Personalized Learning: What is it? Why do we need it? How do we accomplish it? After surfing through mounds of professional articles and taking the dive into the great unknown of personalized learning, to say I am an expert on this topic would be a gross overstatement. Even some of the experts in education do not agree on a solid definition of personalized learning. Some confuse “personalized” learning with “individualized” learning, and I can tell you first hand, it’s easy to do just that. During this 2017-2018 school year, I am serving as one of the Lead Learners for the Personalized Learning ONEThing cohort at Excelsior Springs High School. I, along with my team, have spent many hours pouring over articles, researching the significance of personalized learning, weighing the pros and cons, and trying to figure out how to implement personalized learning at all grade levels. I want to share with you some of our findings. What is the reason for the big push for personalized learning? According to The Institute for Personalized Learning, “...our current system was not designed for all learners to be educated at high levels.” The Institute further states, “The [current] system has not become worse. It actually continues to improve--just not enough.” Our society has changed drastically. Students’ needs have changed with the vast amount of technology advancements that have become available. Our current system is lagging behind in its ability to meet those needs. The end goal is to engage learners, and to help them become more independent, more socially aware, and to prepare them for life after high school, whether they choose to attend college, become an apprentice, or directly enter the workforce. Hanover Research, in their 2013 report, “Professional Development for Personalized Learning Practices,” declared personalized learning as “an emerging trend that seeks to support student‐centered, 21st century teaching and learning.” Benjamin Herold, in his EdWeek post from July 11, 2017 titled “Personalized Learning: Modest Gains, Big Challenges, RAND Study Finds,” states this interpretation of personalized learning: “In the world of K-12 education, personalized learning generally means using software and other digital technologies to tailor instruction to each student's strengths and weaknesses, interests and preferences, and optimal pace of learning.” The researchers at RAND identified four components essential to what they refer to as personalized learning:
Hanover Research also included these essential elements of personalized learning, as identified by attendees of a 2010 symposium:
The role of the teacher changes in a personalized learning environment from an information “giver” to more of a “supporter” or “coach." The following key practices, identified by Hanover, are important to the success of the program:
As with anything, challenges come about when trying to implement personalized learning programs school-wide:
John F. Pane, a scientist and chair in education innovation at RAND, said that “while there’s enough evidence to date to keep pursuing personalized learning, this will likely be a race won by slow-and-steady tortoises, rather than hares who rush out of the gate with the expectations of quick, dramatic transformations.” In summary, we can conduct months and months of research about personalized learning, but the truth is, we won’t know the outcome and how our students will respond until we take the risk and begin giving them more choice in class. I am proud of our ONEThing Cohort members who have taken the leap and implemented changes in their classrooms to make their students' learning more personalized. Some have changed the format of their lessons and have given students more voice and choice (such as a “Must Do, May Do” list of options). Some have changed the physical classroom environment by bringing in flexible seating and creating various zones (quiet zones, collaboration zones, etc.), to help meet the needs of individual learners. Based on my unscientific opinion and observations, some students do well with having more freedom. Some still need more structure with less freedom. I had a very clear picture of what I thought personalized learning should look like in a math classroom, only because I had seen it in action upon visiting several different school districts across the state of Missouri. However, trying to re-create an exact replica of what other districts have implemented is a challenge in itself. Trying to change what has “always been” takes time, patience, flexibility, and a great deal of communication between teachers, administrators, students, and community. Sometimes success will come. Sometimes failure will take its place...and this is where everyone learns to be resilient. Bottom line, as educators, we want to give every single student the best opportunity to succeed in our ever-changing world, and we continuously look for ways in which to accomplish this goal. It’s up to us to communicate this vision to our students and, without crushing their creativity, model that vision over and over again until they can branch out on their own and fully take charge of their own learning. Links to personalized learning resources: Personalized Learning: Modest Gains, Big Challenges, RAND Study Finds http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/DigitalEducation/2017/07/personalized_learning_research_implementation_RAND.html?cmp=eml-contshr-shr Professional Development for Personalized Learning Practices http://www.hanoverresearch.com/media/Professional-Development-for-Personalized-Learning-Practices.pdf Personalized Learning Implementation Toolkit https://www.kmsd.edu/cms/lib/WI01919005/Centricity/Domain/484/PersonalizedLearningImplementationToolkit.pdf Training Tools for Curriculum Development http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0025/002500/250057e.pdf These 7 Trends Are Shaping Personalized Learning https://www.educationdive.com/news/these-7-trends-are-shaping-personalized-learning/434575/ ThingLink: 7 Principles of Personalized Learning (Fulton County Schools) https://goo.gl/images/8fzCeC
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At this point in the school year, kids are tired. We're tired. Patience? Not sure where it went. We feel like everyone is shutting down. But yesterday, as my sophomores were practicing their performance event for the EOC, many of them legitimately tried - some taking close to the whole hour - even though it was "just a tutorial." So, sophomores...THANK YOU.
