Assigned drawings of 217 children (ages 4, 6, 8, and 10) were evaluated for both developmental and ability-related differences. Age-related trends were found in the ability to render perspective with talented children making flexible and elaborate use of perspectival abilities. Artistic abilities other than perspective appeared to be less…

Comparison of 107 kindergarten children who either were or were not in a gifted program and received or did not receive special training in synectics (a strategy to facilitate creative thinking) found significant improvement in creativity scores for experimental but not control groups but not more for gifted than for nongifted children. (Author/DB)

An elementary music education program designed to encourage creativity and cooperative learning was evaluated over a year with 42 experimental and 61 control fourth-grade students. Results indicated that the elementary music teachers involved were able to adapt cooperative-learning models which influenced students' creativity and attitudes toward…

This article suggests that acceleration and enrichment programing for gifted and talented students have differing approaches to problem solving (well-structured problems in acceleration and ill-structured problems in enrichment). To prevent learning mutually exclusive problem-solving strategies, an integrated approach is advocated. (DB)

The relationship between emotional maturity and the developing self in the gifted individual is examined. Emotional maturity is seen to involve the integration of intrapersonal and interpersonal aspects of the personality. The developing self is thought to be more than the sum of its components and becomes a global factor in the development of a…

Discusses the role of Montessori education in developing lifelong skills for creativity. Considers self-expression the key to recovering human authenticity and spirit. Urges teachers and parents to develop this inner self in themselves and their children as a barrier against contemporary materialism, hurried life, and alienation caused by…

Addresses continuous developmental education, focusing on the theoretical foundations of continuity between the preschool and primary school stages. Describes the Russian "Program of Cultural Development of Four-Year-Old and Five-Year-Old Children" that is an approach to designing developmental preschool education. Discusses the…

Adventure consultation for businesses has the power and the tools to foster creative genius and grow corporate soul, to counteract the gravitational pull of corporate normalcy, referred to as the "corporate hairball." As the adventure consultant industry grows, it must beware of choking on its own hairballs. Five warning signs of…

This article discusses the characteristics of creatively gifted children and the challenges of being creative. Ideas for fostering creativity are provided and include advocating for programs for creatively gifted children, recognizing the giftedness in creative students, differentiating instruction, and encouraging and supporting imaginative…

This article provides 20 principles to enable educators to identify meaningful creative activities for gifted students and avoid the superfluous "whistles". Activities should: value creative thinking, make children more sensitive to environmental stimuli, encourage manipulation of objects and ideas, develop tolerance for new ideas, and teach how…

This article proposes an approach to teaching and learning in the university arts sector that is able to accommodate and assess creative process alongside practice. In arguing thus, romanticized notions of "the spontaneous artist" are exposed to scrutiny, and the creative process itself is made subject to analysis. Notwithstanding its focus on the…

The Media Lab of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is featured. The 21-year-old center is an ongoing experiment in how electronics can shape the future, and it helped pioneer digital videography and computer multimedia capabilities, among other innovations. So it's no surprise that it is home to Lifelong Kindergarten, a high-tech…

Schools are searching for more effective strategies that will enable all students to thrive and succeed. Evidence indicates that the fine arts can provide a unique avenue for reaching challenging students with principles of brain-based learning. This article describes HEARTS, an after-school fine arts program which taps and develops the talents of…

A practicum was designed to help high school students become more creative by encouraging them to be audacious, divergent thinkers capable of entertaining several contradictory ideas simultaneously. Tolerating paradox and ambiguity are vital components in developing creativity. These goals were achieved by developing a nurturing, caring, accepting…

The focus of this program was to explore a young Native American's artistic growth and expressiveness to gain insight into how the contemporary lifestyle of this individual was affected by traditional upbringing and values. The study examined a young Navajo woman's way of life in an attempt to discover what influences affected her ability to…