It IS Possible to Teach Creativity
and Service-Learning to Gifted
Students and Still Address the
Curriculum Standards
NAGC 2007
Bonnie Cramond, Torrance Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA
Marianne Solomon, Future Problem Solving Program International, Melbourne, FL
Jann Bohnenberger, The ABLE Program, Knoxville, TN
Alice W. Terry, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA
“The genius of the future will be
the creative mind adapting itself
to the shape of things to come.”
E. Paul Torrance
Creativity, (1991)
The Future Problem Solving Program
engages students in learning as it helps students
enlarge, enrich, and make more accurate
their images of the future...
 FPS equips today’s young people with the
vision and skills needed to anticipate,
understand, and solve the problems of
tomorrow.
 FPSP is interdisciplinary and its components
meet the creative thinking, creative writing,
leadership skills, and academic aptitude
needs of gifted students.
Through FPS, students…
 Develop creative thinking
 Increase awareness of and interest in the future
 Learn and employ problem-solving strategies
 Develop, utilize and improve research techniques
 Exercise critical and analytical thought
 Improve oral and written communication
 Develop teamwork skills
 Engage in real-life problem solving
The FPS six-step model for building
dynamic, creative thinking
1) Identify Challenges
2) Select an Underlying Problem
3) Produce Solution Ideas
4) Generate and Select Criteria to
Evaluate Solution Ideas
5) Evaluate Solution Ideas
6) Develop an Action Plan
Creative Problem Solving—
Version 6.1™
GENERATING
IDEAS
Generating
Ideas
UNDERSTANDING
THE CHALLENGE
Constructing
Opportunities
Exploring
Data
Framing
Problems
PREPARING
FOR ACTION
Designing
Process
Appraising
Tasks
Building
Acceptance
Developing
Solutions
PLANNING
YOUR APPROACH
© 2003. Center for Creative Learning, Inc.
and Creative Problem Solving Group, Inc.
Long before it was called
“service-learning”…
E. Paul Torrance merged creative problem
solving with social action in 1983 His vision became known as
the Community Problem
Solving Program (CmPS),
an academic competition
where students were
encouraged to take
hands-on action to solve
real problems in their
community.
Community Problem Solving (CmPS)
Team and Individual CmPS - Three divisions:
Junior – grades 4-6
Middle – grades 7-9
Senior – grades 10-12
 Students identify and solve real community problems
 Participants select a focus area for CmPS projects from:
environmental concerns, human services, education,
civic/cultural issues, or health concerns
 Projects receive guidance, evaluation, and feedback
 Students become agents of change for the future by
addressing current world issues
STANDARDS
This course integrates the Sunshine State
Standards and Goal 3 Student Performance
Standards of the Florida System of School
Improvement and Accountability as appropriate
to the individual student and to the content and
processes of the subject matter.
(Flagler Palm Coast H.S.)
STANDARDS
Learning Goal 5
Students shall develop their abilities
to think and solve problems in
school situations and in a variety of
situations they will encounter in life.
STANDARDS - Sub-goals
5.1 Students use critical thinking skills such as
analyzing, prioritizing, categorizing, evaluating, and
comparing to solve a variety of problems in real-life
situations.
5.2 Students use creative thinking skills to
develop or invent novel, constructive ideas or
products.
5.3 Students organize information to develop or
change their understanding of a concept
5.4 Students use a decision-making process to
make informed decisions among options.
5.5 Students use problem-solving processes to
develop solutions to relatively complex problems.
Monica Hill, former CmPS student:
“CmPS has opened a window to my imagination
and closed the window of limitations.
Community Problem Solving has taught me
that one voice can make a difference, and CmPS
has given me the strength and courage to
understand that a community is always
in need of a helping hand.”
“Service-Learning resurrects
idealism, compassion, and
altruism….
we cannot survive as a nation
unless we hold onto these
qualities and teach them
to our children.”
Madeline Kunin, former deputy secretary
U.S. Department of Education
The Power of Service-Learning for American Schools, 2002
According to Renzulli, gifted
education should provide
students with opportunities
for self-fulfillment
Schools should encourage
our most able students to:
 increase their creative
productivity
use their gifts in socially
constructive ways
seek ways to improve the
lives of others
What is Service-Learning?
…an innovative teaching methodology
which integrates community service
with academics to enrich learning,
teach civic responsibility and
strengthen communities.
National Commission on Service-Learning, 2002
57% of 15-25
year olds are
completely disengaged
from civic life.
Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning
and Engagement (CIRCLE)
K-12 Developmental Service-Learning Typology
…address the differences in service-learning activities based on
the level of learning and service
Interaction between the youth and the community goes one way—from
the school to the community. Community-Service involves a high
degree of service with a lesser degree of learning.
Interaction between the school and the community can go in either direction—the
youth go out into the community or elements of the community can come to the
school. Community-Exploration does not necessarily involve direct service to the
community although it may involve a high degree of learning.
Interaction between the school and the community flows in both directions
producing greater impact in the community and a higher level of empowerment in
the youth. Community-Action involves the highest degree of service, which can
have far-reaching outcomes in the community and the highest degree of learning.
The RIPPLES Gang
Beginning restoration
work on a dilapidated
building in their
declining downtown
The same building
as a thriving store.
Students take positive hands-on action
that improves the lives of others
Students engage in advocacy designed to impact
decision-making concerning public issues
Students support an existing, established effort
(i.e.,Cancer Society, Meals-on-Wheels, etc.)
