"You talk as if a god had made the Machine.. Men made it, do not forget that. Great men, but men. The Machine is much, but it is not everything. I see something like you in this plate, but I do not see you. I hear something like you through this telephone, but I do not hear you. That is why I want you to come. Pay me a visit, so that we can meet face to face, and talk about the hopes that are in my mind."The machine stops - 1909 - Forster

Monday, August 10, 2015

INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY: "The travel agency" - authentic task

What is an authentic task ? ( compito autentico )

In general, an authentic task is one which:

  • is purposeful and engaging
  • models how people solve real problems in work and/or communities
  • puts knowledge to work
  • potentially demonstrates what students know and can do
  • supports multiple representations and solution strategies
  • offers opportunities for meaningful learning and higher order cognitive thinking
  • results in some product, presentation or outcome as a result of the deliberations of the group and/or individual
In other words, it can be said that an authentic task

  • is real-world and involves making real-world decisions
  • involves the creation of a product
  • requires multiple skills and covers more than one subject
  • has to be performed collaboratively
  • promotes students' autonomy
  • develops multiple competencies
  • arises from a non-googleable question

When constructing authentic tasks, the acronym GRASPS may help:



G    Real-world Goal

R    Real-world Role

A    Real-world Audience

S     Real-world Situation

P     Real-world Products or Performances

S     Standards


THE TRAVEL AGENCY  is an activity I did with my third year students, which worked well and is an example of authentic task.


STEP 1


Devising the task, using the GRASPS elements






STEP 2

Creating the webquest


STEP 3

Dividing the students into groups, giving instructions, setting a time limit ( 2 hours )












STEP 4

"Setting up" the travel agencies and performing the oral tasks ( a big thank you to Benedicta Pretorino, a real-world nice girl, who spent some days in our school, observing my flipped students while preparing her degree thesis )




STEP 5

Giving them positive feedback, for both effort and achievement.
Some students took their job so seriously they even produced an elegant brochure in order to convince Miss Pretorino ( and that was extra-non required work ).

The Travel Agency - A trip to London

FINAL REFLECTIONS

This task involved students in a productive use of technology, integrated more subjects
 ( english, ICT, geography ), gave students choices, promoted meaningful learning and assessed students' ability to operate in an authentic context.

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