Essential Upate #4: Describe and Analyze the features of an example of Authentic Pedagogy today.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778), an influential philosopher from the 18th century, was among the first to propose new ideas in education as an alternative to didactic pedagogy called authentic pedagogy.

He believed that growth is achieved as a result of experience and learning. He also believed that children learn whatever the child did not inherently possess, and for such learning, the child depends on an environment for interaction. (“Early theories in child psychology,”: Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia).

An example of Authentic Pedagogy that has a modern presence today is interactive learning.

Interactive learning is a hands-on approach that encourages active and collaborative learning, with or without using technology, as an alternative to the more passive, teacher-led lectures. The classroom's communication improves by allowing the discussion to happen from teacher to student and student to student, and the level of engagement increases among learners. Interactions, such as discussion forums, debating and think-pair-share, help develop social skills. In the gamification of learning, the goal is to maximize enjoyment and engagement through capturing the interest of learners and inspiring them to continue learning. (“Gamification of learning,”: Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia). A learner can gain autonomy by engaging and interacting with digital learning tools and resources. Some of the activities include searching and reviewing documents, database searching, and accessing websites. Students strengthen their critical thinking and problem-solving skills using a much more holistic approach to learning. (What is Interactive Learning? - Overview & Tools, 2016)

There have been many innovative advances in technology-based learning and digital tools that have proven beneficial in education. As technology continues to evolve, we need to consider how important it is to provide educators with additional resources and training. Otherwise, any new technology will be ineffective.

References:

Wikipedia contributors, "Early theories in child psychology," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Early_theories_in_child_psychology&oldid=982654092 (accessed October 27, 2020).

Wikipedia contributors, "Gamification of learning," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gamification_of_learning&oldid=983652083 (accessed October 27, 2020).

"What is Interactive Learning? - Overview & Tools." Study.com. August 10, 2016. http://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-interactive-learning-overview-tools.html.