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bakersusan

Implementation in Advocacy/Guidanace/Post-Secondary Preparation (Articles) - 1 views

moodlesw.aeapdonline.org/...view.php

shared by bakersusan on 28 Jul 15 - No Cached
  • Over 60% of students who eventually dropped out of high school failed at least25% of their credits in the ninth grade, while only 8% of their peers who eventually graduated had similar difficulty.”
    • Jessica Athen
      Jessica Athen on 28 Jul 15
       
      I see this all the time with potential alternative school students. They are "on the radar" when they start their 9th grade year, then I can usually tell by the end of their 9th grade year after watching their progress and hearing from their teachers, who needs to be in alternative school. I find that if they fail freshman classes, it tends to snowball from there.
    • ahawthorne
      ahawthorne on 29 Jul 15
       
      This is very important when identifying students at risk and in need of a different setting to be successful. Focusing on 9th grade and what interventions are being used and what is working with students can be key to students graduating.
    • kburrington
      kburrington on 30 Jul 15
       
      Jessica I agree 9th grade is a very pivotal time to follow and address student issues. I always attend the 9th grade SAT meetings. It gives me look into which students I'll soon be seeing and the interventions they have tried with them. I've noticed many students at this age have already determined they are going to the alternative school. Some will even from this point on work at making it happen.
    • bakersusan
      bakersusan on 04 Aug 15
       
      Is there any research for the transition to 10th grade? Research I've seen refers to the transition to 9th grade. In our district, the 8th/9th graders are in the same building and 10-12 in another. For us, the 10th grade year seems to be more of a struggle. I'm wondering if in district's with a similar building break-down like ours if the drop-out rates get shifted to 10th grade class failures and not so much what takes place in 9th grade.
  • the government would reap $45 billion in extra tax revenues and reduced costs in public health, crime, and welfare payments if the number of high school dropouts among 20-year olds in the U.S. today were cut in half.
    • Jessica Athen
      Jessica Athen on 28 Jul 15
       
      I wish the government and public would see this information and realize that investing in education really helps everyone. Maybe then, education would not always be the first place that budget cuts take place..
    • lisa noe
      lisa noe on 30 Jul 15
       
      I agree, Jessica!  Investing in education is essentially investing in our future!  
    • kburrington
      kburrington on 30 Jul 15
       
      Jessica you are definitely preaching to the choir. It's more important to have a billion dollar surplus.
  • “When students have completed the attendance required in a course, and were unsuccessful, the options for earning credit towards graduation are often limited to using the same book, often with the same teacher, within the same seat time approach. Is this really the best way to invest resources of time and money in helping students succeed?
    • Jessica Athen
      Jessica Athen on 28 Jul 15
       
      I fight a battle about this in my district because many teachers feel that if a student fails a class that they should have to take it over again with the same teacher, same material, etc and that being allowed to take it online is "the easy way out."
  • ...20 more annotations...
  • “When students have completed the attendance required in a course, and were unsuccessful, the options for earning credit towards graduation are often limited to using the same book, often with the same teacher, within the same seat time approach.
    • Jessica Athen
      Jessica Athen on 28 Jul 15
       
      I fight a battle about this in my district because many teachers feel that if a student fails a class that they should have to take it over again with the same teacher, same material, etc and that being allowed to take it online is "the easy way out."
    • Lisa Hackman
      Lisa Hackman on 29 Jul 15
       
      I will more than likely be getting a student (senior) who has failed English 9 three times. Yes, THREE times! However, I know the teacher has modified and individualized opportunities for this particular student. She is GREAT about that. Some teachers do not adjust at all, but I know she does. This student has now put himself in a position where the alternative program is his only option based on the number and types of credits he has remaining. I don't think he necessarily wants to attend the alternative program. Students seem to do better in the program if it is THEIR CHOICE to attend rather than be placed by the administration.
    • ahawthorne
      ahawthorne on 29 Jul 15
       
      I agree that students definitely do better if they feel it is their choice to attend the alternative program. At times our role as teachers may be to encourage the student to make that decision knowing that it will be best in the long run for the student. New teacher, fresh start, usually smaller environment which will give the student more interaction with teachers. I think we can encourage students towards alternative settings while still making it their chioce.
    • lisa noe
      lisa noe on 30 Jul 15
       
      Jessica, I have struggled with the same attitudes toward online credit recovery.  Many times, I see several students, who have had a particular teacher, who are in need of credit recovery.  I sometimes question how much effort the teacher put forth to make a connection with those students.  Some teachers take it personally if a student doesn't "care" about the class.  Perhaps if that teacher focused more on the students' needs they might see that they must care before the student will. 
  • In such moments, teaching becomes a deeply reciprocal process by which we decide to learn not just from but with the students, embracing the risks that accompany students developing as independent thinkers and informed risk takers (K. Schultz, 2003). Moreover, when we offer choice, we model risk taking for them and demonstrate problem-solving skills, such as how to thoughtfully navigate uncertainty and address unforeseen obstacles.
    • Jessica Athen
      Jessica Athen on 28 Jul 15
       
      I feel like more teachers would be open to taking the "risk" of learning with their students and allowing students to play more of a role in their own learning, if teachers didn't have so much to "lose" in the process. We are expected to teach specific things, at specific times, and cover so much curriculum in a short time frame, and that keeps many teachers from taking risks because there is so much expected of us.
    • Lisa Hackman
      Lisa Hackman on 29 Jul 15
       
      Until there is a paradigm shift from the top down, I'm afraid we will remain where we are. Fortunately, I believe there is a shift occuring, but it is occuring very slowly.
  • Over 60% of students who eventually dropped out of high school failed at least25% of their credits in the ninth grade,
    • sheilig
      sheilig on 28 Jul 15
       
      This is interesting. We've talked about this in our MTSS (Multi-Tiered Systems of Support) https://www.educateiowa.gov/pk-12/standards-and-curriculum/iowas-multi-tiered-system-supports meetings. This statistic has prompted my school to really focus on the 9th graders.
  • Nearly one-third of all public high school students—and nearly one half of all African Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans—fail to graduate from public high school with their class
    • sheilig
      sheilig on 28 Jul 15
       
      One-third is frightening!
  • Dropouts are more likely than high school graduates to be unemployed, in poor health, living in poverty, on public assistance, or single parents with children who drop out of high school Dropouts are more than twice as likely as high school graduates to slip into poverty in a single year and three times more likely than college graduates to be unemployed Dropouts are more than eight times as likely to be in jail or prison as high school graduates Dropouts are four times less likely to volunteer than college graduates, twice less likely to vote or participate in community projects, and represent only 3 percent of actively engaged citizens in the U.S. today
    • sheilig
      sheilig on 28 Jul 15
       
      A lot of our students who dropout stay in the area. They face the challenges listed above and aren't able to support the community in ways to improve it. The community suffers from the lack of people paying taxes, starting small businesses, creating jobs, volunteering, participating in community projects, etc. Our rural community needs active members to keep the existing small businesses and the school in the town. So increasing our graduation rate ultimately improves our community. Some move away; however, a lot of our students return after graduating from college. They are active in the community and helping our town.
    • ahawthorne
      ahawthorne on 29 Jul 15
       
      Breaking this cycle for students in the community is very difficult. They need to understand the risks and difficulties they will face without a high school diploma. 
    • lisa noe
      lisa noe on 30 Jul 15
       
      Many of my former students were victims of generational poverty.  As stated above, breaking the cycle is very difficult.  Many students don't have the supports in place to be successful or to break the cycle.  We, as teachers and schools, must reach out to not only the students but their families as well to establish relationships built on trust in order to help students reach their potential.
  • Providing credit for work or community service allows students to be engaged in a valuable activity outside of school and to have this experience count towards graduation. It also motivates students to complete the program.
    • sheilig
      sheilig on 28 Jul 15
       
      I think credit for work or community service is an excellent idea. Why not use it for elective credit? If at risk students knew they had specific core classes they had to take and had more choices for their electives, perhaps graduation would be more attainable to them. 
    • lisa noe
      lisa noe on 30 Jul 15
       
      I agree that giving credit for work or community service would be an excellent idea.  It would create a sense of connection and pride in students.  
    • kburrington
      kburrington on 30 Jul 15
       
      We provide elective credit for work. Our students provide a copy of their paycheck to prove they are working. The also write a one page weekly reflection. They usually complain about their job or celebrate accomplishments at work.
  • “I have some things to say. First, all of you talked about Michael through your findings but do you really know my son? D
    • sheilig
      sheilig on 28 Jul 15
       
      Unfortunately, most parents won't have the courage to speak up here. They will leave frustrated and upset with the school. The members of the team need to realize this.
    • ahawthorne
      ahawthorne on 29 Jul 15
       
      So many parents had negative experiences in school that they are on edge even entering the school building. We as educators need to work with the parent and seek their input when working with their child.
    • lisa noe
      lisa noe on 30 Jul 15
       
      I agree that many parents' own negative school experiences create a sense of discomfort for them when working with teachers and administrators.  We must work to break those barriers and create a welcoming, positive, family-friendly environment that shows them we value their role as a parent and advocate for their child.
    • kburrington
      kburrington on 30 Jul 15
       
      I see this kind of stuff on a regular basis. They send me students and are constantly telling me what I should watch for with them. What are their obvious strengths and weaknesses. I find it so often to be very inaccurate. I almost feel bad because I'll run into these same teachers at in-services and they are constantly asking me about these students. I feel almost mean telling them I'm not seeing any of the stuff they describe. I don't want to hurt their feelings but you just want to tell them maybe they should work a little harder to form relationships with these students.
  • There were eight staff members from the school, and myself as a parent. It was quite intimidating.
    • sheilig
      sheilig on 28 Jul 15
       
      I have not experienced this; however, my sister-in-law described the same situation with her son. It was very intimidating. Fortunately, she was a teacher's associate in a different district as her son. She had teachers, counselors, and administrators there that she could use as resources and guidance. She had to be an advocate for her son. She knew how to do this because of the support from her friends in education. Not everyone has this support.
    • ahawthorne
      ahawthorne on 29 Jul 15
       
      I don't like to have too many teachers and faculty in meetings with parents for this reason. You could have a couple of the teachers write their concerns or ideas for the parent instead of surrounding them. It would make anyone uncomfortable.
    • lisa noe
      lisa noe on 30 Jul 15
       
      Although I have considered how a parent might feel outnumbered when attending an IEP meeting, I thought my presence would give them a sense of my support for both the student and their family.  I want them to know I care and want the best for their child.  
    • kburrington
      kburrington on 30 Jul 15
       
      I agree with you. When you have to many people there it almost feels like an ambush to the parent. I believe it's hard for them to voice opinions and concerns, especially dissenting opinions.
  • I discuss my own experience with the difference between the PLPs used at the Met and the Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) that are commonly used for students with special needs. The importance of creating a supportive link between the student, their family, advisor and mentors in creating a challenging and personalized educational plan for every student is crucial,
    • ahawthorne
      ahawthorne on 29 Jul 15
       
      IEP's for all students. Every student should have a plan and a "supportive link" regardless if they are special needs, at risk, or doing fine as a traditional student.
  • An environment without risk fails to prepare students for life outside the classroom, a world of risk taking. Allowing students to experience measured risks, in a supportive community, models the real-world paradigm where choices naturally entail risk.
    • lisa noe
      lisa noe on 30 Jul 15
       
      I agree.  Many students struggle to make the transition to college or the workforce after high school because they are not prepared.  Taking risks in a supportive environment and learning how to adapt to change will increase a student's potential for success.
  • At the same time, these teachers are often pressured by school administrators, policymakers, and politicians to raise graduation rates. Too often, the pressure to “do something” conflicts with the need to actually arm students with the real skills they need to achieve success in post-secondary education or work. Instead of challenging students to raise their performance to the level they must reach to be successful, too often credit recovery “solutions” have lowered the bar for passing.
    • lisa noe
      lisa noe on 30 Jul 15
       
      If we think we should pat ourselves on the back for "helping" a student graduate, we are seriously mistaken.  We all know that even though they possess a diploma life will still be difficult for them.  Their choices will be limit.  We need to look for ways to create career pathways, such as those we have discussed in this course, to provide students the skills (trade/vocation) they will need to be marketable and employable if they choose to enter the workforce instead of continuing with postsecondary schooling.  
    • bakersusan
      bakersusan on 04 Aug 15
       
      I couldn't agree with you more. Several years ago when the graduation rate became an area of focus with NCLB, I saw a shift in the "quality" of credit recovery programs. The goal was to graduate, not necessarily provide the skills needed to be successful. In the end it is not only the community but truly the students who lose.
  • Among the worst offenders in this regard are some products and programs that call themselves “online.” These are often programs that are low-cost, have very low levels of teacher involvement, and require very little of students. They are used primarily because they are inexpensive, and they allow schools to say students have “passed” whether they have learned anything or not.
  • we build opportunities for choice, at age-appropriate increments, scaffolding the skills and habits of mind that are necessary to increase the independence and self-direction that students need as they progress. Our experiential approach is rooted in this concept: As freshman, students learn about and become part of a community; as sophomores, they explore what it means to serve within and through that community; as juniors, they use their service experience to provide leadership to younger students; and as seniors, they risk it all, moving beyond their immediate community to explore new ones.
    • madonna63
      madonna63 on 31 Jul 15
       
      I really like how this school organized themes for each high school year thru scaffolded steps culminating in 'Walk-About', where seniors get to explore their career options for an entire semester. Awesome!
  • In recent years, an increasing number of online programs have begun focusing on offering credit recovery and serving at-risk students. In some cases, these programs started with this focus, while in other cases existing online programs expanded their focus beyond high-achieving students. Online learning is proving to be an important—and sometimes transformational—tool in reaching at-risk students. Goals related to credit recovery and at-risk students vary with each online program often they include one or more of the following: Help students make up credits to meet graduation requirements Meet graduation deadlines Prepare students for state exams Get dropout students back in school
    • madonna63
      madonna63 on 31 Jul 15
       
      This is a great option for at-risk students. AS it says, it gets dropout student back in school. Without a high school diploma, students futures, on average, look bleak. Having that diploma sets them up for many future possibilties, even college. You can earn college degrees online.
  • Online curriculum must be rigorous to ensure that students are learning the material, and not simply moving through the course. Diagnostic testing that allows students to demonstrate mastery of the elements of a subject that they learned in their previous attempt to pass the course, and to move on to the parts of the course that they need to focus on, keeps students engaged.
    • madonna63
      madonna63 on 31 Jul 15
       
      I respect programs that make sure students learn and not just 'get thru' the course. Also, students will need to focus, which at-risk students don't do in the general classroom. As stated, testing lets students demonstrate what they've learned which motivates them to pass. 
  • If a student is struggling with a lesson, the teacher can focus instruction where the student needs the greatest support.
  • This individualization and personalization allows students to feel a one-to-one connection with their teachers and engages them with the material more thoughtfully.
    • madonna63
      madonna63 on 31 Jul 15
       
      This is a special part of the program. Teachers can see specific areas where students need help. It might have gone under the radar in a general class. It also points this out to the student. This gets the teacher engaged with the student instructing him/her in that specific area which makes it more personal. Human connections help to keep students feel more welcome, especially if they are more introverted.
  • Our schools need to be places where learning matters,
  • Proactive measures often are met with resistance and criticism.
  • the real message of the Coleman and Jencks studies of equal educational opportunities: not that the school is powerless but that the family is powerful.
juliefulton

"Personalized" vs. "Personal" Learning - 36 views

moodlesw.aeapdonline.org/...view.php

shared by juliefulton on 11 Jul 15 - No Cached
  • Tocqueville’s observations
  • A suffix can change everything
    • lisalillian311
      lisalillian311 on 14 Jul 15
       
      Harsh adverb.  Not all students analyze "ideas from the inside out".  I think that is something that personalized learning can teach them.
  • ‘We often say we want creativity and innovation – personalization – but every mechanism we use to measure it is through control and compliance.’
    • principalchris
      principalchris on 12 Jul 15
       
      This is a topic that has been discussed for years - But how do I grade the project??  I am glad I do not receive a grade for being the principal!
  • ...75 more annotations...
  • If we can’t engage our kids in ideas and explorations that require no technology, then we have surely lost our way.
  • One final caveat: in the best student-centered, project-based education, kids spend much of their time learning with and from one another. Thus, while making sense of ideas is surely personal, it is not exclusively individual because it involves collaboration and takes place in a community. Even proponents of personal learning may sometimes forget that fact, but it’s a fact that was never learned by supporters of personalized learning.
    • principalchris
      principalchris on 12 Jul 15
       
      I like the fact that Alfie Kohn makes the reader think.  He is a word smith and must love kids!
  • She cautions educators who may be excited about the progressive educational implications for “personalized learning” to make sure everyone they work with is on the same page about what that phrase means.
    • madonna63
      madonna63 on 12 Jul 15
       
      Educational Admin. needs to work with schools to come up with other forms of assessment that meet up with individualized forms of learning. 
    • marydermit
      marydermit on 12 Jul 15
       
      Yes, new forms of assessment will be needed with PL.  I think this maybe a challenge because standardized tests are tied to funding.  I am afraid standardized tests are here to stay until funding changes are made at the state /federal level.
    • ahawthorne
      ahawthorne on 13 Jul 15
       
      This is always an issue. Making sure everyone is on the same page.
    • lisalillian311
      lisalillian311 on 14 Jul 15
       
      I think my original comment about change being difficult for veteran teachers was deleted (accidentally by me).  Part of my statement mentioned the need for PD on PL.
    • nwhipple
      nwhipple on 15 Jul 15
       
      I agree that everyone needs to be on the same page.  Too many times we get bombarded in PD sessions and walk away with mixed emotions and different understandings about what we learned about.  PL needs to be a clear, cut definition amongst everyone in the building.  It wouldn't be a bad idea to have PD on PL.  Veteran teachers absolutely need to be up to date on reaching all learners and stepping themselves out of their comfort zones to help reach every student's needs individually, not in a whole group setting.  
    • dwefel
      dwefel on 15 Jul 15
       
      This will be a big challenge getting everyone on board.
    • kainley
      kainley on 16 Jul 15
       
      I agree that it would be a challenge to get everyone on the same page. I like the idea of PD, but how do we get our administrators to "buy in"? Then after that, how do you get people who are set in their way, especially if it is improving test scores, to change their thinking so we are focused on the whole child?
    • kburrington
      kburrington on 16 Jul 15
       
      I guess I would like to go back a step and look at how college educational departments are teaching Personal Learning. I would say most teachers are teaching the way they were taught. Maybe the change needs to start there also.
    • katie50009
      katie50009 on 16 Jul 15
       
      As a district we tried to define creativity during PD incorporating the 4C's. It was no easy task. It is even more difficult to measure!
    • juliefulton
      juliefulton on 22 Jul 15
       
      It seems as though we need a multi-phase approach at infusing PL in our educational systems. I agree with needing PD for our current teachers and that colleges need to be modeling PL for our new teachers. We also need to inspire our students to be individual thinkers rather than the 'check mark the box' learners that our system currently promotes.
  • best thing we can do for kids is empower them
  • he demands of the system — and education leaders’ desire to excel within it — lend themselves well to the computerized, modular and often very standardized system of “personalization” many ed-tech companies are offering.
    • marydermit
      marydermit on 12 Jul 15
       
      This sounds like more of the same unless PL stakeholders and teachers are involved in the R&D.
    • katie50009
      katie50009 on 16 Jul 15
       
      When thinking about the constraints of our current system--Common Core, standards assessments, pacing guides, etc.--I wonder if PL will become anything more than a dream or a small scale implementation.
  • Personalized learning entails adjusting the difficulty level of prefabricated
  • Big questions, passion, personal interest are what should drive our use of technology, not the other way around.
  • “Personalized” learning is something that we do to kids; “personal” learning is something they do for themselves. In a world where we can explore almost every interest or passion in depth on our own or with others, it’s crucially more important to have the dispositions and the skills to create our own educational opportunities, not be trained to wait for opportunities that someone else has selected for delivery.
    • madonna63
      madonna63 on 12 Jul 15
       
