Real and Relevant

Providing students with an education that is both relevant and REAL is important. We must not only make connection, but also show them how to use and apply what they are learning to do something purposeful in the real world. This makes learning more meaningful for them. Creating an environment that is conducive to being relevant and real engages the students in their learning. It can and SHOULD be done at all grade levels. Being a first grade teacher and with the examples given in the book, it made me ponder on how I provide my students with real-world connections.  I got to thinking and I am glad to say that I do! For example, my students were learning about surveys in which they had to conduct surveys, organize data, represent data, and interpret data. This was right around the time that the presidential election was going on, so it was a great opportunity to incorporate a current event with surveys. My students "voted" for who they wanted to be president. I did engage students with relevant and REAL learning! YAY! :)