Of the many opportunities we find in project-based-learning, I am most excited about the opportunity to do Authentic Learning. For me, authentic learning has two prongs: cross-content instruction, and real, adult-level learning that I call lifelong learning. For those of you already sold on these PBL benefits, you should consider joining my Authentic Learning PLC, either ad hoc (let’s find a single way to work together!) or semi- permanently (let’s find a way to work together, a lot!). For those of you less convinced, I extol the prong virtues below.

Cross-content education is authentic because that is how adults learn new tasks. If one of my former trucking-company employees showed up on day one to learn to deliver packages, I didn’t send him to individual classes on how to read (addresses), write (reports), and do the math necessary to compute delivery standards. Instead, I showed him how to do the task(s) of the day, and how all those pieces integrate. Although we are limited in some ways in a public high school setting, I have still found ways to get and receive content across department lines.

If you don’t like the cross-content part of Authentic Learning, surely you have to at least love the idea that we can instill into our kids an interest in learning, which they might then keep for life: life-long learning. We have to bring in interesting business and government professionals, offer college-level experiences (for credit whenever possible), and advocate with everyone we meet for making the students responsible for their behavior, societal role, and knowledge. In this process we hopefully leave kids with the realization that learning does not end with high school graduation, but continues throughout life.

I admit, it occasionally takes a little more work to figure out new ways to do things, but it shouldn’t take more work for us permanently. If you want to talk about these ideas some more, let me know. I am looking for your ideas and willing to share mine.

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