Making Authentic Instruction Fun
Real-Life Situations Motivate Students to Learn New Skills
Feb 21, 2009
Students who aren't motivated usually don't feel there is a purpose to their learning, which is often the reason why discipline problems occur. Fun authentic instruction provides students with real-life learning experiences that are connected to learning both in and out of the classroom.
Authentic Instruction Using Games
A great way to begin authentic instruction is by games. When students need to learn various skills to play fun games, they will become engaged in what you teach, since they will want to use their new skills to play the games.
The concept of money and buying is one that all students can relate to, both in and out of the classroom. If your objective is to teach students the numbers, you can start by distributing a page of various items and prices. You keep a master copy with the prices, but hand out the page with missing prices to the children.
You then ask "How much does item X cost?" The students then have to give their answers using their knowledge of numbers. The ones who are closest to the actual cost get the amount in monopoly banknotes. The winner is the student (or students) who has the most money.
Students Have Fun Doing Authentic Learning Projects
Think about how you can turn a dull textbook subject into an active learning experience that also relates to a real-life situation. If students are studying the subject of salt, why not have them make bath salts for a home economics project? The lead-in questions should draw their attention to the world concepts you are teaching. For example, you could start by asking about "bath" and "salts."
- When one takes a bath, what is put in the bath to make it smell nice?
- What do you use salt for?
- Have you ever taken a bath with salt?
Teachers can further motivate students by distributing text types that are based on these real experiences. In the case of making bath salts, teachers can distribute a page of instructions on how to make bath salts which then leads to the actual task.
Authentic instruction is fun when teachers use real-life learning experiences to motivate and engage students. By turning a dull and boring topic into a fun authentic lesson that all students can relate to, you create a purpose and need for them to learn new skills.
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