“There’s something to be said for connecting particular lessons to something in the real world.”
connecting what’s taught in classrooms to students’ personal lives.
Another way of personalizing learning, among many others, are DIY report cards. Even a fifth-grader has the wherewithal to say, “This is what I want to learn; this is what I want to accomplish; this is what I want to get better at.” Then he can look for ways to get feedback on his performance, so he can see that he’s making progress and see that he’s getting better at something.
A group of Harvard researchers is teaming up with schools in Oakland, Calif. to explore how kids learn through making. Through an initiative called Project Zero, they're investigating the theory that kids learn best when they're actively engaged in designing and creating projects to explore concepts.