Technology Supporting Components of Authentic Instruction
In a former teaching setting, at a residential treatment facility for emotionally disturbed junior high and senior high school boys, where I taught vocational educational skills, specifically horticulture and computer lab, I would have liked to have been allowed to incorporate my horticulture and computer classes into a collaborative exercise involving a beautification project on campus and research skills in the computer lab. The reasons for not having been allowed to do it previously are not relevant here, but given all of the particulars of my student population it could have been an interesting lesson or a complete disaster.
One task my horticulture class took on was a beautification project around campus where they would pull unsightly weeds and clean up brushy areas, plant flower gardens, and care for existing flower beds. One of their “book” lessons was a chapter on invasive plant species from foreign countries, Kudzu for instance, from Southern Japan and Southeasten China, that have wrecked havoc on native North American plant habitats and displaces native species.
The lesson I would liked to have worked would have been to incorporate my computer lab classes in an ongoing research project of invasive plant species in our region, create photo recognition booklets for our horticulture students to use while conducting field research around campus to locate possible sites that may be affected. Also, the computer lab class would conduct internet research to discover non chemical ways to eradicate the invasive plants safely and permanently. The horticulture classes could provide the “muscles” for the project and had the task of locating, eradicating, and then disposing of the invasive plants species in a manner that would not allow for them to re-grow, and followed the research methods found by the computer classes. Each class would work together with the other class to complete the project. Also both classes could jointly participate in a search and destroy mission when potential problem areas have been identified. I envisioned both classes participating jointly in lessons about the other class’s content area, and then conducting the field research together.
The horticulture class could see how the research had been conducted and what information was gathered that could not be found in the school library. Also, the computer class would gain valuable experience in how field work is conducted so they will have a better appreciation for the labor that is a result of their efforts on the internet. The final product is a campus with less of a noxious weed problem and two groups of students with vastly different content areas, who collaborated together, and produced a final artifact of a prettier campus and a grateful student body, faculty, and administrative staff.
The collaboration of divergent groups gives the students experience with Components of Authentic Instruction. Through Active Learning, students will learn more intensely with active, hands-on activities and experiences with the research and gardening portions of the class, and will better appreciate other students and the roles everyone plays in the “process” of life. It is almost universally understood that “everyone” has a “job” in life and fulfils their roles within society. Having the “laborers” help with the “research”, and vice versa, students will be less likely to pigeon-hole themselves into one thing, activity, or career choice. Being exposed to many varieties of possibilities the student will have a great chance of success at school, and late, life in general.
References
Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach (Laureate Education custom edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
o Chapter 1, “Self-Directed Lifelong Learning”
o Chapter 2, “Supporting Student Creativity with Technology”