      Educators will need to be informed on what it will look like for students to take these opportunities which won't be directed by us or possibly by curriculum. They will need to learn how to help students on this path and not hinder them.
    • marydermit
      marydermit on 12 Jul 15
       
      PD is vital for teachers.  If left out it will not be good for anyone most of all the students.  
    • spfantz
      spfantz on 13 Jul 15
       
      This definition is vague, I too would like to look at specific curriculum pathways and opportunities. Seeing personalized learning in action, and the role of the teacher would be interesting.
    • Alison Ruebel
      Alison Ruebel on 13 Jul 15
       
      I now understand more the difference between "personalized" and "personal" learning, but I do agree that staff and administrators need to be more informed and given specific examples or experiences to help us learn more about implementing it and what our role is as a teacher. It would be nice to be given examples of this in action. It seems so confusing once you think about how teachers do this in the classroom, but I think it can make a big difference in schools and student learning in the future. 
    • Jessica Athen
      Jessica Athen on 13 Jul 15
       
      This quote really helped me to understand more of what we are learning about. 
    • alissahansen
      alissahansen on 15 Jul 15
       
      Agreed, this is a very helpful statement, but I think I would also agree that I would like to see what PL looks like. (Alissa Hansen)
    • bakersusan
      bakersusan on 15 Jul 15
       
      This is a very helpful statement, PD with time to implement is important for success. In addition to teachers being educated about PL, parents will also need to be educated. In my district as we have tried to incorporate more technology, unless the parents are in agreement, the changes have not been successful.
    • kaberding
      kaberding on 16 Jul 15
       
      I have a better understanding of personalized learning vs. personal learning.  I like how the author states the difference; it makes it very easy to differentiate between the two terms.  In regards to the rest of the statement, I think that professional development is a vital key in getting teachers "on board" with this concept.  I have cotaught with many general education teachers, and it is difficult for some to see how this will work and what this can look like.  A bank of teachers "in action" would be great for all teachers to access to get ideas!  
    • kburrington
      kburrington on 16 Jul 15
       
      I totally agree that there are a lot of people who would have to get on board. I now realize that I'm just providing personalized learning with my Odysseyware, not personal learning by any means.
  • moving ownership of learning away from the teacher and more toward the student.
    • madonna63
      madonna63 on 12 Jul 15
       
      Our current way of teaching is somewhat like a 'helicopter mother'. We aren't letting students try and fail on their own, without us being there to catch them. We need to be more of a teacher/resource person to instruct and /or guide when needed. Also, like a grandmother-giving positive feedback.
    • marydermit
      marydermit on 12 Jul 15
       
      We do not teach students that failure is part of learning or the importance of what we can learn from a failed attempt. Sticky notes are a perfect example.
    • spfantz
      spfantz on 13 Jul 15
       
      Some of the online programs such as Khan Academy and E2020 are the epitomy of nonpersonalized learning, yet we are enrolling more and more students each year.
    • Kristina Dvorak
      Kristina Dvorak on 13 Jul 15
       
      This is where students could/should be encouraged to seek out resources that fit their individual interests.  It is a step in the right direction, but needs to be applied in a way that will help students become stronger learners. 
    • ahawthorne
      ahawthorne on 13 Jul 15
       
      I agree the online programs are just classroom lectures put on the computer and are more of the same. 
    • jroffman
      jroffman on 15 Jul 15
       
      I think it is a great idea to have students be responsible or the "owner" of their own learning, we need to get parents and administration on board with this, I feel that way too often it is the teachers fault or the schools fault when kids are not learning. 
    • dwefel
      dwefel on 15 Jul 15
       
      I have to admit, I am that 'helicopter mother' teacher sometimes. I agree, teachers need to find individual interests in students and figure out how they want to learn and step away and allow students to figure out how they learn best, even if they do fail at first.
  • It requires the presence of a caring teacher who knows each child well.
    • madonna63
      madonna63 on 12 Jul 15
       
      The idea of each student having a teacher(s) know her/him well is vital. We don't want students just being set free and only "check in" as they go along. They will feel very disconnected and alone. They need to be known, cared for. Teachers might have times during the year when she gets her students together to do activities to get to know each other, celebrate holidays, etc.
    • marydermit
      marydermit on 12 Jul 15
       
      I like your idea of getting students together for a celebration It could be a celebration of learning to highlight student work / projects.  This fits into the PL model of "learn to learn, learn to do, learn to be." 
    • lisalillian311
      lisalillian311 on 14 Jul 15
       
      I wonder in an ideal PL environment what the student/teacher ratio should be?  Large classes are tough to get to know students in the way that PL suggests
    • nwhipple
      nwhipple on 15 Jul 15
       
      "Ah Ha".. every teacher who is there for their students should know their students well.  Not only how they learn, but about their family life and themselves personally.  Building a relationship with each child is huge.  I couldn't imagine walking into my room every morning and not wanting to connect with each student, individually and personally, daily.  If teachers aren't going to be caring and willing to get to know each of their students, then they shouldn't be allowed to have their minds to mold.  
    • jroffman
      jroffman on 15 Jul 15
       
      Part of the requirement of the Voluntary 4 year old preschool program is that I go to each home before school starts and do a home visit. I love it, I think it is the best idea ever and I really think all elementary teachers should do it. I really think that I make a strong connection with all of my students by having them meet me in their home where they are in the most control. Even though I know each child very well I just feel like there is not enough of me to go around, there are always those one or two students that require more time and energy while the rest are kind of on their own.
    • alissahansen
      alissahansen on 15 Jul 15
       
      I think home visits are wonderful, although I am not sure my high school students would want Mrs. Hansen coming to their house! ha ha. I do make it a priority to keep the lines of communication open with families, in fact, I send out emails weekly (personal), make calls (5 a day, positive and negative), and even send out personal welcome letters at the start of the year. It makes quite the difference in how my students work for me! (Alissa Hansen)
  • echnology was strikingly absent from these conversations. Instead, the common view of personalization focused on giving agency for learning to the student and valuing each individual in a classroom.
    • spfantz
      spfantz on 13 Jul 15
       
      The definitions we have read about personalized learning incorporate technology as an important piece of the personalized learning experience, so this surprises me.
    • Alison Ruebel
      Alison Ruebel on 13 Jul 15
       
      Yes this surprised me too! A lot of my kids learn best through using technology since they are surrounded by it today within this generation, and engages them more so to me it makes sense to have technology be a big part of personalized learning. 
    • Lisa Hackman
      Lisa Hackman on 13 Jul 15
       
      I agree! How can technology not be part of the personal learning environment? There are so many opportunities for students to use technology to reach out to others all over the world for collaboration. Technology doesn't have to be relegated only to ed-tech programs.
    • alissahansen
      alissahansen on 15 Jul 15
       
      I guess the idea behind the technology is to use it so students have the freedom to gather authentic and meaningful information to help them towards mastery, instead of using technology just for technology sake. A lot of us do, but I have definitely encountered classrooms that like the idea of having technology in the classroom, but it does nothing to further learning in students. (Alissa Hansen)
    • bakersusan
      bakersusan on 15 Jul 15
       
      I think with this statement, the author is trying to remind us that personalized learning is more than technology. You don't have to use technology to truly personalize learning for students but that it can be one of the "tools" in the teacher's toolbox to help students learn.
    • lisa noe
      lisa noe on 16 Jul 15
       
      I think that the author is implying that technology itself shouldn't be the teacher but more like a partner in learning. I personally think that too many times technology impedes learning.  Students don't have to think or try to figure something out, they can just Google the answer.  If all the answers in the universe can be found in Google what is the point of learning?  We need students to think of things that aren't out there yet.  To discover the unknown.  
  • specific curriculum that will be evaluated on standardized tests, while at the same time telling teachers to be innovative and creative within their classrooms
    • spfantz
      spfantz on 13 Jul 15
       
      This sentence does appear to be a contradiction. Requiring teachers to teach a specific curriculum while infusing innovation and creativity is a challenge.
    • nwhipple
      nwhipple on 15 Jul 15
       
      I absolutely agree with you!  It is VERY hard to teach the specific standards for the test while wanting to be creative.  More projects take time and time is inevitable.  We need more time to make learning "fun" and "meet all the standards".  I find kindergarten to be a challenge to balance the standards and crafts/fun.  I know I tried hard this year to let the kids "play" at their tables during math and reading with manipulative instead of constantly doing pages from our math/reading books.  
    • emilyzelenovich
      emilyzelenovich on 13 Jul 15
       
      Curiosity is something I really see lacking in some students today (at least high school students).  Many have a really hard time thinking of things they want to know or learn about or believe they can just get the answer to a question by looking online.  I have many students, who when given the chance to research a topic of their choice, believe they aren't interested in anything. This would be a challenge with peronalized learning. 
    • lisalillian311
      lisalillian311 on 14 Jul 15
       
      I agree: curiosity has to have motivation.  I allow students to choose their research topic, and once they delve into it, they start asking me questions, which, in turn, I help them find internet info that might send them in the right direction.  Then, they fly!
    • alissahansen
      alissahansen on 14 Jul 15
       
      Sadly, I too have seen more and more lack of innovation and creativity with students and the issue is on the rise it seems. I know with my own experiences as a high school English teacher that students really struggle coming up with their own original ideas, and even with lots of guidance and modeling beforehand. It's as if they do not trust themselves to make a good decision and this is so sad! I try to be very eclectic with how I teach the curriculum and my students will tell you that they do have a lot of choice and voice in my class, but they still need to meet standards and achieve mastery at some levels. I just don't know what it is that seems to be holding students back anymore. I do think PL can help this issue, but I do think that students will have difficulty (as with any chance) getting into such a different system if they already struggle being authentic, generating original ideas, and being creative. (Alissa Hansen)
    • Alison Ruebel
      Alison Ruebel on 13 Jul 15
       
      This is very true in many schools. I can relate to this, since our school has been focused on following our new school's reading curriculum this year and focusing on test scores each week. It isn't allowing us to be creative in our classrooms. How do we change the views of administrators to help them allow us to have more personalized learning in our classrooms?
    • kainley
      kainley on 13 Jul 15
       
      I worry about adding personalized learning to our environment too. We have seen 20% growth in reading scores on Iowa Assessments as we switched our Tier One instruction to a new curriculum. I think our curriculum and the way that teachers are constantly looking at data and working together to create better ways to meet student needs (small group instruction, mixing up classes, intensive guided groups, etc.) has been successful. I wonder how personalized learning lends it self to standardized tests...although the voice of reason in the back of my mind keeps reminding me that one test on one day is no way to measure what a student knows...or for that matter who they are!
    • alissahansen
      alissahansen on 14 Jul 15
       
      We have seen a lot of growth with Iowa Assessments too, and it is a result of the amazing teachers in our building and the data teams. I do wonder what assessments look like in a PL environment. There has been a sharp focus on reading and math scores, and scores equate to funding, so I have a feeling that this would be a hard sell...sadly. How can the bureaucracy of the educational world come to terms with what learners truly need/want? I guess this is always up for debate, and once you add in the giving "students the freedom to follow a meaningful line of inquiry, while building the skills to connect, synthesize and analyze information into original productions," it tends to scare people.
    • alissahansen
      alissahansen on 15 Jul 15
       
      (last comment was from Alissa Hansen)
    • jenniferlb
      jenniferlb on 15 Jul 15
       
      This is a true concern, as we have pre and post assessments for each unit to gauge their mastery of the standards.  While I find that information valuable, it is a struggle (and great concern) for many of my colleagues regarding the "freedom" to be creative in how they approach the standards.  I hope to better understand how the idea of innovation and creativity can coexist with necessary curriculum through PL.  Sharing that with concerned colleagues will be a great boost to morale, for sure!
  • The larger point is this: This moment of huge disruption requires us to think deeply about our goals and practices as educators, and it requires us to think deeply about the language we use. Words matter. More importantly, our thinking about what we want our kids to learn and our changed roles in that process matters. I’m suggesting that right now, because of the Web and the plethora of new technologies, the best thing we can do for kids is empower them to make regular, important, thoughtful decisions about their own learning, what they learn and how they learn it, and to frame our use of language in that larger shift, not simply in the affordances for traditional curriculum delivery that the tools of the moment might bring.
    • Jessica Athen
      Jessica Athen on 13 Jul 15
       
      I had the pleasure of listening to Will Richardson speak at our school two years ago. I learned so much from his presentation and I was so excited about all of the ideas he provided for our district. I was saddened by how many teachers in our district were really turned off by Will, and felt that the presentation was a waste of their time. Unfortunately, because of this pervasive attitude, we never really proceeded with his ideas for our district.
    • Kristina Dvorak
      Kristina Dvorak on 13 Jul 15
       
      These ideas require teachers to thinking beyond the traditional model, which is difficult for most to do or think about.  His example about flipping is a good example, it could be used to really create students who know how to learn, but most don't use it in a way that encourages personal learning. 
    • dwefel
      dwefel on 15 Jul 15
       
      I love this section. It really talks about students taking charge of their learning. I think it is so important for kids to make goals and to really understand where they are and where they need to be. It is neat when students can see where they started and where they end and realize that working towards goals really pays off. (Dana Wefel)
    • alissahansen
      alissahansen on 15 Jul 15
       
      Yes, students will only learn that metacognition and how it works by making their own goals and plans of action. I try to have my freshmen do this at the start of each school year and we revisit the list through the year. It is hard for them to create goals, even with modeling, however, so this is something that needs a lot of work (both the teaching of the concept and creating the goals). 14 and 15 year olds have a hard time seeing past the right now, and most struggle even more with articulating what they struggle with and what they are good at. I want to really help my students with this aspect as that will really help us get close to a PL environment. (Alissa Hansen)
  • That was flipping the curriculum, but it still wasn’t flipping the control of the learning.
    • Jessica Athen
      Jessica Athen on 13 Jul 15
       
      I have never really understood how flipping a classroom is supposed to be the future of education like so many educators are saying it is. 
    • bakersusan
      bakersusan on 15 Jul 15
       
      I totally agree. If I use the definition of flipping explain by this article, I've been flipping my classroom for most of my career.
  • Dozens of teachers agreed that a truly personalized learning experience requires student choice, is individualized, meaningful and resource rich. This kind of learning allows students to work at their own pace and level, meets the individual needs of students, and perhaps most importantly, is not a one-size fits all model. T
    • Jessica Athen
      Jessica Athen on 13 Jul 15
       
      This statement does a great job of summarizing the goals of personalized learning, but I find myself wondering how we can move in this direction? There are so many changes that need to be made at every level of education and government that it seems almost impossible that we will actually ever be able to provide this type of environment to our students.
    • Kristina Dvorak
      Kristina Dvorak on 13 Jul 15
       
      Doesn't it also mean a lower student-to-teacher ratio? I also think it seems nearly impossible to implement on a wide scale basis. 
    • ahawthorne
      ahawthorne on 13 Jul 15
       
      I agree the system needs to change from top to bottom. If we aren't able to see change in the levels of education we will continue to struggle to see significant change.
    • Lisa Hackman
      Lisa Hackman on 13 Jul 15
       
      I agree whole-heartedly Jessica! Transitioning from a more traditional model to a personal learning model would be a HUGE undertaking. We aren't just talking about PreK-12 education, but post-secondary as well. Teacher preparation programs would need to be overhauled as well. How does everyone get on the same page in terms of what Personal Learning means and what it involves? There is much work to be done at all levels of the educational system as well as the government that funds the public educational system. I can't really wrap my head around this monumental task.
    • ascallon
      ascallon on 14 Jul 15
       
      I agree students need to make their own choices.  How does the teacher motivate the student to choose more than the basics to get by.  Many students I see want to do the bare minimum and nothing more.
    • alissahansen
      alissahansen on 14 Jul 15
       
      I agree that change is going to be difficult and that the entire educational system would need to be revamped, and that would also mean students would need to be trained for this type of learning environment because they have been born into this "one size fits all" system. I am curious what that training would look like. I am also thinking that communities that are homes to these schools would also need to be educated on personalized learning, or I fear major problems. (Alissa Hansen)
    • nwhipple
      nwhipple on 15 Jul 15
       
      I changed up my teaching this year and did less large group time and more centers and small group instruction time.  I found that my time with a small group worked really well because it was individualized by what their needs were.  However, I am still tweaking my centers and how the kids motivate themselves.  I have things for them to do, but to get them to do "more" is the hard part, unless you are scaffolding it, constantly.  (Natalie Whipple)
    • moodyh
      moodyh on 15 Jul 15
       
      In my traditional high school classes, I am trying to work towards a more personalized classroom experience, (although I realize in taking this class that it's actually more of a differentiation approach.) I think someone has to initiate the change and make it successful and more people will try it.  
    • alissahansen
      alissahansen on 15 Jul 15
       
      I am curious what you are doing to make your high school classroom more personalized. I am trying to do the same thing, but is very tough as I have classes of over 25 and see over 100 students everyday. I want this as my goal, but it seems like quite the mountain to climb. I like doing small groups, but my biggest issue is that I only see students for 45 minutes. I am not sure that is enough time to create a truly "meaningful line of inquiry, while building the skills to connect, synthesize, and analyze information into original products." (Alissa Hansen)
    • edamisch
      edamisch on 15 Jul 15
       
      What if a student's pace is excruciatingly slow?  How will a teacher ever get through everything? 
  • Certain forms of technology can be used to support progressive education, but meaningful (and truly personal) learning never requires technology.
    • ahawthorne
      ahawthorne on 13 Jul 15
       
      Some of my students are so sick of technology - and good for them. We need to remember it doesn't solve everything. 
    • lisa noe
      lisa noe on 15 Jul 15
       
      I agree with this statement.  Learning is a process of discovery, the acquisition or knowledge and sklls, and although you can learn many things by googling information, true learning goes beyond that.  You must know how and when to use this information.
    • bakersusan
      bakersusan on 15 Jul 15
       
      I too agree with this statement. Technology is a tool and shouldn't be expected to solve "problems" within education. I work in a 1:1 school, and as staff have come to a better understanding of technology and what it can and can't do, I see more true learning taking place. Once still has to remember that the most important component of learning are the people, not computers, iPads, etc...
    • alissahansen
      alissahansen on 15 Jul 15
       
       Agreed! I have students who cannot even tell time on a clock that is not digital or read a map...this is where things are going if we use technology for technology sake. (Alissa Hansen)
  • However, in order to navigate the system of accountability in the U.S. educational system, many school district leaders require public school educators to teach a specific curriculum that will be evaluated on standardized tests, while at the same time telling teachers to be innovative and creative within their classrooms. When that happens, the structures around the classroom leave little room for the kind of authentic, whole-child personalization many teachers dream of offering. The demands of the system — and education leaders’ desire to excel within it — lend themselves well to the computerized, modular and often very standardized system of “personalization” many ed-tech companies are offering.
    • Jessica Athen
      Jessica Athen on 13 Jul 15
       
      This statement really resonated with me. I feel like as a teacher, we are supposed to "do it all." We are supposed to meet the individual needs of each student while also providing a mandated one size fits all curriculum with the goal of better test scores, and if we can't do all of this, then we are told that we have failed as teachers.
    • Lisa Hackman
      Lisa Hackman on 13 Jul 15
       
      Standardized testing is not consistent with personal learning. So how would schools be evaluated for progress? I don't see standardized testing going away anytime soon, but then again, it will take a long time to implement personal learning in a school, let alone the entire state and country.
    • Alison Ruebel
      Alison Ruebel on 13 Jul 15
       
      Interesting and good point! I think this is important for all educators to realize and know that personal learning should never require technology. We need to use it to support our student's on going learning.
  • ‘We often say we want creativity and innovation – personalization – but every mechanism we use to measure it is through control and compliance.’
    • Kristina Dvorak
      Kristina Dvorak on 13 Jul 15
       
      Maybe the idea of grading needs to be evaluated.  Even standards based grading does the same thing.  
    • ahawthorne
      ahawthorne on 13 Jul 15
       
      This is always a difficult. How do we address this?
    • lisalillian311
      lisalillian311 on 14 Jul 15
       
