Wings and a Wand

2/4/23 – This book challenges my thinking in regard to authentic learning opportunities as a teacher or instructional coach and as a parent.  I realize that in order to create these opportunities that I need to focus on “The Big Picture” as well as keeping the end in mind.  As a parent, my husband, is really good at this in always challenging me to enable our son to learn things on his own.  It also reminds me how he, as an instructor, likes to teach his students in auto tech with more lab time vs lecture.  One example is how he teaches about transmissions.  He supports the learning with informative teaching but loves when he takes all the pieces of a transmission and dumps them on a lab table.  Then, he tells his students to put it back together.  They have resources at their finger tips to see what is needed.  They have him as a coach and mentor.  However, the transmission is like a puzzle where all the pieces need be put back together correctly for it to work, and the students are required to “solve the puzzle.”  It’s his way of creating an authentic learning environment since this is what many will face in an automotive repair facility without the help of a mentor or a coach.