Season 2, Episode 10

Discussing Excellence Gaps and Creativity

“The more that students learn, the more information, the more ‘stuff’… that they have at their mental fingertips, the better off they will be as they try to be creative, especially as they move into their careers later in life.”

– Dr. Jonathan Plucker

Episode Transcription

Discussing Excellence Gaps and Creativity with Dr. Jonathan Plucker - Part 2

Can we truly close achievement and excellence gaps while fostering creativity in education, or are these goals in conflict?

Our last guest of the season features a double expresso with President of the National Association for Gifted and Talented, Dr. Jonathan Plucker.  In part one of this two-part interview, Jonathan shares his thoughts on problems with achievement gaps and excellence gaps in education. 

“I’m actually fully convinced that in the next 10-15 years, if we prioritize this, we can actually go a long way to solving this problem… and I could not have said that five or six years ago.”

– Dr. Jonathan Plucker

Listen in to gain insight into the connection between academic excellence and creativity later in life, and why there’s never a blank canvas to work with when being creative. Jonathan also shares his candid thoughts on creativity in imaginative play, as well as how we can diminish the harmful impact of poverty on children’s ability to develop imagination.

About the Guest

Jonathan Plucker is a prominent education policy and talent development scholar, and the inaugural Julian C. Stanley Professor of Talent Development at Johns Hopkins University. He holds a joint appointment at the Center for Talented Youth and School of Education.

His work focuses on education policy and talent development and has been supported by over $40 million in external grants and contracts. Jonathan has published over 300 articles, chapters, and reports. He recently became editor for the Psychological Perspectives on Contemporary Educational Issues series at IAP. His work defining and studying excellence gaps (http://cepa.uconn.edu/mindthegap) is part of a larger effort to reorient policymakers’ and educators’ thinking about how best to promote success and high achievement for all children.

Visit Jonathan’s website
Follow him on Twitter
Book & Publications by Dr. Jonathan Plucker

Episode Debrief

Collection Episodes

Going Beyond the Grade: Cultivating Creativity and Curiosity in Education

Going Beyond the Grade: Cultivating Creativity and Curiosity in Education

In this episode of the Fueling Creativity in Education podcast, hosts Matthew Worwood and Cyndi Burnett are joined by Santosh Zachariah, an educator with a rich background in STEM fields and a passion for fostering creativity in his students. Santosh shares insights from his journey from civil engineering and software development to teaching and educational technology coordination. He underscores the importance of intrinsic motivation and the power of removing grades to cultivate meaningful learning experiences. The conversation delves into the challenges and strategies of creating grade-free environments, emphasizing student reflection and metacognition as tools to fuel curiosity and creativity. Santosh offers practical examples from his experience at the Evergreen School, where intrinsic motivation is prioritized to help students explore their interests and develop skills rather than simply achieving grades.

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Podcast Sponsor

We are thrilled to partner with Curiosity 2 Create as our sponsor, a company that shares our commitment to fostering creativity in education. Curiosity 2 Create empowers educators through professional development and community support, helping them integrate interactive, creative thinking approaches into their classrooms. By moving beyond traditional lecture-based methods, they help teachers create dynamic learning environments that enhance student engagement, improve academic performance, and support teacher retention. With a focus on collaborative learning and exploration, Curiosity 2 Create is transforming classrooms into spaces where students thrive through continuous engagement and growth.

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