ABSTRACT
The first step to engaging students' minds and getting them grappling with content is to ensure they have a felt need to learn. The Learner-Active, Technology-Infused Classroom is a framework that includes problem-based Authentic Learning Units (ALUs), a collection of structures that put students in charge of their own learning, and powerful teacher facilitation of learning. The ALU, therefore, with a problem-based task at the core, serves as the cornerstone of the learning experience. A well-crafted ALU addresses curricular standards and, even though it is focused on specific subject-area content, often addresses standards from across the year and across subject areas. Audience could include school-based personnel, as in the case of pitching the idea for a new elective to the principal, or making recommendations to the food services director for new menu items based on student surveys and nutritional analysis.