Cognitive Apprenticeship Model
(Brown, Collins, & Duguid, 1989)
Four elements that lead to learning:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Scaffolding
Modeling
Coaching
Fading
Teacher’s role: facilitator
Cooperative Learning Strategies
Cooperative Groups and Jobs
Project Facilitators - elected
Press Secretaries
Digital Coordinators
Photographers
File Clerks
Journalists
Scrapbook Coordinators
Creative Problem Solving Process
(Osborn, 1963; Parnes, 1967)
 Identify problems & challenges
 Stating the most important
problem/challenge
 Produce alternative solutions
 Evaluate alternative solutions
 Plan to put solutions into use
(Torrance, 1995)
Create &
Implement
Action Plan
Generate Ideas
and Evaluate the
Action Ideas
Brainstorm Challenges
and Select an
Underlying Challenge
Conduct Research on the
Possibilities and Identify
The Area of Concern
Brainstorm and Determine the
Primary Concerns in the Community
Things that grow…
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (LZW) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Guidelines for Brainstorming
Using a Jot Board…
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Social Studies Civics (9-12)
 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the
organization and powers of state and local
government described in the Georgia
Constitution.
a. Examine the legislative, executive, and judicial
branches.
b. Examine the structure of local governments with
emphasis on county, city, and town.
c. Identify current state and local officials.
d. Analyze the relationship among state and local
governments.
e. Evaluate democracy by the initiative, referendum, and
processes.
Identify the Challenges
1. Brainstorm possible problems/
challenges on your Jot Board
2. Next, narrow the brainstormed
challenge ideas to two or three by
circling them on the Jot Board
Problem Area 1
Problem Area 2
Problem Area 3
Transparency #3: Problem Bubbles
State the
Underlying Challenge
In what ways might we…(state what you
want to accomplish)…so that…(state the
purpose of solving the problem)?
Generate Action Ideas
1. Brainstorm possible ideas for
action (solution ideas) on your
Jot Board
2. Next, narrow the brainstormed
action ideas to five or six by circling
them on the Jot Board
Assess the Action Ideas
1. Weigh your top 5-6 ideas by evaluating
them using a Criteria Grid.
2. Determine the most promising ideas by
general consensus of the team.
3. Use the Bean Method (give each
student 15-20 lima beans to spend on
the various ideas—the action ideas
with the highest total number of beans
after everyone has voted, should be
considered for the Plan of Action).
Create and Implement
the Plan of Action
(The Plan of Action is the method developed by the team that
they feel will best overcome the Underlying Challenge.)
1.
Look at the Action Ideas that were the
highest scoring on the Criteria Grid—think
about which ones will fit well together to
create an effective Plan of Action.
2.
If you did not use a formal grid, combine
together those circled ideas that the team
selected as the most promising and would
work well together.
3.
Determine Who, What, How, Where, and
When and implement the plan.
Give the students
choice & voice
Choice & Voice
Let students:
Select the service-learning idea
Conduct research around their interests
Get in groups based on different
intelligences and interests, i.e,
Media
Facilitators
Public Relations
Art
Technology
Communications
Job Selection Form:
 ____ Facilitator Action Group
 ____ Media Action Group
(includes job of Press Secretary)
 ____ Public Relations Action Group
 ____ Documentation Action Group
(includes jobs of Digital Coordinator, Journalist, File Clerk, and
Scrapbook Coordinator)
 ____ Correspondence Action Group
Use Choice & Voice to foster
Cooperative Learning
A group identity and team unity is often
established by giving the service-learning
students the opportunity to choose an
acronym, a name, for the group and/or
the project.
Examples: RIPPLES Gang, SWaMP
Kids, STAAR TREK Crew
Science Standard:
Students will understand important features
of the process of scientific inquiry.
Students will apply the following to
inquiry learning practices:
 a.
Scientific investigations may take many different
forms, including observing what things are like or
what is happening somewhere, collecting specimens for
analysis, and doing experiments.
 b. Clear and active communication is an essential part
of doing science.
 c. Scientists use technology to increase their power to
observe things and to measure and compare things
accurately.
 d. Science involves many different kinds of work and
engages men and women of all ages and backgrounds.
Reflection gives students the opportunity to
organize, compare, classify, evaluate,
summarize, analyze and experience.
It can help deepen their understanding of
events and give meaning to and make sense of
experiences.
Reflection on service-learning experiences
can help teach students the skill of gaining
and applying lessons from experience.
This ability will help them throughout
the rest of their lives.
Analysis Level corresponds to
Community-Exploration:
 Reflections fairly are
comprehensive with some
awareness of the subtle shades
of meaning without necessarily
considering the broader situation
Level 2
 Students display a capacity to
understand and interpret
evidence.
Synthesis Level corresponds to
Community-Action:
 Students look at things from a
variety of viewpoints and are
able to put into context
perceived differences within
the situation
Level 3
 Students understand that
actions vary by the situation
and are capable of recognizing
the many issues that affect
their decision-making
Using Choice and Voice in Reflection
Giving students a voice in how
they relate their reflections can
lead to higher levels of reflection.
Offer opportunities such as:
Journaling
Writing poetry
Singing a song they wrote
Role-playing
Creating a slide show
Celebration and
Demonstration...
Multiple methods designed to
acknowledge, recognize and
validate student’s service work.
(Toole, Conrad & Nelson, 1998)
3 R’s of Celebration:
Recognition, Respect, and Reward
(Bohnenberger & Terry, 2002)
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