Personal Learning

The term “personalized learning” has often been misunderstood. What does that mean for schools and students? Personalized learning is difficult to define because by its very nature, it looks different for every learner.  It may be best to start with what it isn’t.  Personalized learning does not mean that each child should have a unique program.   The big idea of personalized learning put simply is  that students take a much more active role in their learning, that they become far more engaged in their learning and that learning is a shared endeavor between students, families, schools, and communities.

It, therefore, is really about the things that make learning meaningful and powerful for students.  There are no programs or prescribed steps to achieving personalized learning, rather, personalized learning happens when students are fully engaged in their learning, when they have ownership in their learning, when they can talk with confidence about their learning, when they see the relevance of their learning and when they know where they are going with their learning.  The challenge for schools, however, is to develop the practices and create the networks that will increase these kinds of learning experiences for all kids.

I would like to invite readers to share examples of when you or your child felt particularly engaged and fully connected to new learning and what were the circumstances and what was your involvement as a parent? For my friend’s primary aged child, they cited the relationship with the classroom teacher to be the most significant influence on her level of connectedness and engagement with school and her learning.   It is the same for my children, it was the same for me when I was in school and I would suspect the same holds true for most children.

Again, I invite your comments or other examples of personalized learning experiences.

Reference

1. Campbell, R. J. et al (2007) Personalised Learning: Ambiguities in Theory and Practice. British Journal of Educational Studies, 55 (2), 135-154.
2. Personal Learning Plans: http://www.highlandschools-virtualib.org.uk/ltt/whole_learner/plp.htm