This is a very helpful way for me to continue to be introduced to personalized learning and just what it can look like in a classroom. Personalize, connect with students, know what they like, let them find what they want to know! Build your classroom community so that you can individualize and you can create independent, self-directed learning.
Personalized learning will not look the same as what others may have been used to seeing in a classroom. It can be messy, difficult to plan and schedule, but more engaging in countless numbers of ways. I was impressed with the idea of including the community and on line resources for students to pursue their learning. Expanded learning opportunities (ELO) do just that - expand the world of the student beyond the classroom walls.
What does it look like to meet a standard? The teacher has to define what can be flexible within the curriculum that is being handed to us! Start smaller than thinking students need to be out in the community but have experts come in. We had two resident engineers in our school that could come in and do specific work with students and classes. How to connect with these out of school resources? Twitter? It seems our tech integrationist would be a good person for connections beyond what I can make.
The shift from meeting and completing standards as an end result to designing a project that will have students meet those standards in different, personal ways.
Start a pilot project, always lead with your kids...they will be your strongest advocates and evidence to support what you are doing...
Great take aways. Thank you for this, since I couldn't attend the discussion myself. I especially like the last statement - what a fantastic guiding principle!
ReplyDeleteI have to give credit to Don for that quote. I really liked how he pushed the idea of taking a risk as a teacher, then using student work to justify, document, adapt and keep it moving!
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