ABSTRACT
Regardless of one’s view of the relative roles of aptitude, or nurture in the development of “innovators,” efforts to create educational programs to foster their development can be informed by the efforts of nearly 50 years of gifted education research. Indeed models or strategies for education for innovation can be derived from the study of successful gifted programs, particularly in the areas of creativity and giftedness in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). This chapter will first consider two different approaches to gifted education for and how they might be of interest as models for education for innovators. The first set of programs or interventions are those which target a relatively small portion of the population. These are particularly interesting when resources are limited. In this case the target is a subset of students, ideally those who might have the most potential or are thought to be the most likely to benefit from programs or interventions. For the purpose of this chapter this will be called the “Identification
and Facilitation” model of giftedness. This model includes specific programs and some more generic approaches such as STEM schools or summer programs. The second more inclusive model might be called “Systemic Reform” or “All Children Have Potential.” This model focuses on school system-wide educational reform efforts for all age/grade and administrative levels. This approach within the gifted child education movement, especially in the areas of creativity and curriculum differentiation, may be of interest to those who advocate systemic reform to foster a more innovative society. The chapter will conclude with a discussion of equity and access issues, particularly issues of gender, culture, and ethnicity, that have plagued the gifted education movement and is likely to find a parallel in the Education for Innovation arena.