This week hasn't been a cakewalk for anyone. It's all too easy to see only the negative. You gave me the boost I didn't know I needed. Every day, I try to soak up the last moments in class with all of you before you move on. Most of you have been in my class for two years straight. We have driven each other crazy on many occasions. You were integral in developing the vision for our classroom's flexible learning environment. Remember our "family meetings" a year ago when we brainstormed about what our classroom, and our school, could be? You talked about what would help you be more comfortable in school. You all helped make that classroom transformation happen. So, sophomores, THANK YOU. Your conversations during class were much more meaningful this year. You put yourselves on the line and actually talked about MATH...something that didn't happen last year. You teamed up and helped each other understand concepts on many occasions. You also helped create the kind of environment where we weren't afraid to laugh, to debate, or to shed tears together...and we did those three things on countless occasions. So, sophomores...THANK YOU. I love all of you dearly. We've all learned so much about ourselves and each other over the past two years. I love the fact I'll get to see some of you in our new resource room next year...but I'm feeling that sentimental little tug on my heart strings, and I can't believe we only have a little over three weeks of school left. Make the most of the next few weeks. Know that I want you to do well and finish strong...and also know that you are more than a test score, and test scores are not indicative of your future success. Be your best...and don't settle for anything less than that. Sincerely, Mrs. Whitt P.S. - Juniors in my "sophomore" classes...this includes you too!! :) Hello, Strangers! It’s been a while. I’ve started this post about five different times, each time focusing on something different. I wanted to write and brag about my Student Council kids and my fabulous Co-Advisor, and what a fantastic job they all did with Home Sweet Homecoming 2016. I wanted to write about Veteran’s Day and all the hard work they put into the ceremony honoring all those who have served our great Country. I wanted to write about the opportunity to be part of an amazing group of fellow Teachers and Administrators who are excited to go on fact-finding missions and brainstorm about how we can best serve our students. I wanted to write about how, in November, our plates are full - extremely full for some - but our hearts are somehow always fuller, which keeps us pushing through the exhaustion and frustration that sometimes creeps in this time of the year. What is the common denominator (excuse the math pun) of all of these things? Our kiddos. Why do we do what we do, day in and day out? Because…two words…our kiddos. Many of you have asked how the flexible learning space is going, and I figured this would be a good time to share the results to date. This school year, I find myself observing my students far more than I have in years past. I’ve observed their emotional state during class. I’ve observed their conversations. I’ve observed their seating choices. And I could make many assumptions about how they feel in their math classroom, but as my Mammaw King used to say - and pardon the profanity but I promised from day one I would be real - when you ASSume, you make an ASS out of U and ME. Thanks, Mammaw King, for teaching me that lesson early in life! So, to truly find out how the flexible learning space is going, I asked the most important resource: my kiddos. I made a survey using Google forms. The survey was completely voluntary, and open to all of my Algebra/Geometry A and Algebra Geometry B (mainly freshmen and sophomore) classes. Roughly two-thirds of my students took the survey. Here are the highlights: 86.2% said the flexible learning space made them feel happy. 86.2% said the space made them feel comfortable. 87.9% wished they had more flexible seating options throughout the whole school. 