Theory and Development of Creativity is one of the five courses needed to complete the gifted endorsement. Participants will examine research on creativity with an emphasis on practical strategies and classroom applications. Participants will learn about creativity blocks and how to foster creativity within the classroom.

Duration: 8 weeks
Inservice: 60 points
Audience: Instructional K-12
Access to Students: No

Syllabus

Week 1: Creativity and Self-actualization
Week 2: Blocks and Barriers to Creativity
Week 3: Definitions and Theories of Creativity
Week 4: Creative Environment and the Creative Process
Week 5: Nurturing and Developing Creativity
Week 6: Programs and Strategies in a Gifted Classroom
Week 7: Assessing the Creative Process and Product
Week 8: The Creative Process and the Real World

Specific Objectives

Participants will:

• learn published definitions of creativity and formulate a personal definition of creativity and understand four important factors that contribute to creative productivity
• learn how to compare and contrast creativity with related topics including thinking skills, convergent and divergent thinking, problem-solving, decision-making and describe the relationship between creativity and at least three conceptions of giftedness or talent
• learn how to identify and explain several obstacles to creativity including both internal blocks and external barriers to creativity
• learn how to explain cognitive characteristics associated with creativity
• learn to describe and apply brainstorming and idea check-listing strategies to generate new ideas
• learn to implement methods and strategies that can serve to foster creativity in the gifted classroom
• learn to assess the creative process and product
• learn the importance, implication, and benefits of the creative process for gifted students in today’s schools, the world of work and society

Implementation

Evidence that course content has been transferred to daily instruction might include:

• increased student achievement in the classroom
• increased fostering of creativity in the classroom with enrichment activities
• increased differentiation of curriculum for gifted students
• increased thinking skills, convergent and divergent thinking, and problem solving skills in the classroom

Inservice

• complete all assignments
• participate each week in the Discussion Area
• score at least 80% or higher on post test

To receive the inservice points, all course requirements must be completed independently by the participant and not plagiarized from any other source or person.

Prerequisites

Participants must possess the following computer skills and software to participate in this course:

• an understanding of your computer’s operating system and software
• the ability to access the Internet and knowledge of Internet search techniques
• the ability to download and install files from the Internet
• an up-to-date antivirus software package