Transitioning from didactic teaching to authentic teaching can be a difficult path. However, as seen in the Most Likely to Succeed documentary, High Tech High school was able to change their pedagogy to a more authentic approach. The school achieved this by having teachers who had more inquiry based and student led projects. I think this really helps students gain more practical skills that they can use further in their lives, such as communication, leadership, and teamwork skills. Despite all the positive outcomes that come along with the authentic pedagogy, teachers still face challenges when transitioning away from traditional ways of learning.
One of the obstacles that educators face is the parents’ concerns. Moving away from didactic teaching worries parents because they may think their child is not learning enough content. Seeing different projects that are led by students may make the parents wonder if the teacher is even teaching. Getting negative feedback from parents may discourage the teacher from continuing with this style of teaching.
In addition to this, the students themselves might feel uncomfortable with this new way of learning. For me, when teachers would assign a project instead of a test, I would feel more overwhelmed. Part of the reason why is because I was familiar with tests and knew what to expect because it was majority of the way I was assessed in school. However, when the teacher assigned something else, such as a group project, I thought to myself I would rather take a test because I am more familiar with that type of evaluation. Because of the familiarity with the didactic pedagogy, students may be reluctant to learn in an authentic way. However, if the students do give it a shot, it can lead to developing new skills. For example, one of the students in the Most Likely to Succeed documentary was really shy and quiet in the beginning of the school year. Towards the end of the documentary, it shows how much confidence she’s gained throughout the year by becoming the director of the student led play. The student was pushed out of her comfort zone but as a result, she ended up gaining lifelong skills, such as leadership, communication, and teamwork.
Changing pedagogies means educators will face obstacles along the way from parents or even students. However, to discover if the authentic pedagogy works, you have to be willing to take risks.
