Learning

Guide

Supporting Student Development of Competencies:

Innovate
This learning guide shares several strategies and ideas related to
supporting student development of the competency Innovate.
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 Innovate and

Alberta Educations competency indicators for
Innovate.

Learner Profile: Successful development of the Innovate competency results in a learner who is resourceful,
optimistic, curious and open to new and diverse ideas or concepts. This learner is able to identify situations or
challenges that could benefit from innovation. He/she is motivated to engage in creative processes and views
mistakes as opportunities to learn.

Key Strategies/Ideas:
Create a culture where class discussions/learning
opportunities reflect the language of innovation; e.g.,
What if we tried? Value curiosity, wonder and risktaking; honour diversity of ideas, thoughts and actions;
provide choice; approach ideas from new perspectives and
foster rich opportunities to question and test ideas.
Generating questions is an important habit to develop for
lifelong learning, curiosity and innovation. Instead of asking
students if they have any questions, assume they do and
say: Talk to an elbow partner for a minute and write down
two questions. Call on pairs to read their questions.
Facilitate the effective use of brainstorming (a strategy used
to remove/reduce inhibitions) to encourage students to
think more freely and move into new areas of thought to
create numerous new ideas and solutions.
Encourage creative thinking and innovation by providing
tools for tinkering or solving authentic problems. Stock a
"maker" station with everything from Lego to kits with
wires, switches and batteries, to a sewing machine. Add a
collection of craft magazines or Popular Mechanics to spark
ideas. Organize a robotics day. Host an Inventors Fair.
Create an app or use coding to build a game or activity.
Build resiliency to support a students ability to create
without fear and stay connected with their interests.
Encourage fluency (creating many ideas), flexibility
(modifying those ideas) and the ability to connect unrelated
ideas in interesting ways.
Highlight stories of innovation; e.g., invention of sticky
notes, origin of ketchup, etc.

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:

Creating a culture of innovation may require a pedagogical

shift. What are the opportunities, successes and challenges
related to this shift? How might you champion that shift in
your classroom/school?
How will you help parents/the community understand the
shift in pedagogy?
How might you engage parents/the community in the
creation of maker stations?
What strategies have you used to build resiliency, fluency
and flexibility in your students, your colleagues and
yourself? What does student feedback related these skills
look like/sound like/feel like?
What other strategies have you used to support student
development of the competency Innovate?

For more information:

10 ways to Improve Student Brainstorming, John Spencer, The
Creative Classroom
The EPL Makerspace What Will You Make? Edmonton Public
Library
Sparking Student Creativity: Practical Ways to Promote Innovative
Thinking and Problem Solving, ASCD
Famous Failures, Motivating Success, YouTube
How To Have Better Creative Thinking, www.VideoJug.com,
YouTube
27 Ways to Help Your Students Be Innovative, Mia
MacMeekin, An Ethical Island