      We use common rubrics that we design as a staff and use CCS as our guide.  It is difficult to set up at first, but it becomes second nature after a while.  On standardized writing, we set a baseline on three different student submissions so we are all on the same page while grading with the rubric, and we all understand what "proficient" and "approaching" clearly mean.  I have done this in two different districts--perhaps it is the same all over?
    • kainley
      kainley on 15 Jul 15
       
      We also use common rubrics that we designed. We are constantly changing them as we learn more about the standards. I love your idea of bringing submissions to a PLC and discussing what is truly proficient. I do wonder, how did you get your team to be brave enough to share?
  • not about giving students what they want, it’s about a
    • ahawthorne
      ahawthorne on 13 Jul 15
       
      This is always a fear of mine. So difficult to not do for them what we really need them to do!
  • recommended learning path just for them.
  • Personalization is often used in the ed-tech community to describe a student moving through a prescribed set of activities at his own pace.
    • Lisa Hackman
      Lisa Hackman on 13 Jul 15
       
      As a user of a couple ed-tech products, they are really no different than what happens in the traditional classroom. Students are receiving the same content but in a different way. This is still not a personal learning opportunity but an individualized learning opportunity. All of the students are still meeting the same objectives and completing the same work. There is really nothing personal about it. In a weak defense of these products, I have had students do quite well using ed-tech programs. They were at least showing up to school on a more consistent basis and completing work. That doesn't necessarily mean that it was the best way for them to learn but it was a slight improvement over their previuos experience in the traditional high school setting.
    • ascallon
      ascallon on 14 Jul 15
       
      I don't think using a program like Edgenuity is personalizing for students.  All students use the same program.  I think it's more differentiation and individualization.
    • bleza66
      bleza66 on 16 Jul 15
       
      I agree with you that programs like Edgenuity are more about differentiation or individualization and not personalization but I think we can get there with programs like this if we can get the publishers to adapt them for more personalized choices. It can be built into the programming and if there is enough market f  or it they will create it. Education is a  slow moving train but with time and a push from educators this can and I believe will happen in the future.
  • because of the larger preoccupation with data data data data data.
    • ascallon
      ascallon on 14 Jul 15
       
      A comment from a recent high school grad--standardized tests don't show individuality yet schools are funded by test scores. 
  • Tracking kids’ “progress” with digital profiles
    • ascallon
      ascallon on 14 Jul 15
       
      I don't think it's fair that one test has so much value for a student.  Iowa Assessment scores are used for PSEO criteria, class placement.  If the student tests poorly due to illness, classroom environment, or just a bad day--it can have quite an effect on his/her future classes.
  • their choices are limited to when — or maybe, if they’re lucky, how – they’ll master a set of skills mandated by people who have never met them.
    • lisalillian311
      lisalillian311 on 14 Jul 15
       
      I worry about students who have gotten all the way to high school with a lack of intrinsic motivation.  So many are off track to graduate, so I guess I wonder how PL will help these kids if they already lack motivation.  Often, their goals are to be in a trade, which is fine, but they may see their parent making this work look easy.  For PL, I feel cautious around motivating the hard-to-motivate.
    • emilyzelenovich
      emilyzelenovich on 18 Jul 15
       
      This is one of my greatest concerns as well. I have so many students who struggle to find anything to write about, read about, talk about that matters or is thought provoking to them. How would they handle the flexibility and independence that comes with PL? 
  • If we can’t engage our kids in ideas and explorations that require no technology, then we have surely lost our way.
    • lisalillian311
      lisalillian311 on 14 Jul 15
       
      Not every subject lends itself to technology, such as science, which requires hands-on lab work.
    • moodyh
      moodyh on 15 Jul 15
       
      Another image comes to mind. https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/1d/eb/5c/1deb5c1cf49a5dbb7689131f3cc8b9a9.jpg I am all for technology as an OPTION, not as a requirement.
    • jenniferlb
      jenniferlb on 15 Jul 15
       
      I totally agree! It is a seemingly impossible task to get students to put aside their technology for the sake of real world interaction.  I use technology, and invite them to use technology when appropriate and, ahem, innovative ;) but to get them interested in a novel is becoming increasingly difficult.  I feel that I share my passion for what we're learning, but it is a constant struggle to keep them interested without a screen.
    • kburrington
      kburrington on 16 Jul 15
       
      I think of my favorite teachers and the classes I felt I learn the most in and I never remember there being a computer there. Technology is a tool not a substitute for teaching. KB
  • artificially personalized
  • Personalization is often used in the ed-tech community to describe a student moving through a prescribed set of activities at his own pace. The only choice a student gets is what box to check on the screen and how quickly to move through the exercises. For many educators that’s not the true meaning of “personalized learning.”
    • sheilig
      sheilig on 15 Jul 15
       
      Is this where Skoolbo, Moby Max, Scootpad, and other sites like these fit? 
  • Simpler strategies, such as having kids choose, read, and discuss real books from the library may be more effective
    • sheilig
      sheilig on 15 Jul 15
       
      YES! I don't see kids free reading enough. It's an inexpensive, easy, and effective strategy. It can be done when the internet is down, too! (I'm saying this because there have been times when we have lost power or internet and kids feel we should cancel school!)
    • alissahansen
      alissahansen on 15 Jul 15
       
      hahaha. I have heard that from so many of our students, and believe me, a little too often than not because our school is moving closer to 1-to-1 and it has done a number to the stability of the Internet, so of course as the district was increasing our bandwidth, there were a number of hours we lost power. But of course, I have students read independent reading novels each semester and create a project/presentation over what they choose, this gave them time to read in class! Most students really enjoyed reading a book, but I did have students look at me like I was crazy, "What, a book that is 100 pages or more?!"  (Alissa Hansen)
  • She cautions educators who may be excited about the progressive educational implications for “personalized learning” to make sure everyone they work with is on the same page about what that phrase means.
    • sheilig
      sheilig on 15 Jul 15
       
      There is so much information out there that talks about "personalized learning." So, yes, I agree that everyone in the district needs to be on the same page about the definition and ways to implement it.
  • We often say we want creativity and innovation – personalization – but every mechanism we use to measure it is through control and compliance
    • kainley
      kainley on 15 Jul 15
       
      This is exactly why I think that PL will be a hard sell to my district. We ARE seeing growth on the test...does that mean that we are taking into account the whole child...no. However, this is how we measure growth and I'd like to know how we can even change that?
  • ‘We often say we wan
  • don’t lear
  • it is clear that all children don’t learn the same way and personalization seems to honor those differences.
    • nwhipple
      nwhipple on 15 Jul 15
       
      I agree that not all students learn the same way, especially at age 5.  I honor their learning differences daily but I am often challenged by grouping them based on their ability  and fitting in time to have them reach the standard for the day on their own.  The common core wants all kids proficient by the end of their school year in all their standards.  It gets tricky to personalize every child's learning and have them do it at their own pace when some may take 4-5 weeks to accomplish 1 standard.  This is where I worry about not having enough hours in the day and days in the school year.  
    • jroffman
      jroffman on 15 Jul 15
       
      I agree too! Not all students learn the same way I also think that is why now in the preschool classroom I am having to teach students how to play. I think that even at a very young age kids are taught to wait and be told what to do. I always think back to my youngest brother who struggled in school, and how he was told he would never make it. He went into farming and now at the age of 26 bought his first farm and milks over 100 cows, I would say he is successful even though he didn't make all of the common core goals. 
    • jenniferlb
      jenniferlb on 15 Jul 15
       
      When I think of the work I do with high school students, this is clearly something we deal with every day.  I present information in a variety of ways to attempt to meet the needs of different learning styles and I really try to "keep it moving" to avoid losing the attention of very "short-attention-spanned" kids! I think we can all relate to this, and I certainly agree that personalization will help adjust traditional learning to meet the needs of all students a little better. (Jennifer Betz)
  • A personalized environment gives students the freedom to follow a meaningful line of inquiry, while building the skills to connect, synthesize and analyze information into original productions.
    • kainley
      kainley on 15 Jul 15
       
      I love that students get choice. I love that they are connecting, synthesizing and analyzing. I love that they are creating something original. I guess I am wonder what a personalized environment would be for PL. In my class we follow the Daily 5 and with that, we have a comfortable reading space, cushions that can be brought to anywhere in the room, soft lamp light, tables for 4-6 students to work together, buddy areas.."home-looking." I mean is that what this is, or am I way off base?
    • jroffman
      jroffman on 15 Jul 15
       
      I struggle with creating a personalized classroom because of space, when students start projects one day they have to be put away at the end of play time otherwise we won't have space for large group or table activities. I also struggle with enough adults in the classroom, students are not comfortable with that much freedom and want a teacher next to them for guidance, but one teacher to 18 kids just doesn't work most of the time. My other issue is a personal issue I am an all or nothing type of person and I get frustrated when it doesn't look like I think it should. In reality I am probally doing an okay job with personalized learning, but I have LOTS of improvements to make. 
  • the industrialized form of education that pumps out cookie-cutter students with the same knowledge and skills.
    • lisa noe
      lisa noe on 15 Jul 15
       
      I agree that many students have difficultly thinking outside of the box.  I believe that is because we have quashed individuality.  We ask everyone to conform to our standards.  Our society has a habit of criticizing those that go against the norm.  We expect all students to follow the same path and to want the same things.  Students don't want to be embarrassed for thinking or looking differently.  I see this happen frequently during group work.  There always seems to be a strong-minded individual who takes charge.  Many times other members' voices are never heard even though they may have equally as good of ideas, if not better.  Many students have zero confidence in themselves so they never stand up and let their voice be heard.  Hence, cookie cutters. 
    • alissahansen
      alissahansen on 15 Jul 15
       
      I am nodding my head in agreement to your every statement here Lisa. With all of the assessments and data driven curriculum we have not given students any room or confidence to be creative or innovative. And when we do ask for it, students are so reluctant out of fear and that fear is paralytic. PL has so many benefits. Don't we want our future citizens to be innovators and critical thinkers? I think we do and our current educational system seems to imprison any originality. (Alissa Hansen.
    • bleza66
      bleza66 on 16 Jul 15
       
      I agree with both of you (Lisa and Alisson) students today are afraid of being different or standing out because they are afraid of not being accepted. I also agree that society has taught us this lesson all too well. However, if we begin to initiate higher order, more individualized thinking and expression of ideas at an early age then our societal norms will eventually begin to change and persoanalized individual learning will become the expectation and eventually the new norm. We can only hope and dream for that day to come. 
  • Three words seem to be dancing around in my head of late when it comes to current thinking about education: “personalization,” “engagement” and “flip.” All three were on display on the vendor floor and in session rooms at last week’s International Society for Technology in Education conference in San Diego, one of the largest ed tech conferences in the world attended by upward of 18,000 people.
  • It meets the needs of an individual in a very standardized way, but it doesn’t take into account who that kid is.
    • moodyh
      moodyh on 15 Jul 15
       
      This is what happened in my last school district.  The administration thought that a computer program could solve all the issues, but very few students learned well from a computer program.
    • kburrington
      kburrington on 16 Jul 15
       
      We have been finding that technology works good for some students but not for all. Sounds familiar kind of just like direct instruction.
    • jillnovotny
      jillnovotny on 19 Jul 15
       
      I think the issue is differences in the meaning of personalized learning. As we discussed in class previously, personalized learning is not the same thing as differentiation, which is supposed to meet students' needs. Personalized learning is truly about putting students in control of their learning and supporting them in developing that learning!
    • juliefulton
      juliefulton on 22 Jul 15
       
      When a student is unsuccessful in the traditional classroom we look to computer classes to fulfill the credit requirement. The focus is on successfully fulfilling the requirement rather than on learning. If schools were to turn to component recovery with a unit that allows personalized learning, the student could do both - learn and fulfill the graduation requirement.
  • Our kids (and we ourselves) are suddenly walking around with access to the sum of human knowledge in our pockets and connections to literally millions of potential teachers. It’s a dramatic shift that requires new literacies to navigate all that access and, importantly, new dispositions to take advantage of it for learning.
    • moodyh
      moodyh on 15 Jul 15
       
      This line makes me think of this image. https://marinarn.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/pic1.jpg I think there will have to be some re"training" for teachers and students to be able to deal with the vast sums of knowledge available to everyone.
    • alissahansen
      alissahansen on 15 Jul 15
       
      Agreed! In my own English classroom, and I know I am not alone, students have access to millions of reviews and analyses of the literature we read in our own classroom so my goal is always to have them either create a product based on their own understanding of a concept, character, plot point, etc. or I do my best to give them choices for them to navigate their own understanding. A lot of "required" literature is all found online and there is so much out there on most aspects of each piece. Technology can make this aspect very difficult as students have all of this at their fingertips, and our goal as educators is for students to gain their own sense of meaning from what they have seen, read, heard, while also building skills that lead towards mastery along the way. (Alissa Hansen)
  • You want to really engage kids? Give them opportunities to learn personally, to create their own texts and courses of study, and to pursue that learning with others in and out of the classroom who share a passion.
    • dwefel
      dwefel on 15 Jul 15
       
      This is a great piece in the article. It really got me thinking of how boring school is for kids. As an educator I 100% want my students to be engaged and having fun learning. It would be so great to hear old kids tell their younger siblings how much fun school is!
  • Technology and the Web has radically changed that concept.
    • alissahansen
      alissahansen on 15 Jul 15
       
      Technology has changed the way EVERYTHING is done in the classroom as students have access to EVERYTHING now. So, what can we do as educators to make sure they are having meaningful and authentic experiences in our classrooms? How do some of you deal with this issue? I know I put a lot of work into the in-class and out of class work that I have students do because many questions/answers can be found so quickly by students and this occurs anytime and anywhere. (Alissa Hansen)
  • “free to expand as a standardized individual.”[1]
    • alissahansen
      alissahansen on 15 Jul 15
       
      I think this is a great quote that truly shows just how contradictory our world is! And especially with education. (Alissa Hansen)
    • principalchris
      principalchris on 16 Jul 15
       
      Alissa, I like this quote as well.  We are free to educate as long as everyone gets 100% on the standardized test.
  • more important to have the dispositions and the skills to create our own educational opportunities, not be trained to wait for opportunities that someone else has selected for delivery.
  • crucially more important to have the dispositions and the skills to create our own educational opportunities, not be trained to wait for opportunities that someone else has selected for delivery.
  • can explore almost every interest or passion in depth on our own or with others, it’s crucially more important to have the dispositions a
  • personalization only comes when students have authentic choice over how to tackle a problem
    • jenniferlb
      jenniferlb on 15 Jul 15
       
      I like how this is stated..."authentic choice." We all want to be given choice in what we do each day...personally or professionally.  I think it is imperative to give students choice, when possible, in their learning.  But, the term "authentic" is what strikes me, because when I think of the choice I'm able to give students, I question whether or not it is authentic. When I offer students their choice of six different novels to read for a unit of study, is that truly authentic?  I'm doubting so.  It is a struggle, for sure.
    • katie50009
      katie50009 on 16 Jul 15
       
      I was also struggling with the word "authentic" here. Or even "how to tackle a problem." What problem? Why is this an important problem to tackle? Why? Would the student agree that it is worth tackling much less how to tackle it?
    • juliefulton
      juliefulton on 22 Jul 15
       
      I like the use of "authentic" however I am equally curious how a teacher manages a situation when the student does not believe it is worth tackling the question, as the previous reader noted. This is a great example of a need for PD - help teachers with strategies to inspire their students to want to take chances and risks to learn.
  • personalization only comes when students have authentic choice over how to tackle a problem
  • personalization only comes when students have authentic choice over how to tackle a problem
  • the prevailing narrative seems to be that we can’t engage kids without technology, without a smartphone, tablet computer or some other multimedia device or tool.
    • edamisch
      edamisch on 15 Jul 15
       
      Technology is great and all, but it does have it's drawbacks.   A family friend was all excited that her baby could do XYZ on an iPad at a young age to find out later that her pediatrician thought that very thing might be why her speech was so delayed.  
  • better test scores
    • edamisch
      edamisch on 15 Jul 15
       
      I've been interviewing and the question every district seems to ask it about data, data, data.  Two and four years ago, this was not the case.  I believe this is because of the high stakes testing trend in recent years.  
  • individualism yet experience a “relentless pressure to conform.”
    • edamisch
      edamisch on 15 Jul 15
       
      This reminds me of the "hipster" trend - "let's all be different in the same way." 
  • “It’s so much cheaper to buy a new computer than to pay a teacher’s salary year after year.”[11]
    • edamisch
      edamisch on 15 Jul 15
       
      There are districts using Rosetta Stone as opposed to foreign language teachers out there! 
  • One final caveat: in the best student-centered, project-based education, kids spend much of their time learning with and from one another.
    • edamisch
      edamisch on 15 Jul 15
       
      I'll admit, there is one tiny, tiny part of me that thinks, "My parents' generation turned out alright without flipped/project-based/differentiated/insert every other educational buzzword here." Honestly sometimes I do wonder if all these best practice trends aren't leading to an egocentric, narcissistic  generation.  Selfies for example.  But then there's a larger part of me that knows the factory model doesn't work in education either.  
    • lisa noe
      lisa noe on 16 Jul 15
       
      I agree!  I think of all the amazing things that have been invented in history and wonder, how in the world did they do it without technology?!  I know that our world is changing, and that to continue to grow we must change, but sometimes things are better left as is. As I type that, I realize our educational system needs to be overhauled.  It's just that every time I turn around someone is trying to "sell" us something else they claim will work, and before we even have a chance to get it up and running something new comes along. :)
  • From what I’ve seen, flipping doesn’t do much for helping kids become better learners in the sense of being able to drive their own education
    • jenniferlb
      jenniferlb on 15 Jul 15
       
      I have to agree with this statement.  With high school students who are over-involved (or resistant to be involved in anything at all) homework is rarely a priority.  Perhaps for a math class or a world language class where they have actual "work" to hand in, but when it comes to students finding reading time outside of class and putting as much effort into English is a challenge, for sure.
    • emilyzelenovich
      emilyzelenovich on 18 Jul 15
       
      This is a common discussion in the English department at my school. We struggle to figure out how to make any kind of outside reading or homework a priority. We have tried providing more time in class, but then we often run out of time or students grow tired of doing one thing for too long. Trying to help them see value and meaning in the work we assign is tricky.
  • ‘We often say we want creativity and innovation – personalization – but every mechanism we use to measure it is through control and compliance.’
  • The Web has changed or is changing just about everything when it comes to how we think about the ways in which we communicate, collaborate and create.
  • It’s as if engaging them in learning without technology has become this impossible task.
    • kaberding
      kaberding on 16 Jul 15
       
      It is hard to compete with technology.  When I think of technology, I think of even simple things like a cd player, video (the old VHS), radio station (for current news), etc.  As educators, we have been using technology to teach since we could get our hands on it. How about a simple cassette player with the ABC song on it?  I'm sure every educator has put their hands on any technology device that can help their students gain a better understanding of what is being taught. So I tend to disagree with idea that we shouldn't have to engage students without technology.  We should have to engage them with whatever is out there; doesn't that contradict the whole idea of listening to lecture is not an effective teaching strategy?  Basically, when I think of the term technology, I think of any form of it; not just the Web.  
  • Personalization promises better student achievement and, I believe, a more effective delivery method than any one teacher with 25 or 30 students in a classroom can compete with.
    • kaberding
      kaberding on 16 Jul 15
       
      Personalization scares me to the extent that we are not only talking about teaching the content, but being an expert in whatever they choose as personal learning.  Or at least knowing how or where they can access all the information for their personal learning.  With class sizes only growing, I am nervous to see how planning, tracking, and assessing the learning will go.  
    • jillnovotny
      jillnovotny on 19 Jul 15
       
      I will admit, this is the component of personalized learning I have not yet been able to wrap my head around. In thinking about how to manage the learning of all students in the classroom when the content may be different is kind of intimidating. Teachers who have experience with personalized learning like project-based learning have shared that it is not as difficult as it might seem and that the students work harder than they do. I think it is important that people don't get the idea that it is a hands-off approach from the teacher; it is simply putting the learning in their control and supporting them with developing their learning!
  • personalization,” “engagement” and “flip
  • personalization,” “engagement” and “flip.”
  • personalization,” “engagement” and “flip.
  • personalization,” “engagement” and “flip
  • “personalization,” “engagement” and “flip
  • personalization,” “engagement” and “flip.
  • “personalization,” “engagement” and “flip.”
  • engagement
    • kaberding
      kaberding on 16 Jul 15
       