63.8% said it is easier to work in groups. One student said he/she would rather have desks in rows. The most popular pieces of furniture are the futon, bean bag chairs, the kitchen table and chairs, tall tables, and cushioned tall-back chairs. The Fridge (the wall where student work/art is displayed) was also popular with over half of the students who took the survey. But the most surprising favorite of all wasn’t a piece of furniture…it was the lighting! On many days, we shut off the fluorescent lights and leave all the lamps and string lights and lighted trees on, which together with natural light from our one window, produces enough light for them to still complete their work but in a calmer atmosphere. Wow…I didn’t expect that result! And, probably the most important result and the one that had me a little emotional… 100% of students who completed the survey said the space provided a positive environment. So, despite the Big Joe bean bag explosion that occurred during the first month of school, which resulted in a duct tape/staple fix… Despite the other bean bag Deflate Gate (they look more like pancakes now, but kids still lay on them)… Despite the leg randomly falling off of one of the tall tables in the middle of class due to a stripped-out screw, not due to abuse… Despite me having to ban the futon from time to time, when students get a little too comfortable… Our classroom is still a place where kids say they feel comfortable, safe, and a place where they say they feel like they can engage in deeper conversations and take some risks. Do we still have a long way to go? Absolutely. Does change take place overnight? No. Does everyone like change? Not at all. Will everyone react positively to flexible learning spaces? Never. But are we doing some good things in the classroom to help each other be more successful? I believe so. I’ve had to overcome a lot of my Type A personality tendencies throughout this process. If a kid wants to sit in a tall-back chair and prop one of the small side tables on his lap to use as a writing surface, so be it. If a kid lays belly-down on the futon and puts his packet of work on the floor to write in it, as long as the work is being done, so be it. If a kid wants to drag out all of the rubber interlocking mats and sit in a corner to take her test, so be it. If a kid wants to spin around on the wobble stools during a discussion, but still participates, so be it…just don’t fall and break your head. You do you, kiddos. At the end of the day, our classroom is nothing short of a disaster zone. Actually, by the end of 3rd hour, our classroom is nothing short of a disaster zone…and it gets worse by the time the 2:27 dismissal bell rings. Furniture and bean bags are everywhere. Coffee tables are awkwardly sitting in weird places. Stools are all over the place. But kids are using the space to meet their needs, and that was the intent all along. And I am okay with that. And yes, at the end of the day, the first thing I do (after raiding my chocolate drawer) is shut off the fluorescents (if they’re even on), turn on Pandora radio, and spend about 10-15 minutes straightening the room out again before I can even begin to think about tackling grading or working on the next Stuco event or searching for more resources/research for my Innovative Learning Environments group. My colleagues even pop in from time to time to just sit, decompress, and enjoy the calm at the end of the day. The space has not just affected my kids’ attitudes…it has affected mine as well. The environment we have created together is yet one more reason I love coming to work every day. Just this past Friday, I took a break from math packets for a bit and had “Family Meetings” with my morning classes. I’ve pushed these kids hard all year, and felt like we hadn’t had the opportunity to talk, collectively, for a very long time. We moved the tables out of our way and pulled the chairs together. We dragged the carpet blocks toward the center of our sitting area. Some kids plopped down on bean bags right in front of me. Some pulled up their chairs up right next to mine. It truly did feel like a family. And then we got REAL. We talked about what was going well at our school. We talked about what we could do better. We talked about why some students only come to school once every couple of weeks, or not at all. I asked them to dream about what their ideal school would look like if there were no limits on resources. The conversation was intentional, and therefore, incredible. Our kiddos are a wealth of insight. We need to tap into those insights more often. Kids appreciate being heard. I can’t wait to share their thoughts and hear from my Flexible Learning teammates this week about how similar convos went in their classrooms. All in all, this journey is just that…a journey. It continues to be a huge learning process with bumps and roadblocks, and figuring everything out along the way instead of having all the answers up front. The furniture is just the tip of the iceberg when looking at the things that benefit our students. We need to keep pressing on, keep researching, keep trying new things, keep taking risks, and above all, keep talking to students to see what’s working and what could be better. Until next time, I hope your heart stays more full than my bean bags! Sheri P.S. - Below is a slide show of our 2nd quarter happenings. I tried my best to post the