Authentic Learning

We recently had a faculty meeting that was focused on standardized testing, scores, and their relevance and validity. I believe that each individual teacher has his or her own opinion regarding these issues, but generally speaking, we see them as one indicator of student achievement, but not the primary indicator, or even an extremely relevant indicator. I could probably spend the next three months writing about thees rationales and the pros and cons supporting them, but more importantly, it got me thinking more about true "learning"

I have written numerous times about grades vs. learning, the difference between the two, and the ideological world it would be wonderful to live in regarding these issues. Standardized tests raise even more of these discussions. But the day after our meeting, the fourth grade class was involved in a project where they built structures and then tested their ability to withstand a simulated earthquake.

Take a moment to think about what is a better representation of "authentic" learning. I would be willing to bet most of those children will be able to discuss this project many years from now and what they learned. (They do so now, with great enthusiasm.) It will never be asked about on a standardized test, it will never be tested on a piece of paper, but it may very well spark a child's interest in engineering or architecture. It may also help a child to understand all that goes into the completion of a project, how to work with others, and how to be responsible to their group. Again, no learning that will show up on a written test.

As standardized tests become more and more the "norm" for gaging a school's success, we need to keep in mind that assessment has many forms, and many of the skills taught in the classroom will never receive a percent, a stanine or a grade.