You can now register for our University of Connecticut's Renzulli Center for Creativity, Gifted Education, and Talent Development free webinars on topics related to gifted education.
September 20, 2025 (11 a.m. to 12 noon Eastern time)
The Creativity Choice: From Having Ideas to Making Them Happen
Zorana Ivcevic Pringle
The modern science of creativity was jumpstarted by the speech of J.P. Guilford who defined divergent thinking and discussed its relevance for creativity. Since, researchers have focused on divergent thinking and idea generation more than any other part of the creative process. In this talk, I will argue that we need to shift attention to the process of doing something with those ideas. I will address three groups of questions: (1) Why do people sometimes have ideas, but fail to act on them?; (2) What are the self-regulation processes that enable progress and persistence through the creative process?; and (3) What is the role of social processes in shaping creative performance and achievement? I will discuss the needs for future research and implications for educational practice.
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October 25, 2025 (11 a.m. to 12 noon Eastern time)
The Book is Not the Destination: Escalating Literacy for High Ability Learners with Literature
Susannah Richards
This webinar will feature strategies and approaches to support high ability learners to develop their expressive (speaking and writing) and receptive (listening and speaking) skills using recently published and classic texts. The goal is to move beyond the book report to ignite and cultivate lifelong literacy environments where students focus on thinking and building knowledge and ideas to understand the past, present, and future. Many diverse books including picture books, nonfiction, graphic novels, and novels for youth will be featured. Teaching approaches will include focusing on organizing literary discussions on big ideas, book graffiti, and how to expand student schema in all content areas.
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November 22, 2025 (11 a.m. to 12 noon Eastern time)
Generative AI and Creativity: Avoiding the Convenience Trap
Matt Worwood
Generative AI is a multi-purpose technology with numerous known and emerging applications in education. Already, it is being used as a writing tool, a reading aid, an assessment resource, and a chatbot that provides feedback and supports idea generation. As we continue to explore best practices for integrating this technology into the classroom, it is essential to prioritize our understanding of creativity in learning to mitigate the impact of the Convenience Trap—the risk of diminishing students’ engagement in divergent and convergent thinking. This presentation will examine two GenAI scenarios, analyzing their potential effects on the cognitive process and considering the long-term implications for mini-c and little-c creativity in education.
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January 10, 2026 (11 a.m. to 12 noon Eastern time)
Models and Frameworks for Differentiating Instruction and Developing Expertise and Talent
Tamra Stambaugh
How can we modify lessons that support students’ learning, talent development, and expertise? What does it mean to add depth, complexity, and abstractness as part of differentiated and advanced instruction? Frameworks and models are important tools teachers can use to create challenging learning opportunities, promote advanced thinking, and make thinking visible. Students can rely on models and frameworks to guide their own thinking and to engage in practices of the discipline. Add to your pedagogical toolkit and learn various models and frameworks that help students examine problems, relationships, and concepts in different disciplines and guide teacher questioning.
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