Week 2 Blog Assignement

 WEEK 2 BLOG ASSIGNMENT:

 Authentic Intellectual Work

     Authentic Intellectual Work, according to this week's reading, is, "...original application of knowledge and skills rather than rote facts and procedures" (Newman, 2007, p. 3). In the article, the author makes a point to describe the differences between the traditional approaches to instruction and assessment and that of authentic intellectual work. For authentic intellectual work to occur, one must construct knowledge to produce a fitting solution to a problem, participate in disciplined inquiry, and demonstrate that the accomplishment has relevance (value) outside of the school setting.  This differs greatly from the traditional approach to instruction in which a teacher generally facilitates learning through rote memorization and "regurgitation" of facts.  There is little to no higher order/critical thinking or problem solving skills involved. 

     Authentic Intellectual Work-setting high expectations and engaging in higher order/critical thinking- has proven benefits.  Consider, if you will, the Chicago 46-School Study (K-8).  This study looked at students' gains in basic skills on the Iowa Test of Basis Skills (ITBS) between 1996 and 1999.  The study concluded that students receiving high-quality (Authentic Intellectual work) assignments, "...gained about 20% more in basic skills thatn the Chicago average gain and almost 40% more than students receiving the lowest quality assignments" (Newman, 2007, p. 23). But the benefits don't stop there. The authors assert that students who take part in authentic intellectual work are actually more motivated to stick with difficult challenges and are more engaged in their schoolwork. How can one include authentic intellectual work to reach students in the early grades? Easy peasy!  In an elementary math class, students may be asked to evaluate word problems, identify clue words in each problem, then write word problems of their own to illustrate mathematical concepts. Doing so involves each participant in critical thinking and problem solving skills as well as demonstrating an actual application of  required skills. 

NETP

     Examples of opportunities for students to engage in authentic intellectual work can be found throughout this article. The one I most relate to is that of using project based learning, specifically the "Engaged Creation: (MOOC)" example. In this example, the Exploratorium in San Francisco co-created a six week course meant to inspire STEM "tinkering". The course utilized a variety of hands-on activities, videos, web chat discussions, and other technology-centered approaches to engage learners in high quality STEM activities. The experience provided authentic, real-world problems that fostered higher level thinking and problem solving skills.  Teachers were given support via step-by-step instructions for the activities, interviews with other teaching professionals who shared tips, and discussion forums.  Ties to technology integration and ISTE standards could be found in the creators' use of Coursera, various live streaming tools, the use of video technology, social media platforms, and videoconferencing (among other things) to facilitate student engagement and learning. I'm sure I feel drawn to this particular example because of its project based learning (PBL) approach. I personally believe education and learning should be an active, student-driven experience and that's exactly what PBL is, simply put. This project allowed students to explore concepts rooted in real-world issues and fostered creative thinking, problem solving, critical thinking, etc., all of which are necessary parts of Authentic Intellectual work. In this project, students were able to connect with real-life experts and artists and engage in discussions regarding their work as they built a variety of contraptions in the classroom.  Additionally, there were opportunities for reflection peppered throughout the experience. These things, along with the others I've outlined, are what makes this a perfect marriage of authentic intellectual work and technology.

Triple E Framework

    The Triple E framework and the AIW framework both focus on the importance of extending the learning outside of the school setting. AIW refers to it as the "Value Beyond School".  Both frameworks value real-world problems as meaningful opportunities for students to learn outside of their school day. Further, they both aim for students to develop skills that are applicable in their everyday lives. The example I highlighted above was rooted in real-world problem solving, allowed students to extend their learning outside of their school day, and helped them build practical skills they could use in their daily lives.That, in a nutshell, exemplifies the extend "E".  The way the technology was used to facilitate collaboration between teachers, professionals, and students allowed for the students to create scaffolds and develop a deeper understanding of the concepts being explored. As for the engagement "E", students were definitely active learners in the process.  Simply stated, the use of the technology in the example explored above added value to the lesson (enhancement), aided in the engagement and time on task for students (engagement), and encouraged students to extend their learning outside of their regular school day (extension).

Kolb, L. (2020). Learning first, technology second in practice. Portland, OR: ISTE. 

Newmann, F.M., King, M.B., & Carmichael, D.L. (2007). Authentic instruction and assessment: Common standards for rigor and relevance in teaching academic subjects.

Office of Educational Technology. (2017). Reimagining the role of technology in education:  2017 National Education Technology Plan update.  Retrieved from http://tech.ed.gov.