      When I think of these terms, I think of differentiation.  To me that is what personalizing, engaging, and flipping learning can be.  Only until you add the term personal does that change and move away from differentiation.  
  • system of accountability in the U.S. educational system,
    • katie50009
      katie50009 on 16 Jul 15
       
      I struggle with the systemic changes that will need to be made to have complete personalized learning for all students while still have some accountability for what goes on in the classrooms of America. I don't want to appear negative, and I am certainly for personalized learning, but I am conflicted on how this can happen and still have accountability
    • jillnovotny
      jillnovotny on 19 Jul 15
       
      I completely agree with you that there are a number of systematic changes that will need to occur before personalized learning really takes hold in the US. In my opinion, there are still many ways to keep teachers and students accountable through personalized learning (i.e. still meeting the standards but through a project-based way). It is going to take some time for policy makers and other stakeholders in education to realize the possibilities personalized learning has to offer. I think it starts with having success with it in our own classrooms and success only comes through a number of attempts! I like to think of it as "If not us, who? If not now, when?"
  • We often say we want creativity and innovation
  • whole-child personalization many teachers dream of offering.
  • Personal learning entails working with each child to create projects of intellectual discovery that reflect his or her unique needs and interests
    • jillnovotny
      jillnovotny on 19 Jul 15
       
      Whether you call it personal or personalized learning, this is what it is all about! To nurture students' natural curiosity, we want students learning about things they are passionate about. By supporting students in creating projects that reflect their unique needs and interests, we are truly teaching to the child. Again, this doesn't mean teaching one student about addition using basketballs and another ballet shoes, but about getting students actively involved in their learning and putting more of the control in their hands. 
  • the industrialized form of education that pumps out cookie-cutter students with the same knowledge and skills.
    • juliefulton
      juliefulton on 22 Jul 15
       
      I wholeheartedly agree with all of the comments and agree that we need to place emphasis on the young learners to change societal norms which are incredibly strong in the high school culture.
kimgrissom

Implementation in Advocacy/Guidanace/Post-Secondary Preparation (Articles) - 0 views

moodlesw.aealearningonline.org/...view.php

shared by kimgrissom on 08 Mar 20 - No Cached
  • we found that offering options to students also bears risk for the educators.
    • kimgrissom
      kimgrissom on 08 Mar 20
       
      Wow. This is a great example of learning with student choice that has incredible value but this risk is real and a reason that many schools would likely shy away from this type of encouragement.
  • They also reached beyond the immediate Graham community to forge partnerships, potentially risking their original plan to unforeseen compromises and adaptations, leaving them-selves open to new opportunities.
    • kimgrissom
      kimgrissom on 08 Mar 20
       
      As a parent, community member, and educator, I love this type of authentic learning. But how does this fit into the standards, required curriculum, high-stakes testing education system we have today? Do these partnerships with the community bring more support to schools or do they open up schools to even more criticism if test results aren't a piece of the puzzle?
  • Providing choice risks failure because when we, as teachers, make all the decisions for our students, lessons will proceed predictably in productive directions; however, when we remove the possibility of students choosing, and choosing wrongly, we fail to aid the students in becoming competent, thoughtful risk takers.
    • kimgrissom
      kimgrissom on 08 Mar 20
       
      True of the system or district as well...
  • ...7 more annotations...
  • An environment without risk fails to prepare students for life outside the classroom, a world of risk taking. Allowing students to experience measured risks, in a supportive community, models the real-world paradigm where choices naturally entail risk.
    • kimgrissom
      kimgrissom on 08 Mar 20
       
      This makes perfect sense to me. It's guided my parenting style and it's a piece of how I have taught as well. It's just a different look at what the can mean.
  • Over 60% of students who eventually dropped out of high school failed at least25% of their credits in the ninth grade, while only 8% of their peers who eventually graduated had similar difficulty.”
    • kimgrissom
      kimgrissom on 08 Mar 20
       
      This is an interesting statistic that makes me wonder how we can be both responsive to students in this situation and proactive in preventing these kinds of situations.
  • The Silent Epidemic estimates that the government would reap $45 billion in extra tax revenues and reduced costs in public health, crime, and welfare payments if the number of high school dropouts among 20-year olds in the U.S. today were cut in half.
    • kimgrissom
      kimgrissom on 08 Mar 20
       
      Wow. That is staggering and something I don't think gets talked enough about when it comes to education and finances.
  • It also suggests that educators have not yet found a single approach that comprehensively addresses the needs of all at risk students.
    • kimgrissom
      kimgrissom on 08 Mar 20
       
      This is true. I think our schools wants online learning to be the magic bullet, but the truth is that online learning is a really great option for some kids. But not all kids will be successful that way either. We need a variety of options for kids.
  • Instead of challenging students to raise their performance to the level they must reach to be successful, too often credit recovery “solutions” have lowered the bar for passing.
    • kimgrissom
      kimgrissom on 08 Mar 20
       
      Yes. This is real
  • It was not that I didn’t want to go to the school; it was that there was nothing for me to go to.
    • kimgrissom
      kimgrissom on 08 Mar 20
       
      I'm not sure this is true of all parents, but it's possible that we sell them short based on the little interaction we make possible for parents.
  • The sum of all these experiences was a prelude to his senior year, when he began the process of selecting colleges.
    • kimgrissom
      kimgrissom on 08 Mar 20
       
      These experiences all sound amazing. But how do they fit into what is required of schools? Is all of this in addition to the learning of "traditional classes"? How does this impact algebra or government class or writing skills? I think it sounds great and would allow students to become well-rounded individuals, but it's hard to understand how a school uses their human and fiscal resources to make this kind of learning available to all students.
Jennifer Riedemann

ollie_4: Article: Attributes from Effective Formative Assessment (CCSSO) - 4 views

moodlesw.aeapdonline.org/...view.php

shared by Jennifer Riedemann on 30 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • Formative assessment is a process used by teachers and students during instruction that provides feedback to adjust ongoing teaching and learning to improve students’ achievement of intended instructional outcomes.
    • Mary Overholtzer
      Mary Overholtzer on 30 Jan 13
       
      Has there ever been a time when teachers can't give feedback or adjust their own teaching because students refuse to do what was intended as an instructional task for learning? As an educator, I have some students who don't want to do anything, even when given a choice on how they might show their learning.
    • Lorilee Hamel
      Lorilee Hamel on 31 Jan 13
       
      Unfortunately, at least in my teaching experience, in content areas other than reading and writing, I have run into many teachers who believed in the Bell Curve still for classroom grading. Their numbers are dwindling, but they still exist along with teachers who believe, "I told them once. They should have it." I'm so glad your experiences make your question even possible. That is growth and improvement in instruction.
  • Learning goals and criteria for success should be clearly identified and communicated to students.
    • Mary Overholtzer
      Mary Overholtzer on 30 Jan 13
       
      I have found that learning goals are broader in scope since we no longer memorize, skill and drill, and have the detailed oriented mechanisms of learning in place. Maybe I am missing the boat, but I want my students to be: great speakers who project their voice(yes, I do use a decibel reader) when they are public speaking. It's a great to incorporate the science of speaking. I do want them to be great writers, and I will say a well written rubric can enhance this. I am also after great thinking and problem solving. I have found that the middle level learner can seem to problem solve in some situations, yet they have become inept at problem solving on how to "get a pencil" when they don't come to class with one in their possession. Being able to get along with many within their peer group would be great. This seems to be an ongoing battle for some individuals who "want to work" by themselves. I have had my share of accountants in my classroom.... :)
    • Jodi Leimkuehler
      Jodi Leimkuehler on 04 Feb 13
       
      Are you saying accountants are loners? They have to be able to work with clients :) (I'm a business teacher and just couldn't let this slide :)
    • Mary Overholtzer
      Mary Overholtzer on 12 Feb 13
       
      Jodi, That was a narrow view, please forgive me. I stand corrected by you....Thank you for your correction. I will say, I have students who want to work by themselves....that is great for reflection, yet collaboration is a skills that we all need to develop.
    • Andrea Compton
      Andrea Compton on 12 Feb 13
       
      Mary, You are definitely not missing the boat! All those goals are excellent and very necessary for students to obtain. Do not give up on your broader learning goals and keep letting your students know that this is what you want for them. You might need a poster in your room with your broader goals stated on it as a constant reference for you and your students, and then post on your board your daily learning goals for your students. You are such a wonderful teacher and your students learn so much from you! Keep up the good work!
    • Andrea Compton
      Andrea Compton on 12 Feb 13
       
      Mary, I can absolutely relate to your comment about students that want to work by themselves! Some TAG students are "past masters" of wanting to do things on their own - I live with one!! Learning to collaborate is often a very difficult task for them in middle or high school. In my own experience, this improves for these high achievers when they reach college and are able to work with others that have similar abilities.
  • Descriptive feedback should be about the particular qualities of student learning with discussion or suggestions about what the student can do to improve.
    • Mary Overholtzer
      Mary Overholtzer on 30 Jan 13
       
      I have found it interesting how the "Boy's Town" model from a long time ago....always started with a positive statement of praise and supporting details; yet if negative feedback was needed, it would weave in concern statement that didn't use words like "but or however". For example: I can appreciate how your started your paragraph with energy and great discriptive words. As you work on your thesis, you may want to keep in mind.....or have you ever thought of....? Yes, constructive feedback is an "art form" when communicating to students who think they have excellence, yet fall short....I mean way short.
    • Brooke Maine
      Brooke Maine on 02 Feb 13
       
      I have never heard of the "Boy's Town" model but I like how you wrote about giving concerns to a student without using "but" or "however'- I can see that making such a difference and being more influential and beneficial to students!
    • Sally Rigeman
      Sally Rigeman on 04 Feb 14
       
      Too often the feedback is merely "corrective" - a check mark or "ok".
  • ...43 more annotations...
  • Creating such a culture requires teachers to model
    • Mary Overholtzer
      Mary Overholtzer on 31 Jan 13
       
      This is huge, yet it is necessary.
    • Lorilee Hamel
      Lorilee Hamel on 31 Jan 13
       
      True, and it's the key to first level of helping students begin to grow!
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 31 Jan 13
       
      The atmosphere has shifted, and we now not only have 'permission' to do this, but are expected.
    • Andrea Compton
      Andrea Compton on 12 Feb 13
       
      This is an absolute necessity!!!!
    • Sally Rigeman
      Sally Rigeman on 04 Feb 14
       
      Teachers need to ask more questions.
  • substantial interest in formative assessment
    • Lorilee Hamel
      Lorilee Hamel on 31 Jan 13
       
      While the language of formative and summative assessment is relatively new as well as the new emphasis on direct feedback, the fact of the matter is that writing teachers have done these things forever. We just didn't package it with a fancy name in order to make oodles of $$. Dang it! ; )
  • is to provide evidence that is used by teachers and students to inform instruction and learning during the teaching/learning process
    • Lorilee Hamel
      Lorilee Hamel on 31 Jan 13
       
      As I explain to my students, "If you can do this perfectly already, I shouldn't be teaching it."
    • Brooke Maine
      Brooke Maine on 02 Feb 13
       
      Haha, I like that Lorilee! I might have to steal it. :)
  • Learning Progressions:
  • Learning Goals and Criteria for Success
  • Descriptive Feedback:
  • Self- and Peer-Assessment:
    • Lorilee Hamel
      Lorilee Hamel on 31 Jan 13
       
      This is another area where writing teachers have a distinct advantage and have been practicing these protocols for a long time.
  • Collaboration
    • Lorilee Hamel
      Lorilee Hamel on 31 Jan 13
       
      Reading Workshop and Writing Workshop--that's the entire premise of Nancy Atwelll's work.
  • process requires the teacher to share learning goals with students
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 31 Jan 13
       
      It makes such perfect sense to be doing this, and I'm not sure how much it is actually done. Just like in our class here, we want to know what we are expected to pick up from this and appreciate having the opportunity to self-assess our learning in a format where we can get instant feedback to see if we understand.
    • Andrea Compton
      Andrea Compton on 12 Feb 13
       
      Clair, To be honest, in my experience out in the schools as an AEA Literacy Consultant, it is being done very little. No matter how many times I include this in professional development trainings over things like effective instruction, iowa core, etc., there are truly only a handful of teachers that share their learning goals with the students. Many of them write the goals out in their lesson plans, but never get around to telling the people who really need the information.
  • and provide opportunities for students to monitor their ongoing progress.
  • learning progression teachers have the big picture of what students need to learn, as well as sufficient detail for planning instruction to meet short-term goals.
  • It should help the student answer three basic questions: Where am I going? Where am I now? How can I close the gap?
    • Brooke Maine
      Brooke Maine on 02 Feb 13
       
      I have done something pretty unique I think in my classroom. I (and several student volunteers) have spent a lot of time over the last couple years writing out each unit's learning objectives on posters that I laminate and hang on the wall in my classroom for every unit in every class. I made little, cute colored checkmarks that I also laminated and cut out. As we progress through the unit, I checkmark the learning objectives we have covered in class, so students can see very easily what we have done and what is left to cover. And above my posters, is another poster that says exactly what is written here: "Where amd I going? Where am I now? How can I close the gap?" I remember reading this quote during PD on FA, but now I know where it came from! :) It has taken a lot of time to make the posters and takes time to change them, put checkmarks on/off, etc, but I really like that it is a focal point in my room and is very unique. Students should know exactly what they are learning and use the questions above to self-assess as we go through our units.
    • Jodi Leimkuehler
      Jodi Leimkuehler on 05 Feb 13
       
      That is a great idea! I am curious, have you found that your students are using the posters? Are they self-assessing? Are they taking ownership in their learning?
  • A teacher needs to have modeled good feedback with students and talked about what acceptable and unacceptable comments look like in order to have created a safe learning environment
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 31 Jan 13
       
      Being able to give good constructive feedback is a skill that goes way beyond the classroom. It will serve students well later in life as they interact with co-workers, friends and eventually, their own children.
  • student- and peer-assessment should not be used in the formal grading process.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 31 Jan 13
       
      It's important to have students realize that they are not being graded on peer assessments.  It is only a benefit to give feedback about another person's assignment.  
  • teachers must provide the criteria by which learning will be assessed so that students will know whether they are successfully progressing toward the goal.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 31 Jan 13
       
      Students need to realize that they are progressing towards a goal.  If they don't see it, the quality of work usually isn't as great as when the goal is in mind.
  • self- and peer-assessment are important for providing students an opportunity to think meta-cognitively about their learning.
    • Mary Trent
      Mary Trent on 31 Jan 13
       
      I think this needs to be used more often in the classroom. I know as teachers, we find collaborating with our peers to be so valuable and I think, if done correctly, students can also gain some very helpful insight into their learning.
  • supporting students as they monitor and take responsibility for their own learning, helping students to provide constructive feedback to each other, and involving students in decisions about how to move learning forward are illustrations of students and teachers working together in the teaching and learning process.
    • Mary Trent
      Mary Trent on 31 Jan 13
       
      Amen! I think this statement is key. If students take ownership of their learning, they will become more passionate about it and ultimately want to do better for the pure knowledge and not just for a grade. Students need to feel as though they will have support through the learning process and will be able to rely on teachers and fellow students for help along their journey.
  • In peer-assessment, students analyze each others’ work using guidelines or rubrics and provide descriptive feedback that supports continued improvement.
    • Jason Martin-Hiner
      Jason Martin-Hiner on 02 Feb 13
       
      I've been trying this with lab groups in order to promote discussion both about experimental techniques as well as data analysis. After the initial work, I split groups up and have each partner discuss results with a member of another group.
    • Brooke Maine
      Brooke Maine on 02 Feb 13
       
      I like that idea Jason! When we looked at rubrics at the beginning of this class and shared a rubric we use in our teaching, the project for the rubric I shared is something I always have students self-assess and peer-assess when the projects are complete. I then give the students a few days if they wish to make any changes before they turn the project in to me for a final grade. I have definitely seen an improvement in scores and cognitive thinking when I started the self- and peer-assessment.
  • This feeling is dependent on a classroom culture characterized by a sense of trust between and among students and their teachers; by norms of respect, transparency, and appreciation of differences; and by a non-threatening environment
    • Jason Martin-Hiner
      Jason Martin-Hiner on 02 Feb 13
       
      All of these aspects are highlighed in the Characteristics of Effective Instruction in the Iowa Core.
  • during recent years
    • Brooke Maine
      Brooke Maine on 02 Feb 13
       
      I personally have learned a ton of information about FA the last several years. I took a class on it for my master's degree about 4 years ago or so and that next school year, it was the focus of PD in our district and is always something we revisit. I wish I would have learned more about it in college before I started teaching! But I'm glad to have the knowledge now.
  • Learning progressions describe how concepts and skills build in a domain, and show the trajectory of learning along which students are expected to progress.
    • Mike Todd
      Mike Todd on 03 Feb 13
       
      I  know that in science, organizations like AAAS have worked hard to develop these progressions for many topics and created resources (Benchmarks, ATLAS, etc.).  But for some topics these need to be developed by the teacher.  And even with the AAAS resources, developing these learning progressions into a course that helps students connect everything together is the job of the teacher.  Collaborating on these tasks with other teachers is extremely worthwhile - I just wish this was valued by more school districts and administrators by allowing more time for these things during the school day.  Many seem to think that "courses" are already planned out.  I even had one superintendent that told me "Any minute not spent with students is a waste of time for teachers" - she was obviously lacking in knowledge about what professional teachers do with their time.
    • Andrea Compton
      Andrea Compton on 12 Feb 13
       
      Good grief! I'm glad the state government is now stepping in to require schools to allow teacher collaboration. The only problem is the state's requirements are vastly lower than what should be and needs to be provided to teachers so that real collaboration on student progress and course development can happen.
  • The opening paragraph does not capture the audience’s attention because it does not clearly state what the speech is about. However, the opening sentence of the second paragraph states your position with an effective contrast. What can you do to improve or strengthen your opening paragraph?
    • Mike Todd
      Mike Todd on 03 Feb 13
       
      I have often focussed on putting feedback on writing, similar to the last question, but have failed to include the preceding sentence - I agree that both are important.
  • Effective formative assessment involves collecting evidence about how student learning is progressing during the course of instruction so that necessary instructional adjustments can be made to close the gap between students’ current understanding and the desired goals.
    • Pam Rust
      Pam Rust on 04 Feb 13
       
      This says it all. How many times do teachers check for understanding along the way and then just keep rolling through the lesson, ignoring the fact that some kids are missing something. Does no good to check for understanding as you go if you do nothing when the data says not everyone gets it yet.
    • Jodi Leimkuehler
      Jodi Leimkuehler on 04 Feb 13
       
      Why do so many teachers assign a grade to formative assessments when, according to this, it is to collect evidence on how student learning is progressing towards the desired goal?
    • Andrea Compton
      Andrea Compton on 12 Feb 13
       
      I have no idea Jodi, but I support a number of schools that firmly believe if they do not give something a grade then there is no use in doing it with the students. This statement is so perfect as to the purpose of formative assessment yet I would say the majority of teachers in the schools I come in contact with give a quiz, complain that the kids don't get it - as though it's all the kid's fault, and move right on with the content. It's frustrating!!
    • Dan Jones
      Dan Jones on 05 Feb 14
       
      On the student side of Jodi's argument, many students do not see the importance of something if they are not getting a grade. Just yesterday, a couple of my students were complaining about something they had to do and they, "weren't even getting a grade on it so why bother". I agree with the statement that we need to see where they are, a lot of teachers just keep plowing through even though the infromation they get back indicates that a lot of students aren't getting it. It isn't helping the kid's perspective if they fail quizzes along the way and then fail a test.
  • Because the formative assessment process helps students achieve intended learning outcomes based on explicit learning progressions, teachers must first identify and then communicate the instructional goal to students.
    • Pam Rust
      Pam Rust on 04 Feb 13
       
