Authentic Learning

Fifth grade students display more meaningful retention of knowledge through collaboration and ownership of their projects in Share.

“As a problem-based learning consultant, I was called on to challenge fifth graders to think critically about the cultures of Native Americans. I knew that to engage students and make learning meaningful, students must research, collect information, synthesize and create for an authentic purpose, or audience. I decided to incorporate work with Share.

From the moment the students were presented with the task of creating websites for fifth-grade classrooms at a neighboring elementary school, they were engaged and enthused. Knowing other students were relying on their projects put them in the driver’s seat and helped the students take responsibility and ownership of their learning.

As students worked with Share, engagement and enthusiasm continued to flourish. Students quickly learned how to create pages, add navigation and links, and add images, text, clip art, sound, and more. Students took off running, collaborating and sharing with peers. Every Share project was unique, reflecting the personality of its creator.

When asked about the project, fifth grader Shyanne S. commented, ‘I like creating projects rather than taking tests. When I create something, it sticks in my brain!’”