SEM and Creativity?

Renzulli's Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM) is a great way to encourage a development of creativity—something that, in my opinion, is vital to the learning process. Without an emphasis on creativity, students learn to accept that there is a right or wrong answer to every question. There is no "grey area" or "wiggle room" for them to take risks and push themselves to deeply understand a subject. As teachers, more specifically teachers of gifted students, we need to ensure that this spark of creativity isn't lost to the inherent need for perfection or the boredom that some students experience. That is where the Schoolwide Enrichment Model comes in.

This model is considered "schoolwide" because it is intended to serve all students and requires teachers to take advantage of the resources that are around them. SEM was designed to be used in conjunction with the Enrichment Triad Model, a three tiered system of enrichment activities that gradually increase in rigor and demand independent exploration (Davis, Rim and Siegle, 2011, pg. 176).

The first tier, Type I Enrichment activities, are general exploratory experiences. These are in place so that students have an opportunity to explore and expose themselves to topics that are unfamiliar to them and not covered in the general curriculum. (Davis, Rimm, and Siegle, 2011, pg. 176). In an effort to stimulate new interests, the teacher would give students the opportunity to interact with the topic through "demonstrations, guest speakers, performances, DVDs, Internet sites, and slide presentations" (Davis, Rimm, and Siegle, 2011, pg. 176). 

The second tier, Type II Enrichment activities, take the exploratory work that has already been completed and encourage students to develop the skills the will need to complete a Type III Enrichment activity. These are essentially "group training activities" that provide students with the tools to work both academically and socially (Davis, Rimm, and Siegle, 2011, pg. 176). Renzulli recommends that Type II activities specifically develop these skills: 

1. Cognitive Training 
• Creativity skills 
• Creative problem-solving and decision-making skills
• Critical and logical thinking skills 
2. Affective Training 
• Intrapersonal skills 
• Interpersonal skills 
• Dealing with critical life incidents
3. Learning-How-to-Learn Training 
• Listening, observing, and perceiving skills 
• Note-taking and outlining skills 
• Interviewing and surveying skills 
• Data analyzing and organizing skills 
4. Using Advanced Research Skills and Reference Materials 
• Preparing for Type III investigations 
• Library skills 
• Using community resources 
5. Developing Written, Oral, and Visual Communication Skills 
• Written communication skills 
• Oral communication skills 
• Visual communication skills (Renzulli, 1994). 

Although many of these activities can be found in Gifted Programs, this one specifically emphasizes the importance of developing creativity skills, teaching students to think, problem-solve, and make decisions creatively. 

These skills are developed in order to ensure success on the third tier, Type III Enrichment activities. These are activities selected by the student, based on their interests. The element of choice is important here, giving students an opportunity to choose something that motivates them to learn and produce a creatively executed project. This motivation is essential to developing creativity, as it is essential for students to enjoy a topic in order for them to feel any sense of urgency about it (Sternberg, 2006). Once students are given the independence to explore something that they find interesting, it is inevitable for their creativity to show in their final product. 

The Type III projects are intended for students to accomplish four things: 

1. "Apply knowledge, motivation, and creativity to a self-selected problem or area of study; 
2. Aquire advanced understanding of the content and methodology in a particular area; 
3. Develop skills or self-directed learning (planning, organizing, using resources, managing time, making decisions, and evaluating one's performance); and 
4. Develop self-confidence, task commitment, and feelings of accomplishment" (Davis, Rimm, Siegle, 2011, pg. 178). 

Throughout the entire SEM process, students are encouraged to think independently and work towards an independent goal. The teacher's role during these activities is minimal, giving students the resources and opportunities to explore on their own, make decisions independently, and create something new—one of the highest level of thinking on Bloom's Taxonomy. 

Ultimately, the SEM is a model that gives students the tools to initiate their own exploration of a range of topics, areas of interest, and fields of study. By training students to apply the knowledge they've gained to real-life problems, students begin to understand the application of what they're learning and what it could mean for them after school ends (Reis & Renzulli, 1994). By giving students a way to express themselves and their interests, creativity is bound to develop and students are inevitably going to learn that a test cannot measure their creative nature. 

References

Davis, G., Rimm, S., & Siegle, D. (1985). Education of the Gifted and Talented (Sixth ed., p. 47). Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall.

Renzulli, J. and Reis, S. (1994). Research related to the Schoolwide Enrichment Triad Model. Gifted Child Quarterly, 38(1), 7 – 20. Accessed from http://www.gifted.uconn.edu/sem/semtriad.html

Renzulli, J. (2013). The Achievement Gap and the Education Consiracy Against Low Income Children. International Journal for Talent Development and Creativity. June. Accessed fromhttp://www.gifted.uconn.edu/sem/pdf/Conspiracy_Paper.pdf

Sternberg, R.J. (2006). “The Nature of Creativity”. Creativity Research Journal, 18:1, 87-98