      Over the past few years we have worked on this during our PD. Goals are written on our boards and we refer to them often.
    • Andrea Compton
      Andrea Compton on 12 Feb 13
       
      Excellent! I am so glad to hear that at least one school is following through on this!
    • Jodi Leimkuehler
      Jodi Leimkuehler on 04 Feb 13
       
      Love all the acronyms in the opening three paragraphs :)
    • Andrea Compton
      Andrea Compton on 12 Feb 13
       
      Education is truly becoming an "alphabet soup"!
  • a process rather than a particular kind of assessment
    • Jodi Leimkuehler
      Jodi Leimkuehler on 04 Feb 13
       
      I know a few teachers that automatically equate formative assessment with quiz or test.
  • language readily understood by students
    • Jodi Leimkuehler
      Jodi Leimkuehler on 05 Feb 13
       
      "I can" statements
    • Andrea Compton
      Andrea Compton on 12 Feb 13
       
      Yes! It's a waste of time if students do not understand the learning goal!
  • ormative assessment
    • Holly Palmersheim
      Holly Palmersheim on 08 Feb 13
       
      It seems that there has been all this buzz about formative assessment like it is a new thing. For ever teachers have been using formative assessment to guide instruction on a daily basis. I appreciate that is has gotten attention so that teachers can collaborate to build assessments together and analyze data.
    • Andrea Compton
      Andrea Compton on 12 Feb 13
       
      Holly, I am an AEA Literacy Consultant and you have no idea the number of times over the past 6 -8 years that I have found teachers who have absolutely no idea what the difference is between formative and summative assessments or how to conduct them in the classroom. In fact, the majority of teachers, even after training, want to be able to attach a grade to all formative assessment. They do not understand that this type of assessment can be accomplished in ways that do not involve a piece of paper, a homework assignment, or a pop quiz. It is truly an ongoing battle in a number of schools.
  • Formative assessment is not an adjunct to teaching but, rather, integrated into instruction and learning with teachers and students receiving frequent feedback.
    • Holly Palmersheim
      Holly Palmersheim on 08 Feb 13
       
      Helping educators integrate the formative assessment process is key to helping them be successful. They can't see it as one more thing to do.
    • Andrea Compton
      Andrea Compton on 12 Feb 13
       
      I agree completely, if only I could get teachers to understand this fact! They see it as "one more thing I "gotta" do" rather than a way to see if their students are really understanding the material.
    • Sally Rigeman
      Sally Rigeman on 04 Feb 14
       
      Feedback to the student in terms of what they need to do differently is the most frequently ignored part of the process.
  • evidence-based feedback
    • Holly Palmersheim
      Holly Palmersheim on 08 Feb 13
       
      The Iowa Core aides the process of giving feedback as it provides specific student targets.
  • timely feedback should be based on the learning goal and criteria for success.
  • the reason the steps were incorrect.
    • Andrea Compton
      Andrea Compton on 12 Feb 13
       
      This is not a process that happens quickly. It takes lots and lots of good modeling by the instructor to create an environment safe enough for students to feel comfortable receiving as well as accepting good feedback.
  • students and their peers are involved there are many more opportunities to share and receive feedback
    • Sally Rigeman
      Sally Rigeman on 04 Feb 14
       
      This type of feedback is especially useful in improving project-based or performance tasks.
  • may be accompanied by realistic examples of those that meet and do not meet the criteria
    • kellie kendrick
      kellie kendrick on 05 Feb 14
       
      I used to be hesitant about showing my students examples because I didn't want to limit their creativity. Once I started showing them, however, I saw that more students understood how to demonstrate their knowledge of the goals set out, and the end products were much more high quality. I first only did this with big projects, but have slowly begun showing students more high and low quality examples for smaller projects too.
  • In addition, students can be encouraged to be self-reflective by thinking about their own work based on what they learned from giving feedback to others
    • kellie kendrick
      kellie kendrick on 05 Feb 14
       
      Self and peer reflection is something that I still struggle with. I have my students in Spanish III and IV often perform peer reflections with the writings that they do, but they still do not always take it seriously. I have tried to tell them that they should work hard to improve someone else's paper because they want their peers to help improve their own papers. As for self reflection, I am still working with my students to see the value in their own thinking.
  • Sharing learning goals and criteria for success with student
  • Instead, there are a number of formative assessment strategies that can be implemented during classroom instruction.
    • Dan Jones
      Dan Jones on 05 Feb 14
       
      This is where teachers get to use their covert,'sneaky' skills. They have to figure out how to get the information necessary to assess where the students are while appearing to go about their usual daily business. You have to be able to track that info too, which can be hard if you are collecting data on the sly.
  • students must be actively involved
    • Jamie Van Horn
      Jamie Van Horn on 09 Feb 14
       
      This can be a big challenge for teachers when parents are not involved in their students' learning and/or students do not put forth the effort. Sadly, this is very common.
  • “just right gap”
    • Jamie Van Horn
      Jamie Van Horn on 09 Feb 14
       
      The problem here is that the students in one class are not all at the same growth point and with growing class sizes, it can be difficult for the teachers to adjust to all students at the same time. Usually the advanced students will push themselves, but what about the lower students that need more time? With so much required of the teachers, they feel the pressure to move on so they can cover all of their units even when some students have not achieved the short term goals. This can lead to even bigger problems down the road.
  • allow the student an opportunity to identify ways to move learning forward
    • Jamie Van Horn
      Jamie Van Horn on 09 Feb 14
       
      So important to allow the student to identify the ways to move forward instead of just telling them what to do. This is where true learning takes place.
  • FAST SCASS and FA Advisory Group
nwhipple

Implementation in an Elementary Classroom (Articles) - 1 views

moodlesw.aeapdonline.org/...view.php

shared by nwhipple on 26 Jul 15 - No Cached
  • Step Three: Develop a Universally-Designed Lesson Referring to the Class Learning Snapshot, you will transform an existing lesson using the Personalized Learning (PL) Lesson template. You will use the model and examples to assist you in establishing a learning goal for this lesson, how to unpack the Common Core State Standards with your learners, design a warm-up activity that will engage specific learners based on the Class Learning Snapshot. You will also universally-design the new vocabulary along with guided and independent activities as the framework of the lesson
    • dwefel
      dwefel on 26 Jul 15
       
      I like how it mentions using an existing lesson. This might make it easier for teachers just to start. Taking something they already know and tweaking it a bit to make is a PL lesson. I also like how it talks about models and examples to assist; when starting something new I ALWAYS need lots of examples and models for understanding.
    • Alison Ruebel
      Alison Ruebel on 27 Jul 15
       
      Yes, I agree! I like how all throughout these 6 steps it talks about models and examples to help us along. I'm one that needs visuals or templates to go off of to help guide me when doing something new too :) Although in the article, I wish it would show us what they mean by the templates and examples so we can get more of an idea of what they mean.  (-Alison Ruebel)
    • kaberding
      kaberding on 28 Jul 15
       
      I agree with you both!  Models are important to students, so why wouldn't they be important for teachers to get the idea!  I'm at ease knowing that we can take the lessons we have and then move them toward personal learning.  Why reinvent the wheel?
    • jroffman
      jroffman on 29 Jul 15
       
      I also like how it talks about one lesson, I personally dive into new ideas head first and then can't figure out why I am drowning! I like the idea of one lesson at a time. 
    • kainley
      kainley on 30 Jul 15
       
      ^^Yes go slow, I like anything that tells me to do that! I also like the idea of having steps to take as a guide and I agree it would be nice to have an actual template to see.
    • nwhipple
      nwhipple on 01 Aug 15
       
      Like you all said, models are important not only to students but teachers as well.  Teachers need to be shown how to do something right the first way before we expect our students to do the same.
  • We review how each generation processes information differently and how digital information has changed teaching and learning. We discuss the how and why people approach life depending on their mindset, the importance of failure to learn, unlearn, and relearn, and the skills needed to be college and career ready.
    • dwefel
      dwefel on 26 Jul 15
       
      This reminds me of a title of a book I read, "If they don't learn the way you teach, then teach the way they learn." So true!
    • jillnovotny
      jillnovotny on 31 Jul 15
       
      Good point! It is interesting to think about how learners have changed from one generation to another. When I was in elementary school, we were just starting to use computers more. Nowadays, almost every classroom has access to computer, iPads, or other types of technology. Digital information has definitely changed teaching and learning over the years, and it is going to continue to change! It is so important for educators to continue to do professional learning to prepare for these changing learners.
  • You will develop a rationale why assessment as learning creates independent, expert and self-regulated learners. Expert learners and assessment as learning is the key for learners taking responsibility for their learning.
    • dwefel
      dwefel on 26 Jul 15
       
      Exactly! Students taking charge of their learning. That is exactly what we need to create. It will be neat to see once this is statewide after 10 years of implementation.
    • jillnovotny
      jillnovotny on 31 Jul 15
       
      Assessment as learning, or assessment for learning, has been a major focus in my school district for the past 5 years or so. Within the structure of personalized learning, it makes complete sense that students would be able to take responsibility for their learning through self and peer assessment. Students are often more aware of their strengths and areas for improvement than we teachers are, because they know which parts of the assignment/project were more difficult for them. 
    • nwhipple
      nwhipple on 01 Aug 15
       
      Assessment for learning drives our curriculum and lessons.  I agree that if we expect our students to guide their own learning, they need to be able to tell us what it is they are learning about through questioning by teachers and peers.
  • ...12 more annotations...
  • Although her natural inclination is “to help my students when they’re stumped or confused, I need constantly to remind myself that when I supply an answer or even suggest a method for finding an answer, I’m not truly helping.” In terms of the tenets of inquiry-based instruction, she explains, when she answers students’ questions straightforwardly instead of asking questions to help the students find the answers themselves, she’s actually interfering with the learning process.
    • Alison Ruebel
      Alison Ruebel on 27 Jul 15
       
      This is interesting. This would be so hard for many teachers to do, because we are just so used to helping our students, it's natural to us. We need to get into a different mindset and let our students figure things out and question. This would be difficult to change, but knowing it's not helping our students to help them out, tell them answers or suggest how to find an answer, that we are just interfering with our student's learning.
    • dwefel
      dwefel on 28 Jul 15
       
      I agree! I think teachers naturally want to nurture students but in the end it is hurting more than helping.
    • jroffman
      jroffman on 29 Jul 15
       
      I also fear that when teachers stand back students may just give up. I also feel that many teachers have so many things to get done in a day they don't have enough time for this type of learning. 
    • jillnovotny
      jillnovotny on 31 Jul 15
       
      Letting students figure things out for themselves (in a supportive classroom environment where there are resources available for them to find the answers to their questions) is crucial for true learning. For this reason, it is so important that teachers are skilled at using guiding and probing questions to move students' thinking forward without giving them the answer or telling them how to find it. 
  • “Many teachers mistakenly assume kids know how to think,” she says. In most cases, though, children — many adults, too — experience thought as Zen masters describe it: a drunken monkey swinging haphazardly in a mind-forest, from thought-branch to thought-branch and idea-tree to idea-tree. Thinking Maps, she explains, help students gain control of the process by offering them eight distinct ways to organize their inquiries — a circle map for defining in context, for example, or a bubble map for describing with adjectives, etc. Thinking Maps, she continues, introduce students to the notion of thinking about thinking —
    • Alison Ruebel
      Alison Ruebel on 27 Jul 15
       
      Yes-we do often just assume kids know how to think. Thinking maps are a great way to help kids record and organize their thoughts! 
    • kainley
      kainley on 30 Jul 15
       
      I love using graphic organizers. You are able to see what they are thinking and they can see what they are thinking drawn or written out on paper.
  • Most teachers know the classroom is the perfect place for children to play, but opportunities to provide those benefits are on the decline. Reduced recess, cuts to physical education courses and limited free time in the classroom coupled with an increasing emphasis on testing are propelling this decline all over the country.
    • Alison Ruebel
      Alison Ruebel on 27 Jul 15
       
      So true :( It's very sad to think all of the time that kids were allowed to "play" is being taken away. I fully agree younger students learn to much through play! I worked at a daycare during my college years, and was able to see how important play was to kids and how much they actually do learn. 
    • kaberding
      kaberding on 28 Jul 15
       
      I agree!  Ironically my 5th grade students did a compare and contrast paper after reading recent articles about the decline of recess and the pros and cons.  I think recess or "free play" allows for character development and social development as well; something many educators struggle to find time to incorporate anymore with the demands of the academics now of days.  
  • We will share examples of teachers using questions, display questions, and how to incorporate inquiry throughout teaching and learning no matter what grade or subject
    • kaberding
      kaberding on 28 Jul 15
       
      To me it seems reasonable to begin the year with the meaning of question and inquiry and it's importance to learning.  I think if students can connect to this (even at a young age), then their learning might make more sense to them.  They already question and are inquisitive by many things that they learn on their own, so connecting that to the learning environment might spark more interest and help them realize this type of learning is really what we do in our daily lives.  For example, I've been curious about raising some cattle, so I have been doing a lot of research about this topic.  Same idea of personal learning.  We just need to share examples of what they may have done at their level already so they don't feel so foreign to this learning style.  
    • jillnovotny
      jillnovotny on 31 Jul 15
       
      Great connection! I agree that questioning is SO important when it comes to personalized learning. There has been a lot of research about higher-level questioning and its positive impact on academics. To me, it makes a lot of sense why traditional classrooms typically use lower-level questions (Who, What, Where) and personalized/project-based/inquiry/etc. classrooms typically use higher-level questions (How, Why).
  • Start with just one lesson, Reed and Blaydes suggest, and modify it to suit your students’ needs.
    • kaberding
      kaberding on 28 Jul 15
       
      I really like how they suggest to start with one lesson.  It seems that the articles all suggest to start slow with what you have.  That makes me think that the author realizes how overwhelmed teachers are in this day.  
  • For example, common sense seems to dictate that a five-pound object dropped from a given height will fall faster than a five-ounce object dropped from the same height. A traditional teacher may tell her class that’s not true and the kids might remember the correct answer if subsequently quizzed, but in their hearts they may not believe it. If employed properly, though, Ms. Moore contends, inquiry-based instruction stands a better chance of demolishing the misconceptions — eliminating them completely — by encouraging and allowing students to discover fundamental principles on their own.
  • Next, Ms. Moore asks the students what they wonder about their specimens. At this juncture, she explains, she knows which aspects of the material the Standard Course of Study requires her to cover and admits to becoming anxious if the students do not focus on them quickly. This is when her trust in the inquiry process is tested, when she must practice patience and restraint.
  • “Everything I do should contribute to students’ success outside of class,” she says, “and it’s never too early for kids to learn how to get along in the world.”
    • jroffman
      jroffman on 29 Jul 15
       
      This is so true, I never thought about how working in groups is preparing students for real live working situations and just life in general. 
  • Marcon tracked children from preschool through the third and fourth grades and found that those with “overly academic” preschool experiences struggled in their later elementary years when they were expected to “think more independently and take on greater responsibility for their own learning process.”
    • jroffman
      jroffman on 29 Jul 15
       
      Wow!!! this makes me sick I feel that we try and play a lot in the preschool classroom but maybe we don't play enough. 
    • kainley
      kainley on 30 Jul 15
       
      This is such interesting research. When I taught preschool we were doing the creative curriculum. I got a chance to have those same students again in third grade and they love turn and talk (getting and giving ideas and answers for comprehension questions) and creating projects together because they know how to communicate with each other and learn from each other. I wish the government and adminstrators would pay attention to this research...it is so vital that children get a chance to be explorers and creators in those early years!
  • They started small, and they've grown and honed their strategies each year.
    • kainley
      kainley on 30 Jul 15
       
      I like how they started small with 5 minutes turning into five years. It showed me a way to do a model like this with fidelity. I was also able to see I am already doing some of the things listed!
  • Look, Ms. Daugherty, these dinosaurs have open mouths, and these dinosaurs have closed mouths. I can sort things!” He’s taken Daugherty’s lessons on sorting by color a step further—and he’s done it while playing.
    • nwhipple
      nwhipple on 01 Aug 15
       
      A-HA.  Play time is HUGE, yet it is being taking away and forced out of the classroom.  This is exactly what I see and hear in my kindergarten classroom during, SHORT, periods of play.  When it is "free choice" children are learning MORE than when I have them in their seats or at the carpet "preaching" and "teaching".  If they can handle the reigns with their personal learning, they feel more in control and will be more comfortable talking to an audience about what it is they want to share.
  • Blaydes recommends activities that link learning and movement. An example activity for teaching punctuation asks students to first come up with motions and sounds for punctuation marks (for instance, jumping into the air and yelling, “Yes!” for exclamation points), then act out those movements at appropriate moments during a text read-aloud. These playful activities are fun—and memorable.
    • nwhipple
      nwhipple on 01 Aug 15
       
      I LOVE this because I have taught end punctuation like this to my large and small groups.  It is funny to see everyone get excited about finding an exclamation point in a text and jumping up and acting excited.  When kids will be reading to themselves, sometimes they will jump up on their own because they have come across an exclamation point in their book.  You know you have reached them when they do it on their own!  :)  
Evan Abbey

Lesson: Articles on Visual Design - 4 views

moodlesw.aeapdonline.org/...view.php

shared by Evan Abbey on 27 Jun 14 - No Cached
  • Depending on how a texture is applied, it may be used strategically to attract or deter attention.
    • rmfredrickson
      rmfredrickson on 27 Jun 14
       
      I never thought about "texture" online; what would be an example of a repeated element? A simple picture, or maybe a repeated diagram?
    • darinjohnson
      darinjohnson on 27 Jun 14
       
      Texture is an interesting element that I generally disregard. However, I remember a literature professor open poetry discussions with questions about texture and taste. He would use such responses to get to the tone of the work. What taste/texture/tone does this course have?
    • Linda Hoobin
      Linda Hoobin on 29 Jun 14
       
      Texture...not something I ever pay attention to or maybe even knew about.
  • Spacing makes things clearer.
    • rmfredrickson
      rmfredrickson on 27 Jun 14
       
      I have found this to be true since starting this class; less is more; and the idea of also adding an element of some kind to every page makes a lot of sense to me too. I think about this now as I create ANY kind of presentation page.
    • denise carlson
      denise carlson on 28 Jun 14
       
      "Less is more." That sums up nicely what we've been learning.  I know that I have a tendency to be too wordy and thus the page seems way too cluttered. I need to make a concerted effort to utilize the Less is More rule of thumb. 
  • In the last year or so, I've switched to using CSS to make my buttons and have never looked back. Sure, it means my buttons don't always have the flexibility I might wish for, but the savings in build time from not having to make dozens of little button images are huge.
    • rmfredrickson
      rmfredrickson on 27 Jun 14
       
      What does this mean? That in CSS (which I think I missed what that means...) you don't need to give a direction to click on a button to do whatever it is you are wanting it to do? Rather, it is automatically an apparent clickable button?
    • denise carlson
      denise carlson on 28 Jun 14
       
      Good question! What is CSS?  I think this is another rule of thumb we might want to add to our web-design rules: Don't assume the reader knows what the abbreviations or acronyms mean. Spell them out and define them so everyone is clear. 
  • ...49 more annotations...
  • Everything should be themed to make your design coherent between pages and on the same page.
    • darinjohnson
      darinjohnson on 27 Jun 14
       
      Here's one element that we can control and that we should control; however, it is also an element that I sometimes have trouble with. Sometimes it takes me awhile to find my style.
  • Font Choices
    • darinjohnson
      darinjohnson on 27 Jun 14
       
      What font should we be using? My journalism minor is quite dusty, but I was taught that body copy should be a serif typeface (e.g. Times New Roman, Georgia) and headlines should be a sans-serif typeface (e.g. Arial, Helvetica). Your choice of type might also give you a better grade: http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/19604/does-size-12-times-new-roman-font-receive-better-grades-in-school S
  • Squeaky wheels get the grease and prominent visuals get the attention. 
    • darinjohnson
      darinjohnson on 27 Jun 14
       
      This is a potent quotable.
  • Pantheon
    • darinjohnson
      darinjohnson on 27 Jun 14
       
