Title: Personalized Learning in the K12 Classrooms
Author Name: DaNadia Johnson
1. Introduction
In today’s classrooms, teachers are constantly learning how to adapt instruction to meet the ever-changing needs of learners. The term differentiation has become a huge buzzword in educational settings for several years now. School districts are in search of ways to meet the needs of every learner in their schools and classrooms. In searching for a way to ensure success for all students, some schools have begun to think of ways in which they can further differentiate or “personalize” learning for students. Although the idea of personalized learning is somewhat a new idea or concept in classrooms, it has been presented throughout the history of education in diverse forms. In the early 1800s and 1900’s school districts implemented learning initiatives such as The Pueblo Plan and The Keller plan in an effort to help students learn and master content at their own pace.
Personalized learning aims to provide a student-centered learning environment by personalizing learning experiences for students. This personalization is unique to the individual needs of each student and encourages students to have agency in their learning. Personalized learning looks different in every school and classroom and helps to alleviate the “one size fits all classroom”. Each classroom or learning environment may employ the use of different approaches and strategies to personalize the learning experience for learners. This chapter will provide an overview of the different approaches used in K-12 settings to personalize learning for students, and how effective these approaches are in personalizing learning for K-12 students.
2. Overview of the Case
The term “on-grade level” has presented the idea that all learners are learning on or should be learning on the same level. However, this is not the reality in classrooms. Students and teachers across K-12 classrooms are faced with more learning challenges than ever before. However, within the past several years we have made an effort to understand that learners learn in different capacities and at different paces. As a former teacher and facilitator of personalized learning, I was given autonomy to make decisions in my classroom to benefit the needs of all learners within my learning community. The mission of on personalized learning district (Henry County School District) is to “ensure success for each student”. This school district adopted personalized learning to aid in that mission and vision. The goal of implementing personalized learning in these K-12 classrooms was centered around developing well-rounded students with 21st Century skills. Henry County School district aims to empower its students to be creative critical thinkers who can communicate and collaborate with others effectively.
Although this district adopted personalized learning as their avenue for ensuring success for each student, leaders understood that ultimately this approach will look different in every school and classroom. The district supports schools and teachers by providing autonomy to schools and classrooms in making decisions for individual learning needs.
In my experience as a K-12 personalized learning educator, I was given the opportunity to employ various personalized learning approaches and strategies in my classroom. In using these different approaches, I as well as my colleagues, was given the opportunity to examine the effectiveness of personalized learning in K-12 Classrooms. The question is still up for debate today, how effective is personalized learning in increasing academic achievement and closing the academic achievement gap? In sharing my experience, and research regarding personalized learning we will explore the effectiveness of the common personalized learning approaches implemented in K12 classrooms. In analyzing personalized learning and its effectiveness we can gain a better understanding of how student-centered personalized learning really is, and if this approach truly supports equity and excellence in classrooms.
3. Solutions Implemented
Student Agency
Schools and teachers within the district used several learning strategies and approaches to increase student agency, and create a student-centered learning environment that supported individual learning goals for each learner.
Student agency can be referred to as “learning through activities that are meaningful and relevant to learners, driven by their interests, and often-self initiate with appropriate guidance from teachers” (renaissance). Student agency drives personalized learning by activating voice and choice for K-12 students. Each approach employed by teachers within the district helped to drive student agency, and allow the student to feel a sense of control and agency over what and how they learn. Providing students with the responsibility to make decisions about their learning experience allows them to be active participants in the development and design of their learning experience.
Learner Playlists
In our school’s personalized learning plan, learners are provided what are known as “playlists”. Playlists are a sequence of resources and activities to be completed by students over a significant period of time. These playlists make be completed in a week or several weeks. Playlists typically use a choice board that allows students to choose the activities that they complete and at which pace they work through these activities. Students may be working on different playlists or learning objectives at different times and will produce different evidence of learning, dependent on student interest. These playlists are provided to students in traditional print and digital formats. The use of playlists in classrooms allows students to have agency over the pace at which they learn and how they are processing the content as they work toward standard mastery.
Innovation Stations
Each school within the district is given autonomy in personalizing learning for students. However, one school within the district added a unique feature within their learning plan to further personalize the learning experience for students. My students at this school were assessed at the beginning of each year. The assessment provided was a multiple intelligences assessment based upon Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences. This assessment was created to ask students a series of questions asked questions about their interests. We used this data to provide learning activities known as Innovation Stations. Innovations stations could include activities such as coding, music, cooking, and yoga. The activities chosen for students were based upon their individual interests and multiple intelligences. Visuals and kid-friendly language were used to communicate this information regarding multiple intelligence data to students.
Involving Students in Data and Grading Conversations
Involving students in the reflection of their data is believed to be a facet of personalized learning that helps to increase motivation for students. It is believed that if students are having conversations about their progress, they are more invested in their achievement of academic goals. Furthermore, if they are included in the development of these goals, they are more even more invested in achieving these goals.
Standards-Based Grading and Progress Conferencing
In personalizing learning for students our students within the district were graded on the mastery of each independent standard using standards-based grading. Our personalized learning framework allows students to work on standards at their own pace, therefore when assessing mastery of a skill or learning target, we assess how the student is making progress toward each individual learning target. Typically, with the use of standards-based grading, data is collected over time. Teachers are encouraged to look at a large collection of work, and how the student improved and made progress on the mastery of the standards of the period of time. Furthermore, teachers are also intentional about having conversations with students about their progress toward the learning target.
