• “I had my 8^th graders in my multimedia technology class enter the inaugural White House Student Film Festival, a video contest for kindergarten through 12th-grade students. Finalists have their short films shown at the White House with the President in attendance. Submission criteria was to highlight the power of technology in schools, addressing themes of how schools use technology and/or the role technology will play in education in the future. Even though Tim’s  (8^th grade student) film did not win, it is an excellent submission. “

While this is an excellent example of the power and potential of learning in a 1:1 environment, it also really emphasized to me the concept of having a true “authentic audience.”  As educators, take some of your typical classroom tasks and pause to ask yourself the following question….

How could we share  and adapt this performance task for a more authentic audience?

The articles below provide some examples of how an authentic audience can be created both within a school structure, but also beyond the school walls.

Educational Leadership:  Give Students Ownership of Their Learning:  The Power of Audience

Creative Educator:  Authentic Audiences.  Overcoming the Myth of “When I Grow Up”