      This is off topic, but I can't let it go. This is an image of the Parthenon. The Pantheon is in Rome.
  • it’s a good practice to never open links in new browser windows.
    • darinjohnson
      darinjohnson on 27 Jun 14
       
      I'm going to give this some thought because this suggestion is opposite of what I generally try to do. I've always thought it was better for readers to close the new linked area. 
    • denise carlson
      denise carlson on 28 Jun 14
       
      My too. I like new windows for new material. This seems contrary to my preferences. 
    • Linda Hoobin
      Linda Hoobin on 29 Jun 14
       
      It is not the way I think either. I tend to want to separate things so I am not distracted. New windows keep me focused.
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 01 Jul 14
       
      Same here. Especially with Moodle, I try to have it open in a different window so that they don't lose the original course.
  • A typical example from usability sessions is to translate the page in Japanese (assuming your web users don’t know Japanese, e.g. with Babelfish) and provide your usability testers with a task to find something in the page of different language. If conventions are well-applied, users will be able to achieve a not-too-specific objective, even if they can’t understand a word of it.
    • darinjohnson
      darinjohnson on 27 Jun 14
       
      I saw a Tweet recently suggesting to do something similar: Turn on speech to see if you can navigate on your site without vision. Is the site usable for all?
  • The basic elements that combine to create visual designs include the following:
    • denise carlson
      denise carlson on 28 Jun 14
       
      All of this is what is missing from the powerpoint I created for Mollie 3 in the week 2 lab section. 
    • Linda Hoobin
      Linda Hoobin on 29 Jun 14
       
      This could/should be my checklist for design!
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 01 Jul 14
       
      To be clear, these elements are always present, even in their absence. That is, even when one has the ugliest colors imagineable, they still are using a color palette. If you are Picasso, you get paid a lot of money for having the absence of these basic elements.
  • and that the medium changes as frequently as the underlying technology does.
    • denise carlson
      denise carlson on 28 Jun 14
       
      Oh no, so what I'm learning now will be different in 6 months or one year. I need a suggestion of a good blog or online resource I can use to keep up-do-date with all of the online design developments.
  • To achieve precedence you have many tools at your disposal:
  • To achieve precedence you have many tools at your disposal:
    • denise carlson
      denise carlson on 28 Jun 14
       
      These make perfect sense to me. I'm thinking that if I can remember and use these 5 chunks of precedence I would be taken a giant step toward fine-tuning the online lessons I create. 
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 01 Jul 14
       
      One slight difference between the online lesson and the "webpage" this designer is talking about is that there is going to be more stuff on the webpage. An online lesson doesn't have as many elements vying for attention.
  • some pretty bad examples out there.
    • denise carlson
      denise carlson on 28 Jun 14
       
      The DE website is a "pretty bad example" if you ask me. (Although there have been improvements made over time.)  There is just SO much there that is difficult for me to find what I want and need. I guess I could use that website as a non-example of effective navigation. 
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 01 Jul 14
       
      True. Of course, Heartland's old website was bad too. That is one of the occupational hazards of people like us who have our fingers in everything.
  • Adhering to Standards
    • denise carlson
      denise carlson on 28 Jun 14
       
      So what are some other things people expect? Where might we learn more about these ideas? The one example here is a good one, but now I'm curious about other expectations that I should be aware of. 
  • good set of CSS stylesheets
    • denise carlson
      denise carlson on 28 Jun 14
       
      Hmm. . . .what is a CSS style sheet?  So much unfamiliar content specific vocabulary in this article makes me wonder if I'm actually understanding what is being said. 
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 03 Jul 14
       
      A CSS style sheet is a set of rules (in the shape of a bunch of code) that govern a website. It would look like this: All headlines are in Maroon, 24 point, centered All sidebars have a box that is 100 pixels by 80 pixels. Except... in a language we can't understand.
  • Here’s what the golden ratio looks like:
    • denise carlson
      denise carlson on 28 Jun 14
       
      But, didn't we read somewhere earlier in the class to place pictures/photos on the left-hand side of  slide? Do these 2 ideas contradict each other? Someone please clarify for me. 
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 03 Jul 14
       
      Well... in our lessons, we advocated for putting them on the right side, as it helps with wrapping of text. Though putting them on the left is not a design faux pas. The "golden ratio" layout is more beneficial for designing a website, where you have grids to place content.
  • This is similar to Paradox of Choice – the more choice you give people, the easier it is to choose nothing.
    • denise carlson
      denise carlson on 28 Jun 14
       
      OK, i can see how too many choices is confusing in web design. But as an educator, I want to assure that my students have the freedom to make some choices regarding assignments and activities I ask them to complete in order to show their understanding. How will I balance these 2 ideas when creating online lessons/courses? 
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 03 Jul 14
       
      I think you already answered your question. Design is different than learning choice. It's like the new textbooks that have so much sidebar information that students aren't reading the main text. Too much design choice. In a lesson, you can present students with different learning options (enrichment, accomodated assignments, etc), but keep the webpage consistent.
  • the right is more interesting?
    • denise carlson
      denise carlson on 28 Jun 14
       
      I don't think the image on the right is more interesting? What am I missing? 
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 03 Jul 14
       
      "Interesting" is of course subjective. Typically, the rule of thirds means if you move the subject over to the 3rd-line of the picture, the picture shows more dynamics. Instead of "here's this rock formation", it's "Here's the rock formation, in its habitat, and now your eyes are moving over to this side of the photo to examine what is around it"
  • provide an email address if they were asked for it after they’d seen the feature work, so they had some idea of what they were going to get in return.
    • denise carlson
      denise carlson on 28 Jun 14
       
      I so agree. If I'm asked for email or other info to enter a site, I just close out. I want some hint of what the site has to offer me before I give them all my info.  Great tip!
    • Linda Hoobin
      Linda Hoobin on 29 Jun 14
       
      I steer away if I am asked for identifying information before I can explore the site's information.
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 03 Jul 14
       
      I hate it too. I have an email site dedicated to these throwaway signups that I never check (unless I need to confirm an account). I grumble every time.
  • he more options a user has when using your website, the more difficult it will be to use (or won’t be used at all).
    • rmfredrickson
      rmfredrickson on 29 Jun 14
       
      I agree with this Paradox of Choice; a few good options is better than a lot of medicore ones.
  • The best images follow the rule of thirds: an i
    • rmfredrickson
      rmfredrickson on 29 Jun 14
       
      I have never given this thought before, or had any idea how layout (in thirds) affects someone's perception of a page; fascinating, yet useful!!
  • Users don’t read, they scan. Analyzing a web-page, users search for some fixed points or anchors which would guide them through the content of the page.
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 01 Jul 14
       
      I admit, I was visualizing the scene from Clockwork Orange when thinking about this activity.
  • Unity has to do with all elements on a page visually or conceptually appearing to belong together. Visual design must strike a balance between unity and variety to avoid a dull or overwhelming design.
  • White space is used around text and between sections to allow the page to breath
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 01 Jul 14
       
      I think white space is probably the most critical attribute for a teacher-designer to master. The simple adding of white space makes the whole thing breathe and makes it look a lot better.
  • Similarity refers to creating continuity throughout a design without direct duplication. Similarity is used to make pieces work together over an interface and help users learn the interface quicker.
  • 9 Essential Principles for Good Web Design
  • Good Web design, perhaps even more than other type of design, is about information.
  • Padding is the space between elements and text. The simple rule here is that you should always have space there.
  • Navigation — Where can you go?
  • Think about user tasks
  • Think about user tasks
  • At the end of the day, your Web design is a tool for people to use, and people don't like using annoying tools!
  • The simplest way to maintain consistency is to make early decisions and stick to them.
  • 8 Effective Web Design Principles You Should Know
  • Design is not just something designers do. Design is marketing. Design is your product and how it works. The more I’ve learned about design, the better results I’ve gotten.
  • So, if your layout width is 960px, divide it by 1.618 (=593px). Now you know that the content area should be 593px and sidebar 367px. If the website height is 760px tall, you can split it into 470px and 290px chunks (760/1.618=~470).
  • With effective web design, you need to make sure things that do NOT go together, are not perceived as one. Similarly, you want to group certain design elements together (navigation menu, footer etc) to communicate that they form a whole.
  • White space is all about the use of hierarchy. The hierarchy of information, be it type, colour or images.
  • Effective web design and art are not the same.
  • Web users are impatient and insist on instant gratification.
  • the web-page should be obvious and self-explanatory.
  • Avoid cute or clever names, marketing-induced names, company-specific names, and unfamiliar technical names.
  • The “keep it simple”-principle (KIS) should be the primary goal of site design.
  • testing one user is 100% better than testing none
  • if you want a great site, you’ve got to test.
  • Incorporating space into a design helps reduce noise, increase readability, and/or create illusion. White space is an important part of your layout strategy.
    • lwymore
      lwymore on 29 Jun 14
       
      The use of space can be often overlooked or just not something that we always pay attention to.
    • Evan Abbey
      Evan Abbey on 01 Jul 14
       
      Lisa, I agree. In fact, my opinion is its the best place to start, since it is one of the easier elements to understand (not sure I can identify what "good Gestalt" is) and one of the easiest to actually do.
  • White space is used to give balance, proportion and contrast to a page.
  • White space is used to give balance, proportion and contrast to a page.
    • lwymore
      lwymore on 29 Jun 14
       
      Using "white space" as a tool to balance, proportion and contrast on a page; also helps with readability; something to keep in mind when editing and trying to avoid text-heavy pages. Consider how can one use white space to prevent the text from looking too overwhelming.
  • You should direct the user’s eyes through a sequence
    • lwymore
      lwymore on 29 Jun 14
       
      This is the same thing we want to do with self-paced lessons.
  • Aligning makes your design more ordered and digestible, as well as making it seem more polished.
  • Simple, minimal design does not automatically mean the design works, or is effective. But in my experience simple is always better than the opposite
    • lwymore
      lwymore on 29 Jun 14
       
      Clean and simple design can help maintain the balance and consistency needed for effective lessons
lkmace

"Personalized" vs. "Personal" Learning - 2 views

moodlesw.aeapdonline.org/...view.php

shared by lkmace on 06 Feb 16 - No Cached
  • many school district leaders require public school educators to teach a specific curriculum that will be evaluated on standardized tests, while at the same time telling teachers to be innovative and creative within their classrooms
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 06 Feb 16
       
      This is a major concern I have been struggling with in regard to Personalized Learning. The content many elementary teachers have been presented with is very specific - follow the basal or system of information you have been given, present it in the order it is to be taught, in the confines of the time you have to teach it, however, be creative (but don't stray from the plan because you have Standards Based goals to achieve), reach all students with it irregardless of ability or interest (make sure you meet with those groups every day to ensure they learn the content) and get good scores on our standardized tests (but don't teach to the test and you need to show growth).  It is a challenge we face but the dream of personalized learning is not an impossible reality. We just have to understand how it can be done. 
    • wolson86
      wolson86 on 10 Feb 16
       
      I agree and can easily connect with your comment about sticking to the curriculum, yet being creative. This is also a major concern of mine. I often feel that there is so much to fit in and little time. A guaranteed curriculum is important but I believe teachers need to have some freedom within their room to create plans and lesson that can be personalized and meet the standards.  Once teachers are better acquainted with personalized learning I believe we will see more and more of it within classrooms across the country. 
    • Megan Schulte
      Megan Schulte on 10 Feb 16
       
      I can relate, too.  I mentioned earlier that we work in PLCs, so we write curriculum together and then go to our rooms to teach it, share Data later, and learn from each other.  I feel like this setup is too restrictive for me to implement PL.  Instead of throwing the idea away, we need to experiment with implementing PL small then look at the data and see if we can convince others to go with it.  We won't be able to make the full switch in a year, over the summer, or even within a few years until the entire system gets on board and works toward this common goal of implementing PL..
  • In a world where we can explore almost every interest or passion in depth on our own or with others, it’s crucially more important to have the dispositions and the skills to create our own educational opportunities, not be trained to wait for opportunities that someone else has selected for delivery.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 06 Feb 16
       
      As an adult learning individuals, if we want to continue to learn and grow, we need to reach out and ask questions and find the answers rather than waiting for the world to find us. We need to inspire that in our students as well. Motivation and drive with a purpose!
    • lkmace
      lkmace on 13 Feb 16
       
      To instill this drive for learning and seeking one's own understanding seems so important when developing skills in our young students. When we as adults have that drive for learning continuum, modeling that passion, sharing examples on how this is evident in work environments, as well as higher education, should be a skill all students be taught. PLEs could be a great tool to do just that!
  • Personal learning entails working with each child to create projects of intellectual discovery that reflect his or her unique needs and interests. It requires the presence of a caring teacher who knows each child well. Personalized learning entails adjusting the difficulty level of prefabricated skills-based exercises based on students’ test scores.   It requires the purchase of software from one of those companies that can afford full-page ads in Education Week.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 06 Feb 16
       
      Personal Learning requires "heart" Personalized Learning requires "hardware"
  • ...17 more annotations...
  • Thus, while making sense of ideas is surely personal, it is not exclusively individual because it involves collaboration and takes place in a community.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 06 Feb 16
       
      Personal doesn't mean individual. 
  • Personalization is often used in the ed-tech community to describe a student moving through a prescribed set of activities at his own pace. The only choice a student gets is what box to check on the screen and how quickly to move through the exercises. For many educators that’s not the true meaning of “personalized learning.”
    • amorarend
      amorarend on 07 Feb 16
       
      At the district I teach in we have many computer programs like this. Our lower elementary students (K-4) work on ST math and our upper elementary students (5-6) work on ALEKS. Our district also recently purchased and is going to start implementing Lexia Reading Core5. I personally have not worked with any of these programs, but from what I've heard teachers really like ST Math and ALEKS. 
    • wolson86
      wolson86 on 10 Feb 16
       
      Our district has also just started implementing Lexia Reading Core 5 this year. I have found it to be engaging for the students, but I have a student who has already passed all levels. At this point there is nothing left for her to do. I think personalization is more than a computer program, however I am a fan of computer programs that are tailored to the students' needs. 
    • Megan Schulte
      Megan Schulte on 10 Feb 16
       
      From some of the things I've read in the PL Environment articles, these computer programs are only one part of Personalized Learning.  They have a purpose for some students who need it, but shouldn't really be implemented as a "work until you complete the program" type of thing.  More of a "you need more practice..go here" type of situation. Until we really embrace PL and truly personalize, we'll continue to encounter these issues.  So hard to do!
  • “It meets the needs of an individual in a very standardized way, but it doesn’t take into account who that kid is.” For Laufenberg, personalization only comes when students have authentic choice over how to tackle a problem.
    • amorarend
      amorarend on 07 Feb 16
       
      I don't think many teachers and administrators realize this. I think most feel like the computer programs, such as ST Math, ALEKS and Lexia Reading Core5, are personalized because each student is working at their own level. From what I've learned so far in this class is that Personalized Learning takes it a step farther. 
    • lkmace
      lkmace on 10 Feb 16
       
      I have felt hesitation from adminastartion with using computer programs for student learning. I'm looking for evidence that supports research in this area. Is it best for certain learning styles? I believe so.
    • lkmace
      lkmace on 13 Feb 16
       
      Ditto! I've tried some pilot computer learning, and students enjoy and stay engaged. Trying to receive support from administration isn't easy - district policy, costs, and balance between classrooms are the constraints I find.
  • Personalization comes at the expense of denying students opportunities to learn personally, forming the habits of mind and “network literacies” that will serve them much more effectively than most of the content knowledge that, as we know from experience, never gets applied in real life.
    • amorarend
      amorarend on 07 Feb 16
       
      I agree and disagree with this statement. I think every student in America has asked the question "When am I ever going to use this in real life?" at some point in their educational career. I know I did when I was sitting in Pre-Calc my senior year of high school. On the other hand I cringe every time one of my 5th grade students doesn't know that Iowa is a state. I had to have all of the states and state capitals memorized in 3rd grade! I do feel there are some things every well educated person should know, but the question is how do we decide what is important enough for every person to learn.
    • kelsi-johnson
      kelsi-johnson on 10 Feb 16
       
      There are definitely basic, foundational skills that need to be learned by all students. For example, since our district has focused less on teaching and grading students on grammar, punctuation, and elements outside of the content of a paper, we have noticed huge gaps in performance. I had to spend an entire class period with my ninth grade students explaining when to capitalize a letter before printing their final papers. I was also able to listen to Richardson speak at my school last year, and he claimed that all math classes would be rendered irrelevant over the course of the next decade due to technology resources; however, he used many graphs and statistics in his presentation. Luckily, I had great math teachers throughout school in order to possess the skills necessary to interpret his presentation data! I would agree that we have to develop certain basic skills in all students before we can set them off to work completely independently. I think it all comes down to your final question...how/who determines those priority skills or standards?
    • Megan Schulte
      Megan Schulte on 10 Feb 16
       
      I completely agree!  However, I feel we're just not advanced enough as a system or society to truly see what we're doing work well.  The standards are set up to build upon the previous year's standards.  Unless everyone is covering his/her standards, it won't work as well.  We saw this first hand at my school when our JH/HS started aligning to the core before our elementary did.  It was very difficult for our 7th grade teachers to even teach the 7th grade standards because our students were back on the 2nd/3rd grade level according to the standards.  We had to back up and teach those skills first in order to get anywhere close to our own standards.  However, in the last 4 years I have seen much improvement!  Our elementary has begun aligning, and we're not (almost) able to do our own jobs!  I have hope!
  • But the red light flashes here not just because of the focus on standardized tests but because of the larger preoccupation with data data data data data.
    • amorarend
      amorarend on 07 Feb 16
       
      With being a Title 1 teacher everything I do is based on data. The school I teach at just got done doing the FAST testing for winter and when it was done I sat down with the principal and the other Title 1 teacher and used the student's test scores to determine who was going to be receiving Title 1 services. I am not a huge fan of testing, but when the state requires students who are flagged as "substantially deficient" to be in an intervention and students who are flagged as "at risk" to be progress monitored we have no choice but to be driven by the data. I really like the idea of personal learning, but I don't think school are going to be able to make that switch until the government changes things.
    • kelsi-johnson
      kelsi-johnson on 10 Feb 16
       
      It is frustrating that this information/research is out there and many teachers want to shift towards learning that is less test-focused, but unfortunately we don't have the power to make those changes! I also wonder how parents would respond to a change from the traditional school format. I know when we even discussed switching to standardized based grading, we got a lot of push back and criticism from parents. I don't know how we start making these changes.
    • lkmace
      lkmace on 13 Feb 16
       
      This is directly connected to the students I serve that are identified as gifted. Testing often displays data that doesn't seem to reflect their total understanding, often posing a picture where students haven't reached that area of one year's growth. This has engaged many debates as to pushing core v. pushing student interests.
  • ‘We often say we want creativity and innovation – personalization – but every mechanism we use to measure it is through control and compliance.’
    • kelsi-johnson
      kelsi-johnson on 10 Feb 16
       
      But at some point, don't we have to hold students and ourselves accountable for the learning taking place in the classroom? With the requirements of the current education system, there doesn't seem to be much that we as classroom teachers can do here: at some point we have to prove that we have created growth in our students through data. I wish the article would have specified other methods for depicting learning/student achievement rather than simply debunking the current ones. While I am all for personal learning and a change in the way we view student performance, I have yet to see a realistic method presented to ultimately score or evaluate the results of our students in the classroom.
    • wolson86
      wolson86 on 10 Feb 16
       
      I agree that it would be nice to have some other specified methods to collect data and show student growth. I do believe what we have now is not a true judgement of our students, they are so much more than a score. 
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 11 Feb 16
       
      I think our major hiccup lies in our struggle with producing "proof" of learning. It is important that you state a realistic method of scoring students. In a perfect world, we would have a personalized instruction for each student with a personalized rubric guiding the learning. However, that is not realistically possible, especially if I want them to be authentic and innovative at their own level. As long as I am expected to prove my kids are learning, regardless of the system used, time will play into how personalized the instruction can be.
    • lkmace
      lkmace on 13 Feb 16
       