Student-Led Conferences
Student led-conferences were also a part of the initiative to increase student agency. Data notebooks were provided to students. In my class, each student was provided an age-appropriate data notebook to chart their learning target mastery, MAP data, AR goals, and reflections. Students were to color in their progress throughout the year. Each quarter we met with students one-on-one to reflect on their quarterly goals and create new goals for the upcoming quarter. In understanding their progress students could communicate their own academic progress and goals to their parents. Students are given the opportunity to communicate their progress to their families, and in having agency over that responsibility they become naturally invested in their own achievement and academic progress.
Flexibility in Place and Pace
Flexible Classrooms (Flexible Seating)
Playlists provide students the ability to determine the pace at which they master learning objectives. However, many teachers have adopted the use of flexible seating in their classrooms. Flexible seating is used in many personalized learning K-12 classrooms. However, there has been some debate as to whether the impact of flexible seating is positive or negative in regards to classroom management. Flexible seating is described as the practice of providing various seating options for students. Teachers may use various objects to be used as seating in a classroom. Teachers may use sofas, standing desks, yoga balls, crates, stools, wobble chairs, and many other items to be used as seating. Students are given the choice of the type of seating and where within the classroom they choose to learn. Many of my students enjoyed the ability to learn comfortably in the classroom, and this aided in creating a welcoming learning environment for students. Students utilized bean bags, reading sofas, and pillows to learn comfortably in my classroom. One teacher shares his experience using flexible seating and how he adapts the use of this personalized learning tool each year to meet the varying needs of his students each year. Mr. Deris emphasizes, “Some years, my students have needed a lot of structure and little to no freedom. Other years, my students have been able to have total freedom” (Deris, 2019). Mr. Deris also shares that he allows his students to be involved in the rule-making process regarding flexible seating in his classroom and this has made a positive impact on managing his K12 classroom.
Promoting Authentic Learning
Personalized learning classrooms aim for students to have agency over their learning. Therefore, many classrooms that employ the personalized learning approach also incorporate authentic learning strategies. The school district discussed in this case used a facet of authentic learning known as Project-Based Learning. These strategies were used in all classrooms and helped students to immerse themselves in inquiry-based learning in an effort to solve a real-world issue. I and other teachers within the district were given the opportunity to receive training on implementing the Project-Based learning structure within our classrooms. Providing authentic learning in opportunities for students helps to personalize instruction with meaningful experiences ultimately increasing student engagement. Students were provided with at least two authentic learning experiences throughout the year and were given choice in choosing how they would produce evidence of learning.
Technology-Enabled Personalized Learning
In understanding the relationship between technology and personalized learning, it is important to note that technology is used to leverage the learning capability, and it is not the most important piece of personalized learning. Therefore, many personalized learning K-12 classrooms use technology in a 1:1 environment to enhance the personalization of learning. In my personalized learning school district, we used technology to enhance the personalized learning experience for students and we used a variety of technology platforms to do this. Henry County Schools is considered to be a 1:1 school by providing iPads for K-2 students, and personal google chrome books to 3-12 students. Below is one platform specifically used in our classrooms to personalize learning.
Personalized Learning Platforms
In using technology to personalize learning, we used a platform known as Compass learning, which provides an adaptive pathway for each student to work on at their pace. This program personalizes learning for students by providing lessons and individual skill practice on what students may be struggling with. It utilizes NWEA MAP data to specifically pinpoint skills to be improved and makes practice for these skills accessible to students in online folders to be completed. The instruction is tailored specifically to provide intervention in an effort to increase academic achievement and mastery of learning targets.
4. Outcomes
Many districts have their own plan and approaches for personalized learning. However, in reflecting on research and experience using personalized learning, the question remains, how effective were these strategies in personalizing learning for students? Creating a personalized learning experience for students is not an easy task, there is a lot of work involved in establishing this framework within a K-12 classroom. However, the use of personalized learning in K-12 classrooms can create opportunities for tremendous academic achievement. Although personalized learning can be effective, I think too many strategies and approaches can leave teachers, students, and schools overwhelmed and unsuccessful in personalizing learning. In my personalized learning classroom, students were learning while also staying engaged in the learning experience. My school within this district used data and student interest to drive instruction. Students could leave each day reflecting on at least one activity that they enjoyed throughout the school day. If done with intentionality personalized learning can have great benefit in driving academic achievement. Overall, on average students performed well and seemed to be confident and prepared for the next year of their academic career.
5. Implications
This case provides insight into how a school district implements a personalized learning plan. It is important to remember that different strategies and approaches are used and may vary from school to school or classroom to classroom. Personalized learning does a really good job of engaging and empowering students to take control over their learning, but is that truly enough to close the achievement gap? Some research implies that the issue is not the learning approaches being used by school districts, but the educational system structure itself. In the article, Personalized Learning is a Problem of Privilege, France suggests that the money spent in building personalized learning infrastructures should be used to support teaching and learning for all schools and students. France emphasizes, “What children need more are well-trained, well-compensated teachers who work in emotionally-safe environments where sustainability and humanity are valued above all else” (France, 2018). In constantly searching for a new buzzword to use, it may seem to some that K-12 education tends to use these new structures and ideas as a way to improve issues that are mainly systemic.
Although research and practice in personalized learning are still taking place, I see the value in implementing many of these personalized learning approaches. Based on experience and research, many of these strategies have been proven effective in increasing academic achievement. The true beauty of personalized learning is that it is different for every school, teacher, and student. The autonomy provided allows for making student-centered decisions within classrooms. Although this level of personalization comes with immense planning and responsibility for the learning community, it has been proven to enhance learning experiences for learning communities in K-12 classrooms.
References
Derris, T. (2018, April 2). Designing Flexible seating with students. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/designing-flexible-seating-students
France, P. E. (2019, November 11). Personalized Learning Is a Problem of Privilege. EdSurge. https://www.edsurge.com/news/2018-01-21-personalized-learning-is-a-problem-of-privilege