After our discussion on Anchored Instruction and the Jaspers materials, it appears that everyone agrees that this type of approach is valuable in the classroom at all levels. Anchored instruction attempts to give students authentic learning experiences through open-ended, inquiry-based problems, using tools that will motivate students, and strives to create an authentic learning experience where students can make meaningful connections to real life and apply their knowledge to the outside world. This method is consistent with the constructivist learning theory where hands-on learning and collaboration are considered essential for buildings one’s understanding using prior-knowledge.
Through the discussions this week one key point that stood out to me was that anchored instruction is less about the technology and more about the strategies and learning experiences planned by the teacher. Authentic learning then requires careful consideration of what tools best suit what concept you want your students to grasp. Perhaps in some instances, it will involve a movie such as the Jaspers materials where students are working together to solve problems, but other times perhaps students are working on their own.
In regards to the Jaspers materials, while it appeared that everyone agreed they were a valuable resource it was interesting that Elske pointed out that no long-term data was collected to see if the positive outcomes were long-lasting, and no adverse results were ever yielded. While we can agree that we use similar approaches and more modern but similar resources today, are they having the desired effects that we think they do? Perhaps we need to look at how teachers are utilizing these resources and re-consider their purpose.