Personalize Learning (#plearnchat)

Discover in this interview how Roger Cook has implemented a Performance-based Education System with Zero Dropouts.

During his first year as Superintendent, Mr. Cook transformed Taylor County Schools into a performance-based educational system, challenged teachers and students to meet 21st century expectations with rigor and relevance, and spearheaded the effort to fund new, much-needed facilities.

The drop-out policy for our schools states that any student wishing to drop-out of school must come to the superintendent's office and meet with me. I listen to their reasons for wanting to drop-out and then tell them they are not allowed to do it. Our board of education policy states that no students can drop-out before the age of 18 years of age. The state has now adopted this policy into law with Senate Bill 95. I then proceed to find them an alternative they can live with and still get their diploma.

Instead of waiting until a learner fails, you can target each learner's specific learning needs when they need it as they need it. In fact, in a Personalized Learning Environment, learners own and drive their learning by designing their learning goals with their teacher. The teacher uses interventions based on the learning goals right from the beginning of the learning process.

The conversations continue about what is Personalized Learning, transforming learning instead of reforming learning, learners taking ownership of their learning and teachers as partners in learning. We believe our purpose is to share what we learn from you and with you about ideas, resources, research, and from the journeys of educators and learners who are personalizing learning. This newsletter is about the conversations! 

This Feature Article by Barbara Bray and Kathleen McClaskey provides the background on what is and what is not Personalized Learning, the Stages of Personalized Learning that impacts teacher and learner roles, and the process using the six steps to personalize learning in a Stage One PLE (Personalized Learning Environment). 

Ben shared the curriculum that is experiential, learner-focused and based on these 7 MS competencies:

>> Self-Assessor: in health, mind, spirituality and organization

>>  Contributor: through empathy and understanding; making a difference to the surrounding world

>> Creator: being an innovator, designer and maker of new things

>> Communicator: with compassion through oral, written, visual, musical, non-verbal and dance.

>> Collaborator: team member, leading and negotiating, sharing

>> Explorer: showing curiosity, taking risks and experimenting

>> Thinker: creative, critical, analytical, broad minded

They came up with the 3 Big Ideas last year. For one week three times during the year, there are themes where learners self-direct their learning.

We met Lisa and Wanda last year as co-teachers but this year they have added Susie to their K-2 co-teaching team in a personalized learning environment. They call their classroom "The Garden".

Their philosophy is that just like flowers, we all grow differently, in different situations and at different times.  And, just like flowers, we bloom! Their B.U.D.S. acronym helps us to remember this:

Believe that we can learn ANYTHING
Understand what we really need to know
Discover these things
Share our learning with others so that they can grow through collaboration

Learn more about how the learners in "The Garden" are growing, sharing and teaching each other!

This video gives you an inside look at what happens when you give the learner ownership to their learning. The Independent Project was so successful at Monument Mountain Regional High School, they did it again and has been duplicated in other schools. This is an example of what a Stage Three personalized learning environment is - learner-driven. (http://www.personalizelearning.com/2012/05/stages-of-personalized-learning.html)

A thank you goes out to Principal Marianne Young who agreed to the Independent Project and the learners who demonstrated to the world what a learner-driven environment is and what it can do for the diverse learner in all of us!

Join us at ISTE 2013 to learn about this model that provides the steps and tools to personalize learning to motivate, engage, and give learners a voice in Common Core lessons!

Don't miss this project that was designed by learners at The Inquiry Hub. The back story is that the learners wrote a grant so they could design and built this community garden. Here are some insights into The Inquiry Hub.

"The structure of the Inquiry Hub is around topics. In the morning, the teachers and learners start off with a topical workshop. Then the learners work on online courses guided by their teachers. In the afternoon they work on their inquiry project individually and/or collaboratively. Dave shared a topic that took a life of its own: The Green Inquiry Project where Shauna, Sophia, and Hanna wrote and received a wildlife grant as part of their environmental sustainability group."

All of us are learners. Think about it. We were born curious and open to learning or we wouldn't walk or talk. It's just how each of us were made. Learning is part of us. We were not born students-- we were born learners. Our first experiences of learning was through play and discovery.

A learner...

>> develops their own learning goals.

>> monitors their progress in meeting their goals.

>> has a purpose or interest to learn something.

>> asks questions.seeks information.

>> finds ways to collaborate with others.

>> wants to know something because they want to know it -- not for a grade.

>> is curious about life and never stops learning.

Rethink what the term "student" implies.

All the references to student that we could find represent someone who studies or is being taught as part of an institution.

What are your thoughts about using the term "learner" instead of "student"?

Why is the focus in education becoming all about technology tracking data? Tracking data is being framed around "personalized learning" or "personalized education" as a new educational reform movement. This is not new or revolutionary. Personalized learning is not about customization, adapting curriculum, personalizing education or personalizing instruction. Personalizing learning is not about reform. It is about transforming our current educational system.

The expert learners from Mid-Pacific Institute collaborated on a global water project where they were driven by their passion, goals and dreams. Kai, one of these expert learners expressed it in this way:

"One of the major points about the Water project is that it was completely drawn and lead by our dreams, goals and passions. We, as students and as individuals, created this project and with help of a few truly remarkable, incredible people,  we have been given the opportunity to reach our dreams, find our passions and pursue our goals. One thing stands alone everywhere you look. There's the famous, the rich, and the important. It all started with a passion. Everything can be achieved with passion, opportunity and drive. You make your own destiny." Kai

Sarah share the lessons that she has learned in creating a learner-centered environment where her learners assess their own work and the work of their peers. Here is the question we asked and her response of what she called her "Top Ten".

What have you learned and what changes have you made from your initial steps?

"I have learned a lot in the past four years. Here is a top ten of what I have learned:

10. Don’t underestimate the abilities/flexibility of students.
9.  Never assume the abilities/flexibility of students.
8.  Share struggles, successes, questions with colleagues and students.
7.  Don’t scrap the old stuff; as long as it meets a target, it is worthy.
6.  Communicate with parents and students a lot, you can not communicate too much.
5.  Find ways to create a bridge between the old system and the new system.
4.  Stay organized.
3.  Work with your team of teachers to create interdisciplinary units.
2.  Nothing works as a canned program, modify as needed.
1.  Have fun!"

Valerie Glueck and Shelley Moody, 4th grade teachers at at Williams Elementary School in Oakland, Maine explain how they unpack the standards with their learners and how learners monitor their own progress. Here is pointed comment that tells a story about how these learners have ownership to their learning:

"But it's so neat when after a couple of days of unpacking the learning targets, we say, "Ok, so what are we working on?" And hands go up, "Oh, I know exactly what we're working on. We're adding and subtracting fractions with like demoninators today, Mrs. Glueck." "Yes, that's great. And how are you going to show me that you're proficient"?" and, generally, they can articulate that."

Thank you Valerie and Shelley for sharing your learner-centered experiences!