      Before reading your post, my thinking directed to the time constraint and proving a year's growth in each of our students. This is a major component in our classrooms and often fogs up the importance of addressing individual learning needs. How do teachers with large groups of students realistically find time to implement successful PLEs? I have 40+ students on my roster between two buildings. PLEs could be the answer to providing challenges more than 30--40 minutes 1-2 times per week. That part I am excited about. Assisting with all 40+ PLEs sounds a little overwhelming, but initial skill development in students in designing their own with my assistance seems to be my starting point.
  • it implies moving away from the industrialized form of education that pumps out cookie-cutter students with the same knowledge and skills
    • wolson86
      wolson86 on 10 Feb 16
       
      This first sentence really stuck out to me, especially the statement cookie-cutter students. Why would we want to create students to all have the same talents? What kind of future would that be, with students who all have the same specific skills?
  • Can the Web and laptops, et al., support and expand intrinsic engagement for those parts of the world that interest us? Absolutely! But while a multimedia textbook on an iPad may be more engaging than the dog-eared paper one we’ve been handing out for decades, a textbook is still a textbook. You want to really engage kids? Give them opportunities to learn personally, to create their own texts and courses of study, and to pursue that learning with others in and out of the classroom who share a passion.
    • kelsi-johnson
      kelsi-johnson on 10 Feb 16
       
      This makes me reflect on the learning we have done about the SAMR model. Because our students recently became 1:1 with iPads in our building, we have done a lot of learning on making technology usage meaningful rather than just "fluff" in the classroom. Here is a link for those of you not familiar with SAMR: http://tinyurl.com/posterV4 As Richardson indicates, we can't simply put technology into the hands of students and call ourselves innovative. It is what we allow our students to do with technology in order to generate new ideas that stimulates innovation and creativity.
  • meaningful (and truly personal) learning never requires technology
    • kelsi-johnson
      kelsi-johnson on 10 Feb 16
       
      I found this statement to be particularly profound; I never thought of it that way!
    • Megan Schulte
      Megan Schulte on 10 Feb 16
       
      Especially nowadays when technology is such a big part of their lives.
    • lkmace
      lkmace on 13 Feb 16
       
      Fifth graders in our district are fortunate to have Chrome Books. After working in secondary for the past 4 years, coming back to elementary made things very exciting to know these students would have tech access at their fingertips. After a few weeks working with this age level, I found the tools could be very distracting. Starting with personal understanding to form inquiry and learning proposals allowed for focus on goals. Technology came in next as a great resource, but ending with communicating new learning (sometimes with tech, but often through discussions, writing or small group share.)
  • A personalized environment gives students the freedom to follow a meaningful line of inquiry, while building the skills to connect, synthesize and analyze information into original productions.
    • Megan Schulte
      Megan Schulte on 10 Feb 16
       
      This is so hard to really implement correctly!  Most of us are in school systems where we are really restricted by required classes, bell schedules, teacher certification, the previously mentioned DATA COLLECTION (!!!), which would look much differently in a true PL classroom.  I'm personally struggling with how to implement PL because we work in PLC teams where we have common formative assessments that need to be administered around the same time.  That allows very little room for kids to work at their own pace.
  • resource rich.
    • Megan Schulte
      Megan Schulte on 10 Feb 16
       
      I have found that finding good resources for English is really hard.  There are so many factors when it comes to literature, like readability level, topic, concept, that it's hard for ME to find resources, let alone have my students find them on their own.  Unfortunately, if someone develops something that is good, they're going to want money for it making it unattainable for many of us.  I was excited to hear about the pilot going on with the AEA Online for students.
  • Our kids (and we ourselves) are suddenly walking around with access to the sum of human knowledge in our pockets and connections to literally millions of potential teachers.
    • Megan Schulte
      Megan Schulte on 10 Feb 16
       
      A few problems come to mind.  1)  This is why it's important to climb the ladder of Bloom's with our activities and lessons and make them real life.  2) Students don't value knowing the basics because they can just Google them.  The part of speech of a word...Google can tell us that, so it isn't important.  But it IS important to know when it's applied later, for instance writing complex sentences and identifying clauses/subjects.     Or is it?
    • kelsi-johnson
      kelsi-johnson on 11 Feb 16
       
      Think about how much longer it would take for students to complete seemingly simple aspects of a project or task if they had to look up every single smaller bit of information. It seems that this is where we need to set priority standards in order to determine what basics are most important for students to know in order to complete and take part in personal learning.
  • give opportunities for our kids to do personal learning.
    • Megan Schulte
      Megan Schulte on 10 Feb 16
       
      This is it!!  This is all we can hope for.  Having the perfect school, unit, support, funding, etc. to do this is not anywhere in our near future.  If our classroom is set up to give opportunities for our kids to do personalized learning, we're on the right track.  I feel it will snowball into more opportunities.  Kids will want it, the ever-important test scores will prove it, and schools will slowly jump on the PL train!
  • the best thing we can do for kids is empower them to make regular, important, thoughtful decisions about their own learning, what they learn and how they learn it, and to frame our use of language in that larger shift, not simply in the affordances for traditional curriculum delivery that the tools of the moment might bring.
    • Megan Schulte
      Megan Schulte on 10 Feb 16
       
      This is the beginning.  Find opportunities for this wherever you can and then let personalized learning grow from there.
    • lkmace
      lkmace on 13 Feb 16
       
      Advanced differentiation conversations often involve the, "how do we develop independent learners?" This shift is dearly needed. Enabling students with PLEs - tool to make the shift?
  • as long as he ends up fundamentally similar to everyone else:
    • Megan Schulte
      Megan Schulte on 10 Feb 16
       
      Agreed, but this is what students need to understand when it comes to PL.  You don't just get to pretend you're working, you are still held accountable to reach the end target; you can just get there how you want.  This is my biggest fear with "setting kids free" in PL.  I'm afraid I'll check-in with their progress and they'll have done nothing.  What's the consequence?  How do you hold them accountable daily (at first) and realize they still have to do something.  Hopefully interest level, real life applications, etc will help hold them accountable.  They'll be on stage for someone hopefully.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 11 Feb 16
       
      I have a self-paced system currently in place in my classroom. Often times, I do check in, and they will have done nothing. I have the daily goal for where they should be to be on target to finish on time. My kids have figured out that I will fail them. I akin it to a job. If you do not do the task, the boss will penalize you for it. That said, grades are fluid. I have no problem changing the grade once I receive the work. Normally the work happens after a few angry emails from parents, pulling from study halls, and a little bribing. This morning I sent out an email stating I was still missing fifty papers from students, giving their names. The immediate consequence is failing, with the understanding that once work is shown, failing is not a permanent ultimatum .
  • She cautions educators who may be excited about the progressive educational implications for “personalized learning” to make sure everyone they work with is on the same page about what that phrase means.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 11 Feb 16
       
      I find it interesting that she says everyone we work with needs to be on the same page about the implications of personalized learning. I find, that when I try something new, even if my co workers aren't on board right away, my results speak for themselves. I am not sure it is important that BEFORE I start personalized learning, EVERYONE is onboard. 
    • lkmace
      lkmace on 13 Feb 16
       
      As I "pilot" PLEs with some of my students, taking evidence from their experience to share with staff could begin those "on board" conversations and reel teachers towards learning more and trying in their classrooms, as well as sharing with administrators. Many past learning models have sounded wonderful, but without having data to show evidence of success, hesitance exists.
  • Our systems and assessments assume that neither content nor access to teachers is widely available, and that we must deliver a proscribed, fairly narrow curriculum to each child because if they don’t have it in their heads when they need it, they will fail at the task.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 11 Feb 16
       
      I find it interesting that the Web and other pieces of technology have expanded the capabilities of learning, yet our standardized testing and other assessments specify exactly what they "need" to know. I question how, regardless of how the Internet has changed education, we still use the same methods to prove proficiency. 
annott

"Personalized" vs. "Personal" Learning - 5 views

moodlesw.aealearningonline.org/...view.php

shared by annott on 31 Mar 19 - No Cached
  • When that happens, the structures around the classroom leave little room for the kind of authentic, whole-child personalization many teachers dream of offering.
    • jennham
      jennham on 31 Mar 19
       
      This is a challenge for me. How do we personalize learning while ensuring that teachers are teaching and students are learning what is expected? I do not want online learning to become just something else they do in order to check a box on Yes! I have personalized learning for my students!
    • tracyc4
      tracyc4 on 03 Apr 19
       
      Agreed. We have a lot of boxes to tick already. Where does the accountability lie when students don't achieve their goals/what is expected of them?
  • It’s as if engaging them in learning without technology has become this impossible task.
    • jennham
      jennham on 31 Mar 19
       
      Whoa! Having kids engaged in school and in their learning is something teachers have been doing long before technology became an imperative part of education. (I realize he agrees with me. That anyone could feel this statement strongly is what I reacted to.)
    • tmolitor
      tmolitor on 25 Apr 19
       
      I thought this was interesting as well. It seems like an easy out for anyone that needs an excuse. Oh it's not the content we just can't compete with their video games.
  • the best thing we can do for kids is empower them to make regular, important, thoughtful decisions about their own learning, what they learn and how they learn it
    • jennham
      jennham on 31 Mar 19
       
      How do we make this happen? I do not think that one teacher in a building can pull this off. I see this as being a monumental shift in an entire district to truly make personalized learning personal to each student.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 01 Apr 19
       
      I think this is also one of my main questions, and something I hope to explore in this course. Does personalized/personal learning work in small doses? In the confines of a single classroom or a single unit?
    • annott
      annott on 28 Apr 19
       
      That is a total shift in thought, and I agree, how do we do it? Give me the manual!
  • ...30 more annotations...
  • personalization is “not about giving students what they want, it’s about a recommended learning path just for them.”[
    • jennham
      jennham on 31 Mar 19
       
      This really sums up, for me, the difference between personalized learning and having personal learning. I think it is the learning path that educators get caught up on. The Oh! This program scales up the difficulty if the student answers the question right and scales it down if they miss it!, type of thing. That isn't personal to the student at all.
  • This kind of learning allows students to work at their own pace and level, meets the individual needs of students, and perhaps most importantly, is not a one-size fits all model.
    • mgast40diigo
      mgast40diigo on 31 Mar 19
       
      What do you do with students that work at a slow pace and can't meet deadlines? That may lead to more of a teacher directed approach to speed things up.
    • tommuller4
      tommuller4 on 17 Apr 19
       
      I think this would be a hard sell in the high school where the smarted kids would complain about having to do more than the other students. They would say that its not fair.
    • tmolitor
      tmolitor on 25 Apr 19
       
      I think you both bring up really good points. How can you even grade something like this when one student does twice the work of another?
  • We can truly individualize the classroom by using data-driven platforms to continually assess and track progress through any given curriculum and provide the most relevant content or resources to any given learner based on specific needs or learning styles
    • mgast40diigo
      mgast40diigo on 31 Mar 19
       
      Technology is amazing. There are so many tools out on the web that I haven't even used yet. I amazed how kahoot, quizizz, and google forms can assess and track data. It is scary to think what the next five years may look like in education and especially the tools we will have access to.
  • But I marvel how that, in many schools I work with, the prevailing narrative seems to be that we can’t engage kids without technology, without a smartphone, tablet computer or some other multimedia device or tool.
    • mgast40diigo
      mgast40diigo on 31 Mar 19
       
      There is a lot of truth to this. The problem is not only is this the truth in schools but households as well.
    • k_gibson
      k_gibson on 02 Apr 19
       
      We can't stop the technology train, nor should we. Tech, when used responsibly and effectively, is an invaluable tool in our society and schools. The key here is 'effectively.' Too many educators put kids on computers to look cool,"Hey, I'm using technology!" However, in reality, it's busy work and low-level thinking. What we ask students to do with technology is key to creating a truly PL classroom.
  • Give them opportunities to learn personally, to create their own texts and courses of study, and to pursue that learning with others in and out of the classroom who share a passion.
    • mgast40diigo
      mgast40diigo on 31 Mar 19
       
      How would this work? The 3 most important things in my son's life are Fortnite, socializing with friends, and sports. Where would the balance be if they were in charge of designing their own courses?
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 01 Apr 19
       
      Depends on the topic, of course, and hard to motivate either way- but there is reading/writing/communicating in social media, Fortnite, and sports. There is history in sports. Math in sports. I'm sure your son uses our fundamental skills and builds new knowledge using the things he loves.
    • k_gibson
      k_gibson on 02 Apr 19
       
      I think to ensure that learning happens outside of the classroom, we need to shift education to a trade school model, where students are shadowing professionals, choosing apprenticeships/internships, etc. during normal school hours. These experiences would replace some of the traditional classes during the school day.
  • 2. Education is about the transmission of bits of information, not the construction of meaning.
    • k_gibson
      k_gibson on 02 Apr 19
       
      I disagree with how this statement is written. Education isn't entirely about the transmission of information, but information is still important and shouldn't be dismissed. Education can't be an 'either/or,' it must be a 'both.' Students need information in order to apply it, design, and create. Without information, there is a huge gap left in their learning called 'ignorance.'
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 07 Apr 19
       
      I agree with your statement- I had to re-read this section a few times to understand exactly what they were getting at. I think the idea here is that students should be choosing/finding their information, though, not having that information 'delivered' to them.
  • same knowledge
    • k_gibson
      k_gibson on 02 Apr 19
       
      Every person/child is unique. I agree that skills, and to a point knowledge, should vary. However, there is a certain well-rounded nature we want children to possess to be successful in society. Hence why we created a common set of standards, like Iowa Core. There should always be certain skills and information we set forth for children to learn. Then, there should be an element to learning that opens up new experiences and opportunities for exploring interests. Balance is important, I think.
    • cmanring
      cmanring on 03 Apr 19
       
      Very true. I teach History and Government. There is some information that must be had by all. The method, delivery, way can be different but none the less some items must be covered.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 07 Apr 19
       
      I unfortunately don't remember the source, though I'm sure it's something I could look up- but I was once taught/read that a lot of the things we do is just to train our brain to do more complex tasks. We may not necessarily use all the algebra and trig we learn, for example, but it builds new connections in our brains and helps us learn and think in new ways. That's sometimes difficult to explain to students.
  • it implies moving away from the industrialized form of education that pumps out cookie-cutter students with the
  • and skills.
  • commitment to individualism yet experience a “relentless pressure to conform
    • mrsmeganmorgan
      mrsmeganmorgan on 03 Apr 19
       
      This sounds like every teenager's experience. I wonder if there is more pressure now that we have social media.
  • learning tends to nourish kids’ curiosity and deepen their enthusiasm
    • mrsmeganmorgan
      mrsmeganmorgan on 03 Apr 19
       
      Is this the goal of education? Our at least one of our hidden goals that we do not measure. We only include it in our mission statement.
  • it involves collaboration and takes place in a communit
    • mrsmeganmorgan
      mrsmeganmorgan on 03 Apr 19
       
      I think we often forget this part of learning. We are quick to hand students a computer and system to help students learn.
  • “Follow the money” is apt advice in many sectors of education
    • mrsmeganmorgan
      mrsmeganmorgan on 03 Apr 19
       
      I think of many of the computer programs that my children use and wonder who is profiting from the subscription. It really becomes obvious when you attend ISTE and see the over the top parties that being thrown by various EdTech companies.
  • ‘We often say we want creativity and innovation – personalization – but every mechanism we use to measure it is through control and compliance.’
    • cmanring
      cmanring on 03 Apr 19
       
      The longer I teach (22 years) the more I find that the continued focus on test scores hampers a lot of learning. Teaching to the test, focusing on the test, etc. , etc. are sometimes a large waste of everyone's time. In this current era do we actually need to have state testing to decide if a school is functioning? When teachers are evaluated there is not a test.
    • tommuller4
      tommuller4 on 17 Apr 19
       
      As a teacher its hard to give up some control of the classroom and give students the freedom to learn in whatever style fits them the best.
    • tmolitor
      tmolitor on 25 Apr 19
       
      I agree, it is hard to give up control of the classroom, sometimes it feels like giving up control the whole class will go crazy.
  • First, ask just about any vendor of personalization technology what the intended outcome is and, with a little prodding, you’ll get to this: better test scores.
    • cmanring
      cmanring on 03 Apr 19
       
      The longer I teach (22 years) the more I find that the continued focus on test scores hampers a lot of learning. Teaching to the test, focusing on the test, etc. , etc. are sometimes a large waste of everyone's time. In this current era do we actually need to have state testing to decide if a school is functioning? When teachers are evaluated there is not a test.
  • but meaningful (and truly personal) learning never requires technology.
    • cmanring
      cmanring on 03 Apr 19
       
      Very true. I have polled my students and at times they feel that there is an unnatural push towards using technology. They feel that some teachers/administrators push technology just for the sake of it. This did answer my question about In The Day Of The Life entry as my student will show the example that learning does not have to require technology.
    • tracyc4
      tracyc4 on 03 Apr 19
       
      Agreed. I teach band. I sometimes have kids write on worksheets, counting rhythms, or reflecting on something they played or heard. Their handwriting is terrible! They don't spend any time writing anymore, it is all done on computers. This, I believe is a true shame. Technology is great for a lot of things, but when we are losing skills because of its use, that is frightening.
  • authentic choice
    • mistermohr
      mistermohr on 03 Apr 19
       
      This is tough to implement. Students don't know intuitively how to do this on their own. There has to be coaching a feedback provided. I know that I have not implemented this to any degree of fidelity, but I am amazed at what students come up with on their own. They need to know they have that freedom, and that comes with the knowledge of how to use it.
    • kmolitor
      kmolitor on 03 Apr 19
       
      It is important for students to have the freedom to choose things that are meaningful to them. When that happens they buy into learning.
    • taylormunson
      taylormunson on 07 Apr 19
       
      I agree that this is tough to implement but I think it is a critical component. The freedom of students getting to play a key role in their own learning is so fun to watch. I am amazed when I see even a small taste of this, the difference in the students' attitudes and motivations.
    • tmolitor
      tmolitor on 25 Apr 19
       
      When students are given an actual choice, it does seem to make a world of difference in their efforts. It also seems like they are more excited for class, and sometimes even upset when the period ends.
  • “Personalized” learning is something that we do to kids; “personal” learning is something they do for themselves.
    • mistermohr
      mistermohr on 03 Apr 19
       
      I love this line! We have to help students do things for themselves. I don't know about you, but implementing this for the vast majority of students takes so much time in getting them comfortable with the desire to learn. I know, I know, I'm just trying to pass the buck onto someone that "should have taught them that". How do I do it? I need to only consider reality, it doesn't matter if they don't know how. They need to learn how, and that is where I need to focus my attention.
    • tracyc4
      tracyc4 on 03 Apr 19
       
      This is a powerful distinction. Teaching kids how to do things for themselves is something that I believe is important. The kids in my school lack the intrinsic motivation to do anything, except play Minecraft. As in many initiatives in education, I think that it is not necessarily that we should make a shift from one thing to another, but how can we blend the good from all? That is, how can we blend personalization and personal learning, not just follow one or the other.
    • taylormunson
      taylormunson on 07 Apr 19
       
      Wow! This really jumped out at me. I don't think many people would acknowledge the difference between personalized and personal learning. When described like this... it really makes me think of the key distinctions that must be made. The important part is not just that we are altering our instruction to what our students like but encouraging the development of personal learning experiences and helping set our students up for successful experiences when this is done.
  • who knows each child well
    • mistermohr
      mistermohr on 03 Apr 19
       
      Who has the time for this? I say it sarcastically, but this is really a numbers game. 25 kids, 45 minutes, 90 class periods in a semester. That is 2.7 hours per student. That includes getting to know students, helping with personalization choices, decision making, monitoring learning, providing feedback, monitoring new learning, providing more feedback on dozens of standards. Our system isn't designed to foster personalized learning. We are trying to fit a square key in a round hole.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 07 Apr 19
       
      It's true, this is definetely a system-problem. It's one of the questions I'm hoping to answer through this course. Can these concepts be used in smaller ways and have a significant impact? They do ask a lot of us as educators.
  • Certain forms of technology can be used to support progressive education
    • mistermohr
      mistermohr on 03 Apr 19
       
