Welcome to Authentic Learning Works

The purpose for my blog is to provide awareness of and support for the pre~college and college student~learner's experience of the notion of becoming an authentic~learner.

Have you heard about Authentic Learning?

Typically when you read about 'authentic learning' the focus of the article or book is on how to establish authentic learning classroom design and implementation of the learning model by the course instructor.  However, the current reality on many college campuses is primarily the same as that which your parents experienced with greater access to technology.

Typically many college instructors lecture with PowerPoint presentations as back up support. Out of class assignments are typically papers and in some cases projects, which may provide students with an activity dealing with dealing with real-world problems. If so, they do include one aspect of authentic learning.  In this statement, I am not criticizing those instructors; they are a reflection of the models of their colleges and universities. A basic model for learning that has little significant change in 100's of years.

"The four themes supporting authentic learning are:

1. An ACTIVITY that involves real-world problems and that mimics the work of professionals; the activity involves presentation of findings to audiences beyond the classroom.

2. Use of open-ended inquiry, thinking skills and metacognition.

3. Students engage in discourse and social learning in a community of learners.

4. Students direct their own learning in project work."

~Excerpt from an article in the Journal of Authentic Learning, Audrey Rule of the State UNIVERSITY of New York (SUNY) at Oswego.

To develop yourself into an authentic learner involves embracing your relationship with yourself and with what you are focused upon learning and experiencing, in college.

For it is through thoroughly developing these primary relationships that we truly grow in harmony with our own nature. 

Yes life often beats us up, however 

Actually, it's the only thing that works!

Yes Change is Coming

You've no doubt heard that College is different from High School.

What skills and abilities are college students expected to have or develop in order to succeed in college?

College students are expected to demonstrate the following skills~sets:

• Critical thinking and assessment skills.
• Communication skills; both verbally and in written format Typically knowledge and proficiency in APA and MLA formatting styles is important.
• The ability to organize and manage your time to effectively handle your academic, social, spiritual and physical demands. 
• Understanding and applying your natural learning-style to your learning activities.
• Appropriate use and management of learning~support tools 
• Identification and collaboration with your 'learning allies'
• The ability to plan, organize and report research~based learning; as both papers and projects.
• Accept personal responsibility for one's life~activities in planning, implementation and evaluation.
• The ability to use technological supports available through computer, smart~phone and internet applications.  

Whats in this for me; you might ask?

Let's look at the benefits of becoming an authentic learner:

• Enhanced ability to manage your academic challenges.
• Inner~directed learning empowers you to expanded ability to truly learn in diverse classroom settings.
• Reduction of anxiety and stressful episodes.
• Experiencing enhanced respect from your instructors through the process of self~directed learning.
• Enjoy mutual~benefit relationships.
• Experience more happiness, in all areas of your life.
• Experience greater comfort in your new role as an adult learner.

“When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.”

~John Lennon

for viewing my first post on Authentic Learning Works!

My next few posts will feature, your First Year Experience in college.

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Dave Kenyon