EDUC 5313 Week 2 Post

Part 1: Authentic Intellectual Work/Authentic Instruction & Assessment

Authentic Intellectual Work is defined by the “original application of knowledge and skills, rather than just routine use of facts and procedures” (Newmann et al., 2007, p.3). Newmann et al. (2007) continues this definition by stating Authentic Intellectual Work is organized by the construction of knowledge, disciplined inquiry, and its value beyond school. The intentionality of providing students with opportunities to complete Authentic Intellectual Work is to meet the learning needs of all students, as the work is scaled to the unique challenges that are faced in life instead of just uniform, textbook problems and prompts used to measure understanding. Under the component of Construction of Knowledge, a problem that an adult faces is approached with the guise of reevaluated previous experiences and skills to adapt to the current obstacle (Newmann et al., 2007, p.4). This is due to the fact that those previously acquired skills are not universally applicable, thus needing the knowledge to be constructed in new ways (Newmann et al., 2007). The next component of Authentic Intellectual Work is disciplined inquiry, in which the construction of knowledge is expanded upon through the use of a prior knowledge base, and in depth understanding of that knowledge, and the ability, as well as tools, to thoroughly communicate the process of working through the challenge (Newmann et al., 2007, p.4) The third and final component of Authentic Intellectual Work is value beyond school, which can be summarized as the work having proximate meaning to a learners life, and not simply work for the sake of work (Newmann et al., 2007, p.5).

When reflecting on the components of Authentic Intellectual Work, it is striking the notable improvement in students’ academic achievement resulting from the Chicago 12-School Study (K-8) study conducted to explore Authentic Achievement (Newmann et al., 2007, p.20). In this study, teacher submitted assignments that were deemed to be a challenge to a student’s understanding of the content taught, qualifying for authentic intellectual work, and compared to the lowest scoring percentile of all of the classrooms in the grade (Newmann et al., 2007, p.20). The results of this study was the students engaged in Authentic Intellectual Work scored up to 56 percentile points higher than the lowest scorers across the grade band (Newmann et al., 2007, p.20). From this study, as well as other conducted, it was found that intentional implementation of Authentic Intellectual Work loosened the connection between a student’s social background and the trajectory of their academic achievement (Newmann et al., 2007, p.24). An example of Authentic Intellectual Work that can be posed within mathematics instruction is the conceptualization of fractions through construction of a budget and the application of coupons when considering budget allocations (Newmann et al., 2007, p.24).
 

Part 2: 2017 National Education Technology Plan Update

The 2017 National Education Technology Plan Update does not explicitly state a connection with the Authentic Intellectual Work Framework; however, when considering the desired impact of the two works, synergy can be found. This technology plan portrays a roadmap in which to utilize technology in order to meet students and their individual needs to support and bolster their acquisition of real world skills (Office of Educational Technology, 2017). The emphasis on skills orientated to the issues of the world around students is similar to the foundations of the Authentic Intellectual Work Framework. The framework is grounded in the importance of school work being translatable to the challenges faced by students and their families in their communities, as that is most relevant to their lives. An example that is aligned with the symbiosis of the two is that of students learning how to effectively use blogging platforms to post and communicate with other members of their community regarding pertinent issues to organize around and share resources. As such, the technology plan presented guidance for schools, educators, and stakeholders to evaluate available technology to utilize the framework of Construction of Knowledge, Disciplined Inquiry, and Value Beyond School to best aid students in their academic efforts and beyond.
 

Part 3: Triple E Framework

The Extension element of the Triple E Framework has clear support for the AIW framework. This can be identified through Kolb (2020) asserting that any and all technology being introduced into the classroom should be an avenue by which to extend their learning into their lives and environment outside of school. The example above demonstrates support for Extension by way of giving clear purpose for the addition of blogging platforms in the student’s learning environment. The digital literacy developed by working on a blogging platform provides the student with the tools in which to better engage with their community at large and connect with various essential resources.



References

Kolb, L. (2020). Learning first, technology second in practice. Portland, OR: ISTE.
 

Newmann, 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.
 

Office of Educational Technology. (2017). Reimagining the role of technology in education: 2017 National Education Technology Plan. Retrieved from http://tech.ed.gov