While taking Seattle Pacific University’s EDTC 6103 Teaching, Learning, and Assessment 2 class, we are asked to investigate the following ISTE Educator Standards:
Designer: Educators design authentic, learner-driven activities and environments that recognize and accommodate learner variability.
Analyst:Educators understand and use data to drive their instruction and support students in achieving their learning goals.
While first researching these standards I was curious about technologies role on supporting personalized learning in the classroom. I had a brief idea of what personalized learning was and set out to find out more on how to integrate personalized learning into my classroom with the support of technology.
- 5a. Use technology to create, adapt and personalize learning experiences that foster independent learning and accommodate learner differences and needs.
- 5b. Design authentic learning activities that align with content area standards and use digital tools and resources to maximize active, deep learning.
- 7a. Provide alternative ways for students to demonstrate competency and reflect on their learning using technology.
Personalized Learning
One Size Does NOT Fit All
Personalized learning differs from the traditional models of teaching in that it is “specifically tailored to students strengths, needs, and interests while ensuring the highest standards possible”. (Grant, 2019) Instead of teaching every student the same, you are looking to see what each student needs in order to grow. This may also mean that students are learning at different paces and ability levels in order to ensure each student is getting what they need in order to succeed.
For example, if you look at the images below you will see three individuals trying to watch a baseball game. On the left you see that each individual was given the same amount of boxes, this can also be equivalent to a teacher giving the same instruction to all students. There may be those who succeed within the lesson similar to the taller individual, but there also may be those who struggle to understand similar to the individual on the right struggling to see.
Similar to the right side of the picture above, in a personalized learning model students are given access to “tools and feedback that motivate them to capitalize on their unique skills and potential” (Grant, 2019) to be successful. Personalized learning empowers students to take a stand in their education and make it meaningful to their lives and interests. By personalizing students education you are preparing them for the 21st century world we live in.
What does this look like?
In Peggy Grant’s book, “Personalized Learning: A Guide for Engaging Students with Technology” she provides the following characteristics to a successful personalized learning initiative:
How is this different than Individualization?
When I first began researching personalized learning I was quite confused on how this was different than individualization. Luckily for me Peggy Grant provided the following chart to help me better understand:
Implementing Digital Tools and Resources
Digital Tools
Digital tools encourage student-centered learning by giving students:
- More control over learning methodologies that fit their best learning style (Grant, 2019)
- A sense of ownership when choosing how they learn best (Grant, 2019)
- Accountability for how they choose to learn (Grant, 2019)
“Digital tools also helps students demonstrate 21st century skills such as communication, collaboration, problem solving, critical thinking, and creativity through the creation, consumption, manipulation, and sharing of digital content.” (Grant, 2019)
Digital Resources
Literacy Resources-“Ebooks, blogs, and discussion boards help students learn as they use their preferred learning styles and interests, as well as
introduce them to multiple texts on similar topics.” (Grant, 2019)
Web Tools- “Podcasts, wikis, and media editors, allow students to demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways. Using these tools not only helps students develop important
technology skills, but also provides ways for students to share their work and benefit from the motivation of an authentic audience.” (Grant, 2019)
Digital Information Resources- “Provide students with immediate answers. Instant access to encylopedia sits, podcats, expert websites and blogs, as well as to social media sites, ensure that students are able to interact effectively with content and experts. “(Grant, 2019)
Learning Management Systems- “Help teachers organize instruction and communicate with students and parents to support personalization by providing a platform for accessing content and keeping records of students’ progress. ” (Grant, 2019)
Khan Academy-Personalized Learning
Resources:
Edutopia. (2017, September 21). Supercharging the Classroom: Using Technology to Support Personalized
Learning. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlhxpU5QdM8
Grant, Peggy. Basye, Dale. (2019). Personalized Learning, A Guide for Engaging Students with Technology. Retrieved from
https://books.google.com/books/about/Personalized_Learning.html?id=p8RSoAEACAAJ
ISTE. (2019). ISTE Standards for Educators. Retrieved from https://www.iste.org/standards/for-educators
