This document provides an online module about creatively gifted students. It covers characteristics of creatively gifted students, how to identify them, and how to support them. It includes short scenarios to apply the concepts. There is a brief quiz at the end to assess learning. The module discusses thinking patterns, problem-solving skills, and risk-taking tendencies of creatively gifted students. It emphasizes adjusting teaching strategies to accommodate different forms of creativity.

1. Created By:
Maria Avery
February 2012

2.  This is an online module connected to the
research study Understanding Creatively Gifted
Students: Pre-Service Teachers’ Understandings
and Professors’ Practices.
 This module will cover characteristics of
creatively gifted students, identification of
creatively gifted students, and how to support
creatively gifted students.
 There will be a short scenario of a potential
student.
 A brief quiz will be given at the end of this
module in order for the participate to assess
their own learning.

3. Section 1:

4.  Remember: Not all students are alike. These
are just a few common characteristics of
creatively gifted students.
 Notall of the following characteristics will
be present in each child.
 Youmust observe each student with a new
view and understanding because of this.

5. Creatively gifted students . . .
 Think in different ways
 An example of this is thinking in terms of fantasy and
reality.
 Think about their work in more than one way
 This means that they are able to critique their own
work and defend it at the same time.
 Talented at solving problems with what is around
them
 If a student needs to fix a broken shelf they can find
a way to do so with the limited about of supplies in
the classroom.

6. Gifted students . . .
 Are very aware of events going on around them
 Enjoy observing their surroundings
 Can be perceived as inattentive
 They work better on their own schedule, when they
can focus and not be distracted by their surroundings.
 Are risk takers
 They like to push boundaries in order to create new
things.

7.  Being
boastful about accomplishments is
uncommon
 Thrive on encouragement
 If too many rewards are used with these types of
students they will become disinterested in
school.
 Motivatedto learn through own
accomplishments
 The knowledge that they can improve in an area
is what pushes them to learn more.

8. Section 2:

11. Section 3:

12.  Just
like all student types, creatively gifted
students should be offered appropriate
support in the classroom.
 We have already seen that the
characteristics can vary among creatively
gifted students, and so can the type of
creativity.
 Thisneeds to be noted so that all forms of
creativity can be supported, not just the
stereotypical forms of it.

13.  The ways in which students are trained, even
in elementary classrooms, to solve problems
directly relates to how they will solve them
in adulthood.
 Therefore,creatively gifted students must
prepare starting today to be the creative
problem solvers the world needs.
 American classrooms are not doing an
effective job on this.

14.  The “textbook” way of solving problems,
which American classrooms focus on, does
not leave room for discovering “new” ways
to solve the problems, look at situations, or
even find new problems.
 When creative assignments are assigned,
they are typically just extra activities and
often times they are not required.

15.  Most teaching strategies are effective to use
with these students. There may need to be
slight adjusts, such as the ones listed below.
 Teachers can use flexible rubrics.
 Rubric identifies the content to be covered
 Depth of information expected
 Other professional criteria (ex. neatness)
 Means of presenting the information is up to the
student!
 Teachers set the standards for classroom learning
 Students utilize creativity to demonstrate higher
order thinking skills

16. Student Scenario:

17.  Emma is a student in a 7th grade
classroom. Her teacher has noticed
that Emma is always concerned about
what is going on around her. Emma
likes to watch her classmates and
seems to have a hard time paying
attention during parts of the day.
The teacher has also noticed that
Emma develops creative solutions to
problems and does so by pushing
boundaries. When Emma finishes her
work she points out things that can
improved but can still point out
elements she is proud of. When
Emma sees that an academic area
can be improved, she is intrinsically
motivated to learn more. However,
her test scores do not qualify her for
AIG support.

18.  Would you identify Emma as a creatively
student? Why or why not?
 If you would identify her as a creatively
gifted student, how would you help her
succeed in English? Math? Social Studies?
Science?
 Would you do anything to help address the
fact that she seems inattentive in class?
What?
 Would you use this adjustments for all
students in your class or just Emma?

19. Please follow this link to take
the quiz associated with this
module.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?PREVIE
W_MODE=DO_NOT_USE_THIS_LINK_FOR_COL
LECTION&sm=JZmO88uCjdqHDtEMccGmc9lf
WgX%2f%2fCTE4PVE7hHL1lY%3d

20. Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1997). Creativity: Flow and
the psychology of discovery and invention. New
York, New York: Harper Perennial.
Davis, G. A. (2000). Creativity is forever (4th ed.).
Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt Publishers.
Hennessey, B.A. (2004). Developing creativity in
gifted children: the central importance of
motivation and classroom climate. The National
Research Center on the Gifted and Talented
(RM04202).
Smutny, J. F., & von Fremd, S. E. (2009). Igniting
creativity in gifted learners, k-6. Thousand
Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

21.  Imageof “Emma” retrieved from
http://realdealphotography.smugmug.com/M
odels/Andrena-Hilstock/RDP5810-
01web/127435429_EeoSV-L.jpg

22. As the researcher, I would just like to thank
you for taking part in this study. I hope you
have learned something through your
participation and that you will take this new
found knowledge with you into your
classrooms. Good luck to you all!
Best wishes,
Maria Avery