What are your tips for creating authentic learning experiences for K-12 students?

1 Align with standards and goals

Before designing an authentic learning experience, you need to identify the learning standards and goals that you want your students to achieve. These should guide your choice of content, context, and assessment. For example, if you want your students to learn about fractions, you can create a scenario where they have to plan a pizza party and divide the pizza into equal parts. This way, you can align the learning experience with the math standards and goals, as well as make it relevant and engaging for your students.

2 Provide choices and voice

One way to create authentic learning experiences is to give your students some choices and voice in their learning. This can help them feel more motivated, empowered, and invested in their learning. For example, you can let your students choose the topics, formats, or audiences for their projects, or let them co-create the rubrics or criteria for evaluation. You can also encourage your students to share their opinions, perspectives, and feedback with you and their peers, and to reflect on their learning process and outcomes.

3 Incorporate real-world scenarios and challenges

Another way to create authentic learning experiences is to incorporate real-world scenarios and challenges that require your students to apply their knowledge and skills in meaningful ways. For example, you can present your students with a problem or a question that relates to their lives, communities, or careers, and ask them to research, analyze, and propose solutions. You can also invite experts, mentors, or stakeholders from the real world to provide input, guidance, or feedback to your students, or to showcase their work.

4 Use technology and digital tools

Technology and digital tools can enhance authentic learning experiences by providing your students with access to information, resources, and tools that can help them learn and create. For example, you can use technology and digital tools to help your students access online databases, libraries, or archives, to create multimedia presentations, podcasts, or blogs, or to collaborate and communicate with other learners or experts across the world. You can also use technology and digital tools to assess and document your students' learning progress and achievements.

5 Foster collaboration and communication

Authentic learning experiences often involve collaboration and communication among your students, as well as with other people outside the classroom. By fostering collaboration and communication, you can help your students develop social and emotional skills, such as empathy, respect, and responsibility. For example, you can create authentic learning experiences that require your students to work in teams, to share their ideas and opinions, to listen and respond to others, or to negotiate and compromise. You can also create authentic learning experiences that connect your students with other learners or experts from different backgrounds, cultures, or locations.

6 Provide feedback and support

Finally, creating authentic learning experiences also requires providing feedback and support to your students throughout their learning journey. Feedback and support can help your students monitor their learning progress, identify their strengths and areas for improvement, and adjust their strategies and actions accordingly. For example, you can provide feedback and support to your students by giving them timely and specific comments, suggestions, or questions, by modeling or demonstrating the expected skills or behaviors, or by offering resources or scaffolds that can help them overcome challenges or difficulties.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?