1.4: Innovative Designer

Students use a variety of technologies within a design process to identify and solve problems by creating new, useful or imaginative solutions.

a. Students know and use a deliberate design process for generating ideas, testing theories, creating innovative artifacts or solving authentic problems.
b. Students select and use digital tools to plan and manage a design process that considers design constraints and calculated risks.
c. Students develop, test and refine prototypes as part of a cyclical design process.
d. Students exhibit a tolerance for ambiguity, perseverance and the capacity to work with open-ended problems.

The Innovative Designer standard looks primarily at identifying and solving problems through the design process, digital tools, prototypes, and tolerance of open-minded problems. Having had the opportunity to teach at a STEM Academy, I felt that I had a moderate grasp on how to help students with identifying and solving problems. We worked through the Engineering Design Process frequently in my classroom, and focused on inquiry based learning.

While these skills and methods were helpful for indicator A and D, it did not necessarily focus on indicator B or C. I came to learn about “Makerspace” and the amazing ways it can help students to focus on all 4 aspects of this standard. This brought me to my Innovative Designer inquiry question: How can we encourage innovation in our students? Read about what I found in my post, Innovative Designing Through Makerspace.