“I wonder what you can do as you develop your project to make it more authentic?” my professor asked. After speaking with my classmates about the projects that they were designing during the Zoom session, it was finally my turn to share. When she asked this question, I cringed a little. I already knew that I needed to make the project more authentic, but was unsure about how I could. Science is a subject area where there are typically lots of exciting things that students can learn about, but how could I make biomes more fun and engaging? I guess this would be my moment to honestly share how unsure I was about this particular area and ask for input from my professor and my classmates. I chose to express how I was having a difficult time with how to make biomes relevant and interesting for my ELLs and needed some support.
Our conversation about authenticity led us into a meaningful discussion about a project Entry Event. According to the text for our course (middle school edition, 2009), an Entry Event sparks student interest and ignites curiosity. It allows students to see a real connection between content that is being learned in class and a real world situation or occurrence. In order to get them excited about the work, I would need to think about ways that I could connect biomes to something that they could personally relate to or understand. I had a good plan for how they could complete and present their projects. However, without an Entry Event that promoted project authenticity, it would be difficult for them to see the point of the work that needed to be done.
What is this whole idea of authenticity all about? This is something that I had to unpack so that I could develop a project that has meaning for my students. According to John Larmer, a project can be authentic in four ways. The four ways that he mentions are:
- It meets a real need in the world beyond the classroom or the products students create are used by real people.
- It focuses on a problem or an issue or topic that is relevant to students’ lives—the more directly, the better—or on a problem or issue that is actually being faced by adults in the world students will soon enter.
- It sets up a scenario or simulation that is realistic, even if it is fictitious.
- It involves tools, tasks, standards, or processes used by adults in real settings and by professionals in the workplace.
Personally, I want the projects that my ELLs are assigned to strengthen their ability to think critically and problem solve, both of which are 21st Century Skills that will benefit them in the future. Ideas that my professor shared during our Zoom session as well as resources that I obtained from the course allowed me to explore different project ideas that were already developed. This was extremely helpful, especially since I had very little experience with Project-Based Learning. Getting an understanding of how to awaken their interests as they learned about different science topics was exactly what I needed.
Perusing other projects allowed me to see that the possibilities for a project Entry Event are limitless. I realized that I had to leave my comfort zone and get beyond assigning projects that were focused on content, but not relevant. Being reminded of the importance of project authenticity was the nudge that helped me to remember that I still have much to learn about how to effectively implement Project-Based Learning. I am on a learning journey, and the new knowledge that I obtain will benefit my students and positively shape their learning experiences.