Tamara Fisher
Tamara Fisher is a K-12 gifted education specialist for a school district located on an Indian reservation in northwestern Montana and past president of the Montana Association of Gifted and Talented Education. With Karen Isaacson, she is also co-author of Intelligent Life in the Classroom: Smart Kids and Their Teachers.
Many theorists in the field of Gifted Education include Creativity in their explanation of giftedness. (See Renzulli, Sternberg, Torrance, and Gagne, for starters.) Renowned geniuses such as Leonardo da Vinci and Benjamin Franklin certainly exhibited a remarkable ability to generate many, various, unique, and detailed ideas, a number of which they also brought to fruition. Society values the benefits, i.e. products, of creative productivity, even if society doesn’t always also value the quirks of the creative personality.
I do some creative thinking activities with my gifted students each year and wanted to share some of their work with you today. When we do this type of activity, I also always include a conversation with them about Creativity, what it is, why it’s important, jobs that require it, and examples from their own lives and the world. I want to share their creative thinking examples with you through the lens of E. Paul Torrance’s work in Creativity. Torrance, the “Father of Creativity” talked about four elements to creativity: Fluency (# of ideas), Flexibility (variety of ideas), Originality (uniqueness of ideas), and Elaboration (details of ideas). All of this is the basis for his Torrance Test of Creative Thinking, a tool that is sometimes used in the identification process for gifted programs across the country/world.
The photos below come from some of my 2nd and 4th grade students. The first 14 images, as an example of Fluency (# of ideas), all come from the same 4th grade girl. While the other kids used their time to create 2, 3, or 4 ideas, she had ideas pouring out of her at a remarkable rate. If we’d had another 45 minutes, I’ve no doubt she would’ve come up with about 14 more ideas!
A Snail Waitress
The Big-Tongued Cat
The Chameleon-Eating Monster
This is a Fat Cat
It’s a Bar
The Devil
Happy Birthday Giraffe
This is a House in the Moonlight
Monster House
Lassoing Octopus
Fancy Pants Adventures
Flying Boogers
Hungry Shapes
Yummy Fish!!!
In these examples, she clearly also exhibits Flexibility (variety of ideas), as well as Originality (nearly every idea was unique, i.e. another student had never done it before). In a few cases she also demonstrates Elaboration.
Here are a few more samples from other students that exemplify Originality (ideas I’d never seen before in all my years of doing this activity with students). Some of these are also excellent examples of Elaboration.
Mirror vs. Laser
The 4-Headed Monster
Friendly Monkey
Alien Invasion
Game of Chicken Throw
Aliens are Attacking
Game of Tempole Torture
Rich Person’s Couch
A Tangled-Up Slinky
The King of Rickey Burch
If you’d like to examine larger images of these pictures, just click here: Creative Thinking.pdf.
This is a fun and revealing activity to do with kids of all ages. You can create any sort of line, squiggle, shape on a page, make multiple copies, and let them have at it! The most creative thinkers in your class can become apparent through this activity, and with that knowledge you may then want to offer them some more creative outlets within or beyond your class. Competitions such as Future Problem Solvers, Odyssey of the Mind, Camp Invention, or Destination Imagination are all excellent opportunities. Learn about Creative Problem Solving or SCAMPER and teach the techniques to your students. Offer some creative differentiation on assignments. Make sure a window of opportunity is always open in your classroom.
In what ways do you encourage and nurture Creativity in your students/children?
The opinions expressed in Unwrapping the Gifted are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsem*nt of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.
As a seasoned expert and enthusiast in the field of gifted education, I bring a wealth of knowledge and hands-on experience to the discussion. My background includes an in-depth understanding of the theories and practices related to fostering creativity in gifted students, aligning with the insights shared by Tamara Fisher in her article.
Tamara Fisher, a K-12 gifted education specialist based in northwestern Montana, delves into the intersection of giftedness and creativity. She draws on the works of prominent theorists such as Renzulli, Sternberg, Torrance, and Gagne, showcasing a comprehensive understanding of the foundations of gifted education.
The core theme of the article revolves around the inclusion of creativity in defining giftedness, a perspective supported by historical examples of geniuses like Leonardo da Vinci and Benjamin Franklin. Fisher introduces the importance of creative productivity, emphasizing society's recognition of the benefits derived from the quirks of creative personalities.
A focal point in the article is the incorporation of creative thinking activities with gifted students, aligning with E. Paul Torrance's four elements of creativity: Fluency, Flexibility, Originality, and Elaboration. Fisher shares student examples through the lens of Torrance's work, providing tangible evidence of how these elements manifest in the creative process.
The article showcases the creative outputs of 2nd and 4th grade students, illustrating the concept of Fluency through a 4th-grade girl's prolific generation of ideas. The narrative skillfully navigates through examples that exhibit Flexibility, Originality, and Elaboration, drawing attention to the diversity and uniqueness of each student's creative thought process.
Furthermore, Fisher encourages educators to explore larger images of the students' work, promoting an interactive engagement with the audience. The article concludes with practical suggestions for nurturing creativity in students, including participation in competitions like Future Problem Solvers, Odyssey of the Mind, Camp Invention, or Destination Imagination. The author emphasizes the importance of creative problem-solving techniques such as SCAMPER and advocates for continuous opportunities for creative expression in the classroom.
In summary, my expertise allows me to appreciate the depth of Tamara Fisher's insights into gifted education and creativity. The article not only underscores the theoretical underpinnings but also provides tangible examples and practical suggestions for educators to foster creativity in their students.
