Can Authentic Learning Experiences Exist?

During my recent coursework at the University of Connecticut, the idea of authentic learning was brought up. I don't know how others feel about the topic, but it pains me talking about it. Not because I don't value the idea, but because I don't know how we could ever truly implement it. As an elementary teacher, I feel very limited in the things I can choose to try with my class. There is so much content that we must get to as well as pacing guides which we must keep to. Teachers constantly feel that they are playing catch up especially with all of the chaos that can ensue in an elementary classroom.

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So let's stray away from the how and talk a little about the why we should invest in this type of work. The idea of authentic learning experiences stems from the Situated Cognition. "Situated cognition is a theory which emphasizes that people’s knowledge is constructed within and linked to the activity, context, and culture in which it was learned." The idea is that students can learn much more by being taught content in an authentic scenario. When I was reading about this I immediately thought about the time teachers spend as student teachers. Methods classes are great to give you ideas that you can try once you have a classroom but nothing is quite the same as the semester you spend student teaching. It is our first opportunity to actually put all of our skills to work and see how we can do. Trying things in a real classroom is the best way for teachers to be able to sharpen their skills. As a teacher, you may have thought you mastered a way to get students attention but you quickly learn that 26 3rd graders don't care how many times you clap in a rhythm and adjust your methods to something more effective.

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Another benefit that scientist Allan Collins mentions has to do with students becoming problem solvers through this work. "Students are more likely to engage in invention and problem-solving when they learn in novel and diverse situations and settings." As teachers, we could think about our content and find a real-world situation where that skill would be used. We don't need student just memorizing content, we want them to be able to utilize what they learn. Imagine allowing students to work with journalists during a non-fiction unit focused on author bias. Or students working with local landscapers finding the area and perimeter of a garden. I think student buy-in would increase because the learning they were doing would have significant meaning. While on the rug in my classroom, I have a handful of students who are perfectly happy letting their classmates solve a problem while they sit and watch. I think there would be a burst of motivation if we were out in the garden trying to measure out the proper amount of soil we need.

Like I said earlier, I honestly don't know what authentic learning experiences would look like in an elementary school setting. What I do know, is that a making a shift to more authentic learning experiences would benefit our students.

Situated Cognition. (n.d.). Retrieved November 05, 2017, from http://epltt.coe.uga.edu/index.php?title=Situated_Cognition#Benefits

Situated Cognition (Brown, Collins, & Duguid). (2017, February 04). Retrieved November 05, 2017, from https://www.learning-theories.com/situated-cognition-brown-collins-duguid.html