Tag: Eleanor K. Smith

The Gift of Authentic Learning

by Eleanor K. Smith, posted in Authentic Teaching, Blog, Uncategorized

On a recent road trip, we ended up spending the night in Wilson, Kansas.
This city is the Czech Capital of Kansas and has the largest Czech Egg in the
world!

There were also many other smaller, gorgeous eggs around the town. If you
have ever visited Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, it reminded me of that town,
except there were Groundhogs all over Punxsutawney, and Eggs all over Wilson.

So much of authentic learning is paying attention to what is around
you. Add a dose of curiosity and a cell phone to do some research, and an
overnight stop becomes a lesson in Czech and Slovak folk art, culture, and history.

I was fortunate enough to attend a middle school that operated by authentic
teaching and learning. This developed a life-long curiosity that has never left me. I just can’t drive by the largest Czech Egg in the world without looking this up and doing research. By the time I was finished I had spent an evening reading about the history of the Slavic region of the world.

What a gift that middle school gave me.

Unfortunately, the town Folk Art Gift Shop was being renovated. My husband
viewed this as a bonus as we didn’t leave the town with a shopping bag of gorgeous Czech Eggs.  (No worries, I believe you can buy them on line!)

Authentic Project Ideas – Planning for a Business

by Eleanor K. Smith, posted in Authentic Project Ideas, Blog, Uncategorized

On a recent road trip, we stopped at a marble company in Kansas. It was a fantastic shop full of machine-made marbles, plus the owners were also making speciality marbles by hand.

We were able to chat with one of the owners, and heard about the history of the company. They started in the wood carving business almost 30 years ago. They carved everything from furniture to toys. One of the game boards required marbles, and they got into the marble business.

We were also told how the building they rented was on railroad land, so they rented from the railroad. This meant their rent was significantly lower than the buildings just across the street.

I started to think about all of the authentic business lessons were were learning about. How businesses change and evolve, rent or ownership of a building if needed, materials, low to high-end product costs…

It would be a great authentic project for students to pick a business they were interested in owning and plan for that business. The learning, lessons, and academic tie-ins are endless. As students would pick their own business, interest would be high, but the common ground for planning for a business would make class instruction easier. This could be done for young learners with simple planning, to older learners with in-depth research and plans. Who knows, one of these authentic plans might turn into a real business!

And my husband could not leave the shop without making a joke about losing his marbles…sigh

Authentic Project Ideas – A Lonely Time of Year

by Eleanor K. Smith, posted in Authentic Project Ideas, Social Awareness and Responsibility Skills, Uncategorized

I look at this photo and I see art.  I scrapbook, and use a lot of photos to make cards as well.  This would be a beautiful fall card. 

As we go into fall, not only does football season start (do I hear my husband cheering/groaning), but people also start to think about the holiday season.  This is a time of year that older people, especially those in nursing homes, may be feeling shut in and lonely.  A great authentic project would be to think of ways to let these people know that someone out there cares.  So, maybe this photo could be printed and used to make cards for people who need some cheering up.  (You totally, 100%, have my permission to use this photo!)

Staying authentic, maybe your students have a better idea, or a different target group…

Authentic teaching/learning that also serves as a community service project – BLUE RIBBON!

Authentic Project Ideas – Sorting Apples?

by Eleanor K. Smith, posted in Authentic Project Ideas, Blog, Uncategorized

I am not exactly sure what this machine is doing.  I can think of several things it might be doing.  I can also think of ways to make it do what I think it is doing better – punctuation lesson – add punctuation to this sentence so you don’t have to read it three times for it to make sense!

So, maybe a driving question is, “What is happening in this picture?”  An authentic project might be to improve the machine in this picture.  Or maybe, write a story about what took place in this room.  A factual story about what the machine does, a fictional story about people who work this machine, or maybe a ghost story about something that happened in this room 200 years ago!

And if this turns into an authentic project about ways to improve apple farming, that is authentic learning.

Authentic Project Ideas – Fresh Water

by Eleanor K. Smith, posted in Authentic Project Ideas, Blog, Uncategorized

Lakes, rivers, streams.  Fresh water is second only to oxygen in what we need to survive.  Where does fresh water come from?  How much fresh water is on the planet?  Where are large sources of fresh water located?

Why are the oceans salt water?  Can we turn salt water into fresh water? How can we turn salt water into fresh water?

How do we use water in recreation?  Why is recreation important?

I could actually just turn this blog entry into a list of driving questions.  That might actually be a great authentic activity (note activity, not project).  Create a list of questions about fresh/salt water.

With older students it will be easy to get into the discussions of drought, flooding…  How ironic that we have drought in one area when we have flooding in another.

So many questions…

The driving questions will then become authentic projects.  Create a map of sources of fresh water in your area.  Contact local government to find out if there are any concerns about the fresh water supply.  What is unique about your fresh water supply.  Write a report, create a chart, build a model…

And if this turns into a project about why recreation is so important for mental health, that is authentic learning.

Authentic Project Ideas – Wind Power

by Eleanor K. Smith, posted in Authentic Project Ideas, Blog, Uncategorized

I have written about wind turbines several times, but the more we travel, the more I see them, and the more ideas I have for authentic projects.  We just finished driving through Kansas, and I have never seen so many wind turbines.  The really neat thing is that we saw them on farms, and the farmers were still farming below the turbines.

To say the we have energy concerns on this planet is an understatement.  I think it is fair to say that we all want the same thing: reliable, safe, clean energy.  The arguments are about how we get there.

