Friday, September 10, 2010

Authentic Learning

          Authentic learning is an effective way to promote the growth of children's reading and writing skills.  This method of instruction is engaging and meaningful for the learner, however, they still look to the teacher as the "expert model"  (Tompkins, 2010).  Authentic learning provides opportunities for children to construct their own knowledge and demonstrate their creativity and personal voices in a realistic setting.  Since new knowledge is linked to prior knowledge and assimilated into existing schemas (Tompkins, 2010), the context or situation in which learning takes place plays an important role in learning.
           A nationwide study determined that authentic pedagogy aided students in their ability to apply higher-order thinking, develop a deep understandings of subject matters, engage in meaningful conversations with teachers and peers, and draw connections between information learned in the classroom and the "world beyond the classroom" (Parkay & Stanford, 2007).  In Becoming a Teacher, Parkay and Stanford describe authentic learning tasks as enabling the learner to see how information they learn in the classroom can be extended beyond that realm.  Connecting new knowledge to the world in which one lives can be very stimulating.
           Motivation is a huge factor in one's success.  Authentic learning is inherently motivating, as it is most of the time, very engaging or hands-on, and closely relates to the learner's world.  It is the responsibility of teachers to find a way to make learning meaningful for their students.  This may involve getting to know the children on a personal level and designing interactive lessons that connect to their interests.  This action not only shows the students that the teacher is invested in their academic success, but it also allows the students to feel respected.  Ultimately, this mutual respect contributes toward developing an effective learning environment and healthy classroom community.


References
Tompkins, G.E. (2010). Literacy for the 21st century: A balanced approach (5th ed.). Boston, MA:
          Pearson Education, Inc.

Parkay, F.W. & Stanford, B.H. (2007). Becoming a teacher (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education,
          Inc.

1 comment:

  1. I could not possibly agree with you more on your points about the importance in motivating our students and, even more importantly, finding out what motivates them. I remember far too many lessons when I was in school that almost felt like they had just been recycled year after year, whether or not it fit the students in the class that year and I remember feeling really bored by that. I think that is something that many teachers don't think about at times. Children are smart and if we make no effort to reach out to them and relate to them, they'll notice that lack of effort and respond accordingly.

    Authentic learning sounds quite interesting and I really like how it strives to connect to the students in a way that is highly likely to stimulate their minds and help them to make important connections. I think that the hands-on part is particularly effective, especially with younger children who are still learning about the world around them, although it's important for the older students as well. In my own experience, the learning experiences that have often seemed to be the most effective and fun for the children were those where the children could "get their hands dirty," whether it was learning about bugs and going outside to see which ones that we could find or learning a bit about trucks and then being able to see one up close in real life. I just don't think that there is any real substitute for real life experiences.

    Anyway, this was interesting to read and I thank you for posting it.

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