselves in a situation, we form solutions with “shortcuts” based upon patterns we have “learned” in our lives. Most of the time, these shortcuts serve us well by providing answers based upon how we have solved problems in our past. However, these rules also can lock us into stereotypes, pre-conceived ideas, and uncritical analysis. Perhaps radical thinking may help you generate new ideas? First, briefly summarize your situation or challenge. Situation example 1: My elderly grandmother can’t get to the phone in emergencies. Situation example 2: I talk too much Opposite mode: I will be silent. Situation example 3: I am disorganized. Thinking and recall series
IQ Basics Graph drawn in Excel using the NORMDIST function. What is intelligence? The definition I like is that intelligence is "the ability to learn or understand or to deal with new or trying situations ... also : the skilled use of reason" (7). I.Q. = Intelligence Quotient Originally, "IQ" tests were created to be able to identify children who might need special education (1). To relate the mental development of a child to the child's chronological age the IQ was invented. Thus the deviation IQ replaced the ratio IQ. What is a standard deviation (SD)? With the standard deviation and a mean, you can calculate percentiles. High IQ societies ask for certain percentile scores on IQ tests for you to be eligible to join them. There have been various classification systems for IQ. Terman's classification was (6): (Terman wrote the Stanford-Binet test (1), which has a SD of 16.) These are now obsolete. References (1) Berk, L.E. (1997). (2) Eysenck, H. (1994). (3) Iman, R.L. (1994). (5) Reber, A.S. (1995).
Parenting Guide Gifted Children Ireland Halo Effect The idea that global evaluations about a person bleed over into judgements about their specific traits. The ‘halo effect’ is a classic finding in social psychology. It is the idea that global evaluations about a person (e.g. she is likeable) bleed over into judgements about their specific traits (e.g. she is intelligent). Hollywood stars demonstrate the halo effect perfectly. Because they are often attractive and likeable we naturally assume they are also intelligent, friendly, display good judgement and so on. That is, until we come across (sometimes plentiful) evidence to the contrary. In the same way politicians use the ‘halo effect’ to their advantage by trying to appear warm and friendly, while saying little of any substance. But you would think we could pick up these sorts of mistaken judgements by simply introspecting and, in a manner of speaking, retrace our thought processes back to the original mistake. Likeability of lecturers Unconscious judgements Image credit: ericcastro
Teaching the Gifted and Talented: 33 Websites Where You Can Find Good Resources I wish the Internet was available to me as a kid in elementary school. In New York City, where I attended kindergarten through sixth grade, they called the gifted and talented class "SP". I remember being put into a class to learn French, but very little else. SITES 26 Livebinders for Gifted Teachers- by Teach a Gifted Kid bloggerADHD and Children Who Are Gifted Byrdseed Gifted Classroom Ideas- blog followed by 4,000 peopleCharacters of Intellectually Advanced Young PeopleThe Center for Gifted Studies- The Center for Talented Youth- for pre-collegiate students; through Johns Hopkins UniversityCommon Myths About Gifted Students Council for Exceptional ChildrenCrossover Children: LD and Gifted Gifted But Learning Disabled: A Puzzling Paradox Gifted Exchange-"blog about gifted children, schooling, parenting, education news and changing American education for the better."