How to wind turbines work?  How is the energy produced and transported?  How far can the energy be transported?  Can the energy be stored?

What are the pros and cons of wind turbines?  Do people want them in their backyard?  I happen to think they are attractive, but there are people who do not.  Are they a danger to wildlife?

Design a wind turbine that people might find more attractive. Design a turbine that solves any problems you found in your research.  Make a model of how a turbine works.  Locate a good spot for a turbine where you live.  Make a proposal for a new wind turbine.

And if this project turns into a project about the history of windmills in Holland…that is authentic learning.

Dealing with Fear

by Eleanor K. Smith, posted in Authentic Teaching, Blog, Uncategorized

There is much going on in the world today that can cause children, and adults, to feel fear. I realize that fear is a huge, and loaded topic. Some topics should be referred to and dealt with by mental health professionals. But other fears, including many brought up by topics taught in class, can be dealt with authentically.

The older I get, the more I don’t like heights. I am sure that it has something to do with the fact that the older I get, the wiser I get. Wise people do not ride trains up the side of very tall mountains!

Well, I am happy to say I overcame my fear. Mostly because I had no choice, as we had purchased tickets to ride to the top of Pikes Peak, and they weren’t cheap! I also read the history of the Pikes Peak Cog Railway, and it had a perfect safety record for 127 years. And my husband held my hand – which does not make it safer, but whatever works!

As I stated, fear is a topic that is going to come up in education. Letting children express their fears is important. Letting them put their fears into authentic context is very important. Letting them learn more about, and research what they are afraid of is a solid first step to overcoming, or at least dealing with, a fear. My research about the Cog Railway helped me feel safe enough to go on it. Looking at the safety records of airlines helps me feel better when I fly. Researching the actual number of alligator attacks in Florida makes me feel safer when I visit my mother. Learning about the shark attacks in the oceans makes me stay out of the ocean! Not giving on that one!

And I almost forgot to mention the donuts at the top of Pikes Peak, world famous, delicious, and another motivation to get on the train!

The Jared Box Project

by Eleanor K. Smith, posted in Authentic Project Ideas, Blog, Books for Children, Social Awareness and Responsibility Skills, Uncategorized

Almost exactly a year ago, Eyen and I became involved with The Jared Box Project. Eyen and I both agree that this is why we started creating books together. We just didn’t know this when we started out on our book journey over seven years ago.

This blog is about teaching authentically. But I also feel that it is important to live authentically! To me, authenticity means make it real and make it count. Our books were already “real”, and we both felt they helped children learn to enjoy reading. Now writing a book for The Jared Box Project made what we are doing “count” even more. We are really making a difference in a positive way.

Eyen and I just attended the celebration for the Millionth Jared Box! Yes, over a million Jared Boxes have been made and distributed. The Jared Box Project is now in all 50 States and several other countries. Making Jared Boxes is a wonderful authentic community service project. It is easy, it is fun, and it truly makes a huge difference to those who receive them.

For more information about The Jared Box Project, go to thejaredbox.org.

Authentic Project Ideas – National Parks and Preserves

by Eleanor K. Smith, posted in Authentic Project Ideas, Blog, Uncategorized

I am writing this sitting on a bench at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Kansas.  The gift shop is currently under renovation, which is a shame as they just lost money on my inability to shop.  My husband is out hiking the preserve looking for buffalo, so I figured I would write a blog entry. 

We just spent several days in Kansas.  The view driving through Kansas was wind turbines (another blog) and farm land.  Not until we got to the preserve did we see the native tallgrass that used to cover the prairies of Kansas and the other midwestern states of the United States.  

Why are preserves like this one important?  What purpose do they serve?  Why are the US National Parks important, or national preserved areas in other countries?  What is the history of the National Park system?

Create a brochure or map for a National Park.  Create a model or diorama of a National Park. Write an advertisement for a Park or Preserve.  

Propose a new National Park.  Contact your local or state/territory government about a need for a new park.  Who knows – you might end up creating something new! It doesn’t get anymore authentic than that!  And if you have a gift shop let me know…I’ll be there!

Authentic Projects vs Themed Units

by Eleanor K. Smith, posted in Authentic Teaching, Blog, Uncategorized

What is the difference between an Authentic Project and Themed Learning.  Basically, when a project is authentic, the student is allowed to explore and learn about what interests them.

In a Themed Unit, the students are usually presented with worksheets and assignments with little to no allowance for authentic exploration. 

Think of it this way.  You introduce a driving question about tornadoes.  (This popped into my head because we are traveling in the Midwest and seem to be a day behind some horrible weather that has spawned tornadoes.)  In a Themed Unit the students learn about tornadoes, do research about tornadoes, write about tornadoes…they may even create posters, displays, and diagrams about tornadoes.  But the unit ends there.

In an Authentic Project you can start with the same driving question.  Perhaps, “What causes a tornado?” But from there, students may follow other paths of interest based on your introductory lessons and their research.  One student may want to explore how to build tornado resistant structures.  One student may find that hurricanes spawn tornadoes, and become interested in learning more about hurricanes.  One may want to start a fundraiser for recent victims of tornadoes.

I have discussed before how even though this sounds like an impossible scenario for the classroom teacher to control, it is actually easier as you have motivated students who are creating their own authentic learning situations.

Need to teach percentages during this time…pull everyone back together to do a lesson on the percentage of your country that is prone to tornadoes (this is a themed unit – then return the students to their authentic learning).