pics throughout this blog post. Epic fail. I'm still learning...and trying... "I love your purple room!" "Thanks. It's blue." "No...it's obviously purple!" "IT'S NOT PURPLE!" "Well, then it's graple! Or maybe BLURPLE!" The friendly banter with the Custodians the week after school ended in May as I was painting my room was very entertaining. And my new nickname is Graple. Honestly, I didn't plan to transform my high school math classroom into an innovative learning space all at once. I planned to keep half of my big, bulky, classroom desks with the chairs attached, and change up the other half of my classroom. But, anyone who knows me very well knows it is impossible for me to do anything halfway...it's either all or nothing. This journey began one year ago, when I came back to teaching part-time after taking a year off. When I walked into my classroom, my first thought was, "Gag. I need to get rid of these desks." But when you're used to doing something the same way for 10 years, change tends to be pretty scary. Over the following months, I researched flexible learning spaces, innovative learning spaces, classroom redesign, makerspaces...basically anything I could get my hands on to give me an idea of how to begin a transformation, and I needed the research to back it up. But the most important thing I did was observe my kids. If you look closely, you can tell whether kids are comfortable in their learning space. Some fidget in their seats. Some complain about their backs hurting. Some, when given time to work, leave their desks with the attached chairs and choose to sit on the hard floor, because they don't want to sit in the desks any longer. Some stand. I couldn't sit in my kids' desks for 10 minutes without wanting to roll out onto the floor...and I expected my kids to be able to sit comfortably AND concentrate AND be engaged when I couldn't even do that myself? What an idiot I was. In May, it was time to have a heart-to-heart with the kids. I had four classes of freshmen, who would be looped into my classes again as sophomores. I didn't know the best way to approach the topic, but I knew their input was the most important piece of the puzzle. I started off by saying, "Hey guys, I need your help." Those four words - I NEED YOUR HELP - were magic. Their ears perked up. They looked at me like I had two heads. What teacher asks KIDS for advice? I went on to tell them my observations about our learning space. Immediately, their ideas came pouring out. I couldn't write them down fast enough. I finally had to stop them and ask if they would be open to filling out a few questions on a Google form (not mandatory). The next school day, I gave them the QR code so they could scan it and go to the form I created. Those students who didn't have their iPad or phone were grabbing sheets of notebook paper so they could give their input as well. I knew, at this point, there was NO turning back. I could no longer dig my heels in and put on my brakes. I was on the edge of that cliff, about to be pushed off into the deep water. An innovative learning space HAD to happen. Luckily, I am blessed with a wonderful Administration team who was all for the transformation. I asked my kids what colors they liked, and 84% of those who answered the survey questions listed some shade of blue, thus, the blurple paint color. Yes, I taped off, primed, and painted the room myself. It took a week. It was a b*&ch. Just being honest. I asked the kids what type of furniture made them the most comfortable. I asked what supplies they wanted. I asked them if we should keep our current desks, and why or why not. Their responses were eye-opening. And now for the controversial piece: I decided to furnish the room myself. I had items sitting at home that were collecting dust, and my classroom would be the perfect new home for them. My other (part-time) job allowed me to buy several new pieces of furniture, and I had decided a few months prior that this was the route I wanted to take. What if the District purchased my furniture and the whole experiment crashed and burned? I wanted to test the waters first. I wanted to be the guinea pig. And if it worked for my kids, then other teachers would have a resource and a jumping-off point to start making small changes in their rooms or common areas as well. And I was way, way, waaaaaaaaay out of my comfort zone! But, it's not about ME... I started with IKEA. I hate IKEA. But their prices were reasonable for what the kids had requested. My first trip to IKEA was pure fact-finding. I walked through the store, trying out the furniture, sitting in the chairs, making a fool of myself wiggling around in them to make sure they were sturdy, and took pictures of the items and their info