Enhancing creativity for gifted and talented students: A visual arts classroom perspective

Abstract

The popular notion of creativity in schools is that of the creative art student or the creative writer, yet creativity can be utilised as a particular way of thinking with regards to producing information and learning at school which can be applicable across curriculum areas. Many traits and characteristics of gifted students overlap those of creative students as identified in the literature. This paper includes examples of techniques teachers can employ in developing creativity within their classroom, with a particular focus on visual arts using The Dynamic Creativity Process Model. This model is designed to be used across the curriculum as a holistic approach to enhancing creative and the artistic potential of gifted students. The model supports student learning using divergent and convergent thinking and encourages higher-order thinking, integration, intuition and evaluation.