What are authentic audiences and why are they important?

"When there is an authentic audience for work, there is a transformative effect not just on the final product but, more importantly, the whole process."

(Mark Miller, The Goldfish Bowl Links to an external site. blog)

The Hierarchy of Audience

Take a moment to watch at least the first 30 seconds of the video above. Is this really how we want students to feel about the work they create?

Ron Berger, author of Leaders of Their Own Learning, is a proponent of authentic audiences, or more specifically, increasing student motivation by encouraging them to be creators that are of service to the world. In Leaders of Their Own Learning Links to an external site., Berger outlines the hierarchy of audience to lend authenticity and purpose to student work. 

 

Article: "Deeper Learning: Highlighting Student Work"

Click the image below to read an article by Ron Berger on helping kids reach excellence through the creation of products with value in the real world.