Authentic learning is real life learning. It is a style of learning that encourages students to create a tangible, useful product to be shared with their world. Once an educator provides a motivational challenge, they nurture and provide the necessary criteria, planning, timelines, resources and support to accommodate student success. The teacher becomes a guide on the side or a project manager, a facilitator not a dictator. Authentic learning engages all the senses allowing students to create a meaningful, useful, shared outcome. They are real life tasks, or simulated tasks that provide the learner with opportunities to connect with the real world.

             In an authentic learning model the emphasis is mainly on the quality of process and innovation. The emphasis isn’t about understanding teacher speak and regurgitating content just for a unit test, it’s about developing a set of culminating skills sets, within a realistic timeline, using self-motivated inquiry methods to create a useful product to be shared with a specific audience.

              Is it realistic to think that authentic learning of this nature can be done, ongoing, throughout the school year? Maybe one day it may but realistically, of course not. With the current school classroom structures, resources, timetabling, standardized test demands, administration directives and the plethora of curriculum expectations as they are it’s almost impossible to do. There are different degrees of authentic learning events from simulations shared with your community to complete, real world integrations. Start small, then develop your authentic learning undertakings over the years to come.

              Let’s get real! It’s time to go authentic!

 

By: Priscila Concepcion | Master Teacher I | MNHS – Poblacion | Mariveles, Bataan