Learning

Guide

Supporting Student Development of Competencies:

Know How to Learn
This learning guide shares several strategies and ideas related to
supporting student development of the competency Know How
to Learn. Some of the strategies and ideas shared are ones you
may have already used with your students. The shift is to
become intentional about highlighting/discussing how these
tried and true strategies support the development of one or
more competencies.

This learning guide is designed for use by

professional learning communities, leaders,
learning coaches and teachers, or as a self-paced
study to explore practical strategies to support student
development of Albertas competencies across the
curriculum and in every classroom.

Use this Learning Guide after viewing

Know How to Learn and Alberta Educations
competency indicators related to Know How to
Learn.

Learner Profile: Successful development of the Know How to Learn competency results in a learner who is
resourceful and resilient and engages in ongoing reflective practices. This learner is confident, self-reliant and able to
recognize his/her strengths and areas for growth, and can apply many and varied strategies for deep learning. He/she
optimizes learning through inquiry, discovery, experimentation, and trial and error.

Key Strategies/Ideas:

Help students understand the difference between a fixed

mindset, that intelligence is a static trait (some are smart
and some are not), and a growth mindset, that intelligence
can be developed by various means (Dweck, 2006). Support
a growth mindset by encouraging students to take risks,
embrace challenges, set goals and develop persistence.
Help students become aware of multiple intelligence
(Howard Gardner, 1983). When students understand the
balance of their own multiple intelligence, they can begin
to:
o manage their own learning
o value their individual strengths and
o set goals for areas of challenge.
Encourage students to use graphic organizers, concept
maps, journals and/or interactive notebooks visual
displays that demonstrate the relationships among facts,
concepts or ideas and hold new thinking.
Engage students in self-reflection: How do I learn? What
did I learn? How well did I achieve my goal? What changes
did I have to make to meet my goal? What changes will I
make the next time I do this? Where else can I use these
strategies? Have I incorporated feedback I have received?
How do I know when I have mastered something?
Allow for social interaction to maximize learning.

Acknowledgement:
This Professional Learning Guide was developed by the Edmonton
Regional Learning Consortium and funded through a grant from
Alberta Education to support implementation. It is provided for free
in support of improved teaching and learning under the following
Creative Commons license.

Questions for Reflection and Discussion:

How might you make growth mindset part of everyday

teaching?
Reflect on the culture in your classroom:
o How do you create a culture where mistakes are
considered part of learning, and persistence is
embraced?
o How do you teach students to demonstrate empathy
and respect, and value diversity?
o How do you model those traits when working with your
colleagues?
Graphic organizers and protocols support the development of
the Know How to Learn competency. How might these
tools support the development of other competencies?
What strategies have you used to support student
development of the Know How to Learn competency?

For more information:

Embracing the F Word: Using failure to build resilience and
motivation at school, Reachout.com
Watch Whats Working: Carol Dweck Talks Growth Mindset,
Edutopia
Graphic Organizers, Alberta Education
Protocols Expeditionary Learning, NY State
How to Learn? From Mistakes TED Talk video
The Perils and Promise of Praise Carol Dweck, ASCD
The Provincial First Nations, Mtis, and Inuit Professional Learning
Project
Learner Preference Inventories:
http://education.alberta.ca/media/352661/build.pdf