Do You Provide Personalized Learning?

I recently read an article from the summer issue of neaToday that got me wondering about personalized learning. (“What’s Next?” by Tim Walker http://neatoday.org/2017/06/09/personalized-learning/). As I get ready to get back to my classroom, I am thinking about the new buzz words for the year and what the focus will be. Personalized learning is not a new topic. Sometimes it is called student centered learning, differentiation, or individualized instruction.

In an average class size of 20+, creating individualized education while teaching by yourself seems to be a monumental task. I would guess that the curriculum that teachers are given and the grading system teachers are to use are not conducive to this either. If personalized learning includes access to electronic devices for a class, resources to achieve this will also be lacking for many teachers.

Based on the article and other articles online, some teachers are concerned about the role of technology and the role of the teacher in the classroom. I can see the benefits of this type of learning since one size does not fit all. Having access to learning experiences that are tailored to meet student needs sounds very beneficial to students in heterogeneous classes.

Whereas it is great for a student to practice skills that match their needs, do these programs take away from the social aspects of learning? What are the difficulties teachers may encounter as education moves more to a student centered learning environment? Do teachers have the knowledge of how to best implement this in the classroom? Do they know the best way to meet the academic goals of their district while still having a personalized learning environment? Does their schedule allow for this shift? Is there more work to be done at home for the teacher and the student? Are there other support personnel to help?

In many classrooms, I would think that there is a combination of whole group learning and opportunities for personalized learning. How does this look in your classroom? What subjects lend themselves easier to this type of learning? Can this be done without additional adult support? Have you had adequate professional development to feel confident in making this work in your classroom? Does creating this type of environment involve more work for teachers? I love Ted talks videos and I found one that gives some insight into how personalized learning can look in the classroom. It is definitely worth a watch.

Reimagining Classrooms: Teachers as Learners and Students as Leaders | Kayla Delzer

What are your ideas? Please join the conversation.