cards that I thought would work in our classroom. I measured our classroom and brainstormed possible layouts. Once I decided on what to buy and how many of each item, I went back to IKEA, did a quick walk-through of the store again (10 minutes max - didn't want to give myself time to back out), took my list of items to a warehouse worker, and had him look up everything on my list to make sure it was in stock. That step saved a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth that would have happened later. On my list was a variety of chairs, stools, tables (some with casters), rugs, and lamps. The furniture was to be light and easy to move, but sturdy. He printed a list of my items in order by aisle and bin number, which made picking the items extremely easy. The only bump in the road happened as we overloaded one of the carts, attempted to turn it, and all the boxes crashed into the middle of an aisle. All in all, it took my husband and I around five hours to put all the items together the next day. Everything was pretty easy to build, much to my surprise. Side note: make sure to sign up for their rewards program. I saved a bit of money and they'll give you a free meal based on how much you buy. Food tip: The Swedish meatballs are delightful. The indigestion afterward is not as delightful. I had to wash it down with a piece of chocolate cake. IKEA is bad for your health. ;) I picked up some Big Joe bean bag chairs, tray tables, and bar stools at Walmart; rubber locking mats and clipboards from Sam's Club, and found a good deal online for individual white boards and stick-on white boards for the tables. I had been hoarding stuff from Michael's since August...join their rewards program, wait for the 60% and 70% off coupons, and for the 40% off coupon for your WHOLE cart, hit the clearance aisle, take the teacher discount as well, and you'll be surprised at how much you can cheaply acquire. Oriental Trading is also a good, reasonable resource. I bought some paper decorations, geometry solids and brain break blocks. The space isn't done. It will never be done. I expect my furniture to be moved every day. I expect the kids to try new seats every day, even multiple seats at appropriate times during class. We have to have expectations in place, and classroom management has to be on point from day one. But...I cannot wait to get the kids in the classroom and hear their feedback. And yes, I am expecting both positive and negative feedback from kids and parents. I've already had my Student Council kids, some of our Cheerleaders, and a team of Teachers and Administrators for our District inservice try it out. I wish I had video recordings of their expressions as they entered the room...some were priceless. This is a continuous work in progress and learning process for all of us. I could write a few more paragraphs, but this is enough for now. Check out the picture gallery. A small sample of my favorite resources are listed below. If you have any questions, please comment or email me and I'll be happy to chat with you. If you have suggestions, I'll be happy to hear them! The worst thing is re-inventing the wheel. Teachers who keep everything to themselves grind my gears. If kids are our main focus, we need to be sharing all our insights and resources with each other - building to building, district to district, state to state, country to country. I have a fantastic PLN both local and worldwide, and they are some of my best resources. Even if you're not ready to take the swan dive into this kind of transformation for your own room, I hope you have the courage to dip a toe into the water and start transforming a corner of your space. Change IS scary. But, change IS necessary. There are grants available, donation sites you can sign up for, and if you put the word out there for what items you need, there is always someone willing to help you. P.S. - I looked at the paint can today. My paint color is Olympic Semi Gloss in BLUE Opal. I KNEW IT WAS BLUE!!!! (insert winky-sticking-out-tongue emoji here;) Resources Blogs that inspired me: Cult of Pedagogy: Classroom Eye Candy Focus 2 Achieve: Starbucks My Classroom Twitter hashtags #StarbucksMyRoom #ClassroomDesign #InnovativeLearningSpaces #FlexibleSeating #FlexibleLearning #CollaborativeSpaces Twitter people to follow Oskar Cymerman @focus2achieve Bob Dillon @ideaguy42 Periscope My video from ISTE 2016 - From the Periscope app, look for me at @sheriwhitt77, and watch the video "Mindsets & Classroom Management for Making in Every Classroom" for ideas about classroom design and makerspaces from a panel of experts. Books The Space: A Guide for Educators (Rebecca Hare, Robert Dillon) |
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