Week 2 Blog Assignment

Part 1.

Authentic intellectual work moves beyond the traditional classroom task to create authentic and rigorous learning opportunities so students can use their prior knowledge and experiences to solve unique problems. Conventional classrooms incorporate functions that involve remembering and understanding, which is not always meaningful to students' learning. Authentic intellectual work requires analyzing, evaluating, and building on prior skills to enable the learner to make meaningful connections which in turn makes the task more useful to the learner.

There are three components of authentic intellectual work: Construction of Knowledge, Disciplined Inquiry, and Value Beyond School. (Newmann et al., 2007)

1. Construction of Knowledge- developing higher-order thinking skills based on previous knowledge and experiences to solve complex problems.

2. Disciplined Inquiry- involves three key components. 1. Prior knowledge of basic information gained through direct instruction. 2. In-depth understanding is moving beyond surface-level knowledge to understand problems more complexly. 3. Elaborated communication is developing and expressing ideas through multimodal communication.

3. Value Beyond School - intellectual accomplishments that have value and meaning beyond school success and include the skill set to become a lifelong learner and problem solver.

Studies on authentic intellectual work were conducted in various schools among multiple grade levels and subject areas to determine if students who experience high levels of instruction and assessments show higher growth measures than those receiving lower levels of instruction and assessments. One study from 1996-1999 follows teachers teaching language arts and mathematics in grades 3, 6, and 8 in 46 Chicago elementary schools. These teachers submitted multiple assignments per year with two being considered more rigorous in assessing the student's knowledge of the subject matter. Educators of other grade levels not participating in the study scored the teacher's assignment and students' work. These teachers discovered that students receiving high-quality assignments show significantly more gains in basic skills versus their peers in Chicago schools that received lower-quality assignments, demonstrating that the implementation of AIW in classroom instruction has a significant impact on students' academics. (Newmann et al., 2007, p. 23)

A specific example of AIW in a high school English classroom would be a lesson on the effects of binge-watching TV on the brain. The teacher would start with the construction of knowledge by having students make a list of reasons why they believe that binge-watching has a positive or negative effect on their brains. The lesson then would move to the disciplined inquiry and require students to substantiate their statements with personal or relevant experiences. Students would then recall or engage in prolonged periods of television watching and report back what effects they believed it had on their brains. Students would then reflect and revise their findings from their previous statements. As a class, they would discuss their findings and create a step-by-step solution to negate binge-watching TV.

Part 2.

One opportunity to connect technology integration includes teachers incorporating choices in students' assignments. Giving students the opportunity to choose topics they study and a variety of multimodal technologies in which they present that information creates AIW by creating relevance and rigor in lessons. (OET, 2024)

When students complete the lesson over binge-watching TV and the effects of it on the teenage brain, teachers then could allow students to choose a topic of their choice to research that also affects the teenage brain and present their findings using a variety of technological platforms. This extension in the lesson aligns with the UD in helping close the gap and creating high-level thinking skills needed in AIW.

Part 3.

A correlation between AIW and Kolb's triple E is they both focus on the enhancement of learning for students. The example above supports engagement by allowing students to choose their topics; creating authentic learning. Enhancement is supported by creating a differentiated learning experience allowing students to build on their strengths by letting them decide what tool they use to present their information. Finally, extension by connecting their learning to the previously learned concept of binge-watching TV and its effects. (Gaer & Reyes, 2022).

References

Gaer, S., & Reyes, K. (2022). Finally, Some Guidance! Using the Triple E Framework to Shape Technology Integration. Adult Literacy Education, 4(3), 34-40. http://doi.org/10.35847/SGaer.KReyes.4.3.34

Newman, F. M., King, M. B., & Carmichael, D. L. (2007). Authentic instruction and assessment: Common standards for rigor and relevance in teaching academic subjects.  State of Iowa Department of Education

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology. (2024). A call to Action for Closing the Digital Access, design, and Digital Use Divide. https://tech.ed.gov/netp/digital-use-divide/