How I Embrace Personalized Learning

 Imagine yourself as a child. What did you love about school? Wait a moment… really picture it. Was it a certain teacher who made you feel seen? Was it a subject that lit you from within, so much that you thought about it even while at home? Perhaps it was a community of friends, mentors, coaches and teachers who helped you become the person you are today.

The things we love about school are personal. They involve relationships, opportunity, imagination and challenge. These things foster our independence, our critical thinking, and encourage our ability to grow into adults who are dialogic, critical thinkers and imaginative problem solvers.

Community, I ask you: is that what you want teachers to do?

Should we not prepare the next generation to contribute to our society? What kind of society do we want? Perhaps a society full of average, one-size-fits-all, thinkers? The education system we currently use was designed perfectly for industrialization, 100 years ago. Although our society and economy have changed, education is still stuck in the assembly-line model, as Todd Rose relates in his compelling Ted Talk, The Myth of Average.

I know every one of you reading would support a society of free thinking, independent, critical thinkers. Let me tell you, reader, that is possible when teachers are free to use personalized learning. 

Personalized learning is a transformative way to accomplish learning goals. Instead of a teacher-driven, standardized learning environment, students in a personalized learning environment drive themselves. With their teacher, they discover their strengths and weaknesses as learners. They use this knowledge to create learning activities to meet their learning objectives. Each student may learn the same standard in a different way. That is ok!

When teachers embrace personalized learning, some things we hold important will be lost. The quiet classroom. The tidy rows of desks. All eyes focused on the teacher as she solely relates the knowledge the students must acquire. We can have those elements sometimes, but they will no longer be modus-operandi.

I must admit that I am quite comfortable allowing my students freedom in the classroom. My classroom is rarely silent. I prefer to hear a classroom buzz. Personalization definitely brings a buzz to the classroom, as students work in different areas, on different tasks, in groups or alone.  I enjoy finding ways to reach my students that really relate to them personally, and I love finding ways to overcome any barriers they may have! I'm quite ready to embrace a learning style that will keep the room abuzz!

This series of blog posts will dive into personalized learning. I hope they inspire you to bring the buzz to your classroom, too!

If you're already eager to learn more, dig into these websites to begin your journey:

Make Learning Personal by Kathleen McClaskey

Why Personalized Learning is Important by Kelli Marshall of ThinkCERCA

Rethinking Learning - Barbara Bray