2.3 Authentic Learning
Candidates model and facilitate the use of digital tools and resources to engage students in authentic learning experiences. (PSC 2.3/ISTE 2c)
Artifact: Engaged Learning Project
Reflection:
The Engaged Learning Project was created for ITEC 7400 21st Century Teaching and Learning, and parts of the project were implemented in my 9th grade Literature and Composition class. This project asks students to create a year-long writing portfolio centered on a specific topic of the students’ choosing; the only stipulation is that the topic be an abstract noun, such as love, trust, or pride. The various components of the writing portfolio require students to investigate the topic in creative ways, including a personal narrative, argumentative essay, informative essay, literary analysis, poem, and visual depiction. The Engaged Learning Project submitted for ITEC 7400 specifically describes the personal narrative component of the portfolio.
The Engaged Learning Project includes a standards-based instructional unit with content and technology standards alignment, objectives, and a daily instructional plan. These components demonstrate my ability to model and facilitate a lesson using digital tools. The digital tools used in the personal narrative portion of the writing portfolio include EdCanvas, Voice Thread, PhotoStory 3, Wordle, Google Docs, and email.
The Engaged Learning Project has several components that make the student learning experience authentic. To begin, the personal narrative that students compose will also be submitted to “The Laws of Life” essay contest sponsored by the Rotary Club. A grade level and school level winner will be elected, and students may win scholarships from the Rotary Club at the county and state level. Similarly, students will engage in interviews of people whom they admire, correspond with a journalist from the local newspaper to receive feedback on their work, and publish their work to public forums for peer review and response. The goal of the entire project is authenticity with the writing situation so that students understand they are writing for an audience that spans beyond their teacher.
I definitely learned the importance of authenticity throughout this Engaged Learning Project. So much of what students complete in school is artificial that they rightly question, “How will this ever help me in the real world?” Though gaining the assistance of outside experts can be difficult and not feasible for every project, the more authentic and grounded in real-world experiences a project is, the less likely students will be to question, “When will I ever use this?” In reflecting, I would change the order of writings students complete for the portfolio; rather than completing the personal narrative first, I would suggest students complete some of the less intensive assignments (such as art or poem) first in order to deepen their understanding of the topic and engage in more personal reflection, before completing the scholarship personal narrative.
Observation of classroom implementation and student perceptions should sufficiently assess the impact of this student learning experience. I would expect students to find this project challenging, but ultimately rewarding at the end of the year to have a portfolio of written work that was created in an authentic and relevant context.
The Engaged Learning Project was created for ITEC 7400 21st Century Teaching and Learning, and parts of the project were implemented in my 9th grade Literature and Composition class. This project asks students to create a year-long writing portfolio centered on a specific topic of the students’ choosing; the only stipulation is that the topic be an abstract noun, such as love, trust, or pride. The various components of the writing portfolio require students to investigate the topic in creative ways, including a personal narrative, argumentative essay, informative essay, literary analysis, poem, and visual depiction. The Engaged Learning Project submitted for ITEC 7400 specifically describes the personal narrative component of the portfolio.
The Engaged Learning Project includes a standards-based instructional unit with content and technology standards alignment, objectives, and a daily instructional plan. These components demonstrate my ability to model and facilitate a lesson using digital tools. The digital tools used in the personal narrative portion of the writing portfolio include EdCanvas, Voice Thread, PhotoStory 3, Wordle, Google Docs, and email.
The Engaged Learning Project has several components that make the student learning experience authentic. To begin, the personal narrative that students compose will also be submitted to “The Laws of Life” essay contest sponsored by the Rotary Club. A grade level and school level winner will be elected, and students may win scholarships from the Rotary Club at the county and state level. Similarly, students will engage in interviews of people whom they admire, correspond with a journalist from the local newspaper to receive feedback on their work, and publish their work to public forums for peer review and response. The goal of the entire project is authenticity with the writing situation so that students understand they are writing for an audience that spans beyond their teacher.
I definitely learned the importance of authenticity throughout this Engaged Learning Project. So much of what students complete in school is artificial that they rightly question, “How will this ever help me in the real world?” Though gaining the assistance of outside experts can be difficult and not feasible for every project, the more authentic and grounded in real-world experiences a project is, the less likely students will be to question, “When will I ever use this?” In reflecting, I would change the order of writings students complete for the portfolio; rather than completing the personal narrative first, I would suggest students complete some of the less intensive assignments (such as art or poem) first in order to deepen their understanding of the topic and engage in more personal reflection, before completing the scholarship personal narrative.
Observation of classroom implementation and student perceptions should sufficiently assess the impact of this student learning experience. I would expect students to find this project challenging, but ultimately rewarding at the end of the year to have a portfolio of written work that was created in an authentic and relevant context.