      I think of this as adaptive learning. it can be a valuable resource in personalization. Going back millenia, personalization began with the socratic method from Socrates himself. He was able to adapt learning through questioning, but he didn't rely on technology. He also had groups of 10 students for extended periods of time. So maybe technology allows teachers to have a larger effective reach than without it. In today's world, do you think technology aided learning is essential?
  • She cautions educators who may be excited about the progressive educational implications for “personalized learning” to make sure everyone they work with is on the same page about what that phrase means.
    • tracyc4
      tracyc4 on 03 Apr 19
       
      My school is always looking to be on the cutting edge, looking for the new shiny thing that will catch people's eyes. "Personalized Learning" is the flavor of the year this year. It is frustrating as an educator in this situation because we feel we are doing something new ALL THE TIME. Our administration has not been clear as to what it will look like for us and our kids yet. While, in theory, I think that personalized learning will have many benefits for kids, I worry about what else it is going to pile on to us teachers.
  • system of accountability in the U.S. educational system
    • kmolitor
      kmolitor on 03 Apr 19
       
      Standardized tests seem counterintuitive to innovative learning. How do we balance the two?
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 07 Apr 19
       
      If the standardized tests are on concepts/objectives that we think all students show know/understand as they progress through school, they should be general enough that students can approach them from different ways/their own ways and still achieve the objectives.
    • tommuller4
      tommuller4 on 17 Apr 19
       
      Admin is always worried about test scores and rankings but if we want to give students the freedom to learn what they want the admin may be concerned about scores.
  • Big questions, passion, personal interest are what should drive our use of technology, not the other way around.
    • kmolitor
      kmolitor on 03 Apr 19
       
      We definitely need to make sure we consider what needs to be taught first and then how can technology make it better.
    • annott
      annott on 28 Apr 19
       
      Good point Kelley.
  • best student-centered, project-based education, kids spend much of their time learning with and from one another
    • kmolitor
      kmolitor on 03 Apr 19
       
      This is so true when people have the opportunity to collaborate with one another it elevates their learning and productivity. Ideas help beget other ideas and help stimulate thoughts and create questions.
  • it implies moving away from the industrialized form of education that pumps out cookie-cutter students with the
    • taylormunson
      taylormunson on 07 Apr 19
       
      This made me think of our last forum post when we discussed the difference between "personalized and differentiation". This is what I was referring to when I said using them interchangeably doesn't necessarily work. It might... but often time personalized means student choice based and out of the ordinary.
  • For many educators that’s not the true meaning of “personalized learning.”
    • taylormunson
      taylormunson on 07 Apr 19
       
      If educators don't have the "true meaning" of personalized learning... is there a correct way of implementing into the classroom? Are implementation expectations meant to be just as flexible as the concept itself?
    • annott
      annott on 28 Apr 19
       
      Have to admit that is what I normally do? I wonder if students would be more engaged.
  • After decades of this approach, it is clear that all children don’t learn the same way and personalization seems to honor those differences
    • tommuller4
      tommuller4 on 17 Apr 19
       
      If we really want to teach our students we need to change the way we teach. We might need to have 3-4 different ways to teach the same topic.
  • “We often say we want creativity and innovation – personalization – but every mechanism we use to measure it is through control and compliance,”
    • annott
      annott on 28 Apr 19
       
      This is a very good point.
  • Our kids (and we ourselves) are suddenly walking around with access to the sum of human knowledge in our pockets and connections to literally millions of potential teachers
    • annott
      annott on 28 Apr 19
       
      That is a huge change since I started teaching 26 years ago, and we still had some typewriters in the building, and maybe 3 computers.
  • content knowledge that, as we know from experience, never gets applied in real life.
    • annott
      annott on 28 Apr 19
       
      I have struggled with this many times. Will they ever use this again?
Janet Wills

"Personalized" vs. "Personal" Learning - 1 views

moodlesw.aealearningonline.org/...view.php

shared by Janet Wills on 13 Feb 21 - No Cached
  • student moving through a prescribed set of activities at his own pace. The only choice a student gets is what box to check on the screen and how quickly to move through the exercises
    • benrobison
      benrobison on 13 Feb 21
       
      I do not think of this as personal learning. I would qualify this as individual learning. HOWEVER, I do think there's value in this. I have students who would rather work at their own pace via checklists. That said, this isn't personalized...all of the students do the same thing, just at different speeds.
    • erinlullmann
      erinlullmann on 16 Feb 21
       
      I agree with you, Ben. I appreciated this clarification between personalized and individual learning. I know that my 5th grade son would really appreciate this style of learning as he gets very frustrated when he has to wait for other classmates to finish tasks before going on to the next thing. I think there is room in education for individualization and personalization. in fact, maybe individualized learning is a good stepping stone toward personalized learning.
    • Gina Rogers
      Gina Rogers on 16 Feb 21
       
      Ben and Erin - I agree with both of your thoughts. To me it seems that personalization has to include more than just student choice in pace of learning. Students have to have some choice in how they learn and what they learn and what they can do to demonstrate mastery. I almost wonder if those elements of personalization that I mentioned above would be difficult for some students who are box checkers like my son who is really good at checking his canvas to-do list, finishing his work, etc. He stays on top of checking the boxes, but sometimes I wonder how deeply he is learning the content that is assigned to him. I don't know if that makes a whole lot of sense.
  • personalized learning experience requires student choice, is individualized, meaningful and resource rich
    • benrobison
      benrobison on 13 Feb 21
       
      I think this becomes much easier with appropriate technology (1:1 devices), but I keep coming back to how much time must be devoted to finding resources for kids. I would think that personalized learning takes a significantly larger volume of "stuff" to accomplish vs. traditional learning....and I can't think of many ways to do this without enough technology.
    • brippentrop-nuss
      brippentrop-nuss on 17 Feb 21
       
      As the students progress through this process, why wouldn't they be able to find their own resources?
  • If we can’t engage our kids in ideas and explorations that require no technology, then we have surely lost our way
    • benrobison
      benrobison on 13 Feb 21
       
      From a PhysEd teacher's standpoint, I agree completely. Since we've moved to a 1:1 school (well before the pandemic), we made the philosophy of our PhysEd program to be a chance for the kids to unplug for 45 min. daily. Obviously, that's easy to do in our world. However, we have access to great Heart Rate-based technology. So, it's now about finding the correct balance of play, skill, and time in the THRZ. I would go so far as to say, 1:1 might be doing as much damage wit kids as it is good for them.
  • ...34 more annotations...
  • You want to really engage kids? Give them opportunities to learn personally
    • benrobison
      benrobison on 13 Feb 21
       
      Virtual instruction during this pandemic has been eye-opening for me with this. With our kids who are 100% virtual learning, we are trying to give them more options for PE-at-Home. Engagement has been an issue, but for the kids that have embraced it, they've done an excellent job. I believe in functional movement in PE, so I try really hard to give the kids the freedom to do things relevant and functional for them.
    • Gina Rogers
      Gina Rogers on 16 Feb 21
       
      I am glad to hear that you have had success with virtual engagement. I have had so many conversations this year about how to engage kids in virtual settings, how to get beyond teaching to the black squares in Zoom or Meet. I admit, as a PD provider, the black boxes rattle me. It has been an interesting experience trying to find the best ways to engage online professional learning participants.
  • personalization only comes when students have authentic choice over how to tackle a problem
    • erinlullmann
      erinlullmann on 16 Feb 21
       
      I'm not sure if anyone else (specifically math teachers) have heard of Open Middle problems before, but personalized learning kind of reminds me of those. Students all start at the same place and end at the same place (which would be learning/understanding the content and meeting standards) but how students get to the end goal is up to them.
    • dsnydersvjags
      dsnydersvjags on 18 Feb 21
       
      Erin - this is how I try to teach my math classes. If I know of multiple ways to solve a problem, I will show my students all of them and then tell them they have to pick whichever method(s) fit their brains. My brain works differently than others - I am a pattern person, not a formula person. So when I am teaching the formula stuff, I always try to show my kids how my brain sees things - just in case there are other pattern people out there.
    • bhauswirth
      bhauswirth on 18 Feb 21
       
      Students learn all different ways and I agree with showing students all ways a problem can be done and have them choose what way works best for them and their learning style!
  • When that happens, the structures around the classroom leave little room for the kind of authentic, whole-child personalization many teachers dream of offering
    • erinlullmann
      erinlullmann on 16 Feb 21
       
      This is the conundrum that I have been facing as I've begun learning more about personalized learning through this course. How can we create a balance between the types of schools we've imagined with personalized learning and the demands placed on schools by the government?
  • The idea of personalized learning is seductive
    • erinlullmann
      erinlullmann on 16 Feb 21
       
      Seven words into the article and I'm already saying, "YES!" As I was talking to my kids about their ideal school and imagining a day in the life of a personalized learner, I kept thinking, "Why can't we create these types of schools? I would LOVE for my kids to go to a school like this!" The idea of creating environments in which students can create their day to match their learning needs and they can pursue topics that they are most interested in is very "seductive." I want that for my students, my own kids, and even for myself. How amazing would it be to teach in a school like we've imagined?
    • dsnydersvjags
      dsnydersvjags on 18 Feb 21
       
      This is how 'school' used to be. Kids went for the basics, and then as soon as they had mastered those, they found someone to apprentice to in order to learn the craft/trade that they wanted to do. Or, if they went on to a college, they simply found instructors that were talking about things they were interested in and sat in on those conversations. With the industrialization of America, we had to shift to more standardized learning because manufacturers needed those skills in their factories. So, we actually need to shift back to the old ways (in my opinion).
    • Janet Wills
      Janet Wills on 04 Mar 21
       
      like many new "initiatives"- it's important to look past the shiny newness and see what is worth keeping
  • The Web has changed or is changing just about everything when it comes to how we think about the ways in which we communicate, collaborate and create
    • erinlullmann
      erinlullmann on 16 Feb 21
       
      I feel like we've been hearing this for awhile now - we are preparing students for jobs that don't even exist yet. The skills and dispositions they will need to be successful in the workforce are more about problem solving, creative thinking, and communication versus an abundance of knowledge of facts and formulas. So how are we (can we) changing how schools function to match how the "real world" has changed in the last decade?
  • it’s crucially more important to have the dispositions and the skills to create our own educational opportunities, not be trained to wait for opportunities that someone else has selected for delivery.
    • erinlullmann
      erinlullmann on 16 Feb 21
       
      I had the opportunity a few years ago to talk to upper elementary students about the concept of learning. It was amazing to me that many of these said that learning looks like sitting quietly and listening to the teacher or getting all the questions correct on a test. These definitions made me sad. How is it that in just a few years of schooling we have given students such a passive view of learning? Learning is done to them not something that they are in charge of. Personal learning is a shift in the right directions. We have to TEACH students how to be learners. We have to put them in the "driver's seat" and allow them to make the decisions that will help them learn.
    • Gina Rogers
      Gina Rogers on 16 Feb 21
       
      Erin, your comment really resonates with me. I think sometimes we inadvertently communicate this message about what learning is to our students. We focus a lot on compliance but struggle at teaching students how to learn, how to monitor their own understanding, how to determine where their are gaps in their understanding and where to go next. I think this focus on compliance creates a lot of hoop jumpers or box checkers that know how to play the "game" of school.
  • Big questions, passion, personal interest are what should drive our use of technology, not the other way around.
    • erinlullmann
      erinlullmann on 16 Feb 21
       
      Yes, yes, yes! This is what I've been striving to get across to my technology director this year as we are working toward a 1:1 digital learning environment in our elementary schools. I want PD to be focused on best practices of instruction not simply the latest and greatest tech features. The way to engage students hasn't changed because we have more access to technology - if we want to truly engage students in the content we have to get them passionate about it and interested in learning more for the sake of learning not just scoring points on an assignment.
  • moving ownership of learning away from the teacher and more toward the student.
    • erinlullmann
      erinlullmann on 16 Feb 21
       
      Is anyone in an AIW district? We use AIW to some extent within our district and one of the key pieces of learning I took away from my AIW training was asking "Who is carrying the cognitive load?" We need to ensure that the teacher is not the one doing all of the heavy lifting in the learning. We need to design learning experiences in which the students are the ones actively doing the learning. We don't want "sit and get" lessons in which students simply listen to the information. We want students to be asking questions and seeking their own answers.
  • “Personalized” learning is something that we do to kids; “personal” learning is something they do for themselves
    • travisnuss
      travisnuss on 16 Feb 21
       
      This statement really stuck out to me - the difference between personalized and personal learning. I think I struggle with "personal" learning because I have the traditional mindset that students need to be able to do and understand a certain amount of math, social studies, science and English to be a well rounded individual and have a hard time comprehending that students learning something for themselves is always going to equal having educational value.
  • many school district leaders require public school educators to teach a specific curriculum
    • travisnuss
      travisnuss on 16 Feb 21
       
      This is the part of the whole personal learning experience that has me baffled. This may be the traditionalist in me, but what happens to the viable and guaranteed curriculum that we have spent so many PD hours developing.
    • brippentrop-nuss
      brippentrop-nuss on 17 Feb 21
       
      I agree with this thought. I keep thinking aren't there some foundational skills that all student must know? Maybe this is the shift to a more standards based grading that would allow more flexibility?
  • In a world where we can explore almost every interest or passion in depth on our own or with others
    • travisnuss
      travisnuss on 16 Feb 21
       
      What becomes the role of the teaching with a personal learning environment, especially at the high school level where many of us have chosen the profession because we have our own passion for that area of expertise? I didn't necessarily get into this profession to help students learn anything, I kind of specifically came into this job because I have a passion for mathematics and want to specifically teach that passion.
    • travisnuss
      travisnuss on 16 Feb 21
       
      What becomes the role of the teaching with a personal learning environment, especially at the high school level where many of us have chosen the profession because we have our own passion for that area of expertise? I didn't necessarily get into this profession to help students learn anything, I kind of specifically came into this job because I have a passion for mathematics and want to specifically teach that passion.
  • more effective delivery method than any one teacher with 25 or 30 student
    • travisnuss
      travisnuss on 16 Feb 21
       
      So reading this statement, in my mind instantly pops in 25 or 30 individualized lesson plans for personal learning. It may be a more effective delivery method, but is it necessarily efficient. There has to be some sort of structural changes to the current system of education to allow for personalization of learning.
  • but every mechanism we use to measure it is through control and compliance
    • travisnuss
      travisnuss on 16 Feb 21
       
      Until the state changes the way they evaluate the success of schools and colleges change the way they look at admissions, especially 4 year liberal and public colleges, how do we let students do personal learning, but assure we are going to reach those requirements from the state and make sure students reach the requirements to attend the post-secondary education they want to receive. Based off of legislative decisions made so far this year, I feel like we have even less control and need to show more compliance in the near future than ever before. :(
    • Gina Rogers
      Gina Rogers on 16 Feb 21
       
      I feel you, Travis. I have often thought about this in terms of teacher licensure renewal, too, and how we would love to offer a more personalized approach to PD that are modularized that teachers can pick and choose from to put together a recertification credit. But the focus right now is on seat hours and that is incredibly frustrating when trying to come up with some more innovative PD models for recertification.
  • mass customized learning,” meanwhile, may sound Orwellian but it’s not really an oxymoron because what’s customized is mass-produced – which is to say, standardized. Authentic personal learning isn’t.[6]
    • Gina Rogers
      Gina Rogers on 16 Feb 21
       
      I love this passage so much - the mass customized learning and reference to Orwellian doublespeak are fantastic. I do think that personal learning does become somewhat bastardized when you focus so heavily on the platform, or the program, or the technology that is going to make thee learning happen. That is not personalized learning, that is algorithmized learning or learning that measures me against some predetermined set of criteria but doesn't take into account what I am interested in, what dispositions I have, etc. It is kind of a double edged sword though becuase in order to efficiently make learning personal (given our current human resources constraints in our current models of education - 1 teacher, 31 - 150 kids, prepping for multiple classes/subjects) you need to have some kind of technology to help support.
  • free to expand as a standardized individual.
    • erinlullmann
      erinlullmann on 16 Feb 21
       
      Personal learning (as Kohn prefers it to be called) seems very good in theory. However, when it comes down to the nitty gritty - planning how it would actually function within a school / classroom, it gets messy. That is the point when many teachers I work with go back to standardization. it's easier when everyone does the same thing. How can we get over this hurdle?
    • bhauswirth
      bhauswirth on 18 Feb 21
       
      I so agree. Personalized sounds idea but how does that work with 20 - 30 students and 1 teacher? I see where an online program works for this but believe when you put them on a program that a teacher didn't make the connection gets lost.
  • Personal learning entails working with each child to create projects of intellectual discovery that reflect his or her unique needs and interests.
    • erinlullmann
      erinlullmann on 16 Feb 21
       
      This seems to be the definition that our class is referring to when we say personalized learning.
  • Personalized learning entails adjusting the difficulty level of prefabricated skills-based exercises based on students’ test scores.
    • erinlullmann
      erinlullmann on 16 Feb 21
       
      This seems to be what another lesson referred to as "individualized" learning - the student has control over how fast they work through the skills, but it is the same skills for all students.
  • Personalized’ learning is something that we do to kids; ‘personal’ learning is something they do for themselves.”[4]
    • erinlullmann
      erinlullmann on 16 Feb 21
       
      From our debate in the class forums, this quote reminds me of differentiation/individualization versus personalization. In my mind, personalized learning is personalized for each student and giving them control over the what, how, and when of the learning process while still keeping them accountable to the standards and expectations of their grade level.
  • transmission of bits of information
    • erinlullmann
      erinlullmann on 16 Feb 21
       
      This reminded me of a blog post I read recently about thinking versus remembering. (https://www.byrdseed.com/thinking-or-remembering/) It also connects to the AIW (Authentic Intellectual Work) principles of construction of knowledge and conceptual understanding.
  • Personal learning tends to nourish kids’ curiosity and deepen their enthusiasm.
    • erinlullmann
      erinlullmann on 16 Feb 21
       
      And if we are creating thinkers who are enthusiastic about learning and curious about the world around them, won't they learn more? Won't they be more employable and successful in the future? And in turn, won't they also probably do better on the state assessments? If students really have to think and understand content at a deeper level, they are more likely to remember what they've learned.
  • It’s as if engaging them in learning without technology has become this impossible task.
    • brippentrop-nuss
      brippentrop-nuss on 17 Feb 21
       
      This does tend to be the thought process however I feel that students are actually more engaged when we take away the technology. Without the technology they are more inclined to discuss, collaborate, and think about their work without just assuming what their "google search" search found is the only answer or for that matter the only correct answer.
  • flipping doesn’t do much for helping kids become better learners in the sense of being able to drive their own education.
    • brippentrop-nuss
      brippentrop-nuss on 17 Feb 21
       
      Truth! The trick is to get students to drive their own education - I don't have an answer -just a reality.
  • requires us to think deeply about our goals and practices as educators,
    • brippentrop-nuss
      brippentrop-nuss on 17 Feb 21
       
      This is foundational in any sort of teaching. Good pedagogy carries through no matter if it's technology driven, student driven, or teacher driven.
  • This kind of learning allows students to work at their own pace and level, meets the individual needs of students, and perhaps most importantly, is not a one-size fits all model. 
    • dsnydersvjags
      dsnydersvjags on 18 Feb 21
       
      Huh. This to me says we should be doing away with the idea of CORE.... I realize why it was implemented, however... I know that many students' brains are not ready for Algebra in 6th, 7th, 8th, even 9th grade - so they really struggle and get frustrated and give up in math.
  • “That has nothing to do with the person sitting in front of you
    • dsnydersvjags
      dsnydersvjags on 18 Feb 21
       
      Ugh. This phrase has no place in education. And yet - we have this attitude all of the time. By 'we' I mean those who legislate our requirements and create the standardized tests used to measure.
  • deep learning
    • bhauswirth
      bhauswirth on 18 Feb 21
       
      Deep learning. I feel like some times when we thinking of online learning we think of videos/lectures, assignments, and etc. the same as a traditional classroom. This is when we need to do some personalization and flipping of our prior knowledge. How do we allow students to still learn the things that the standards say, but in a way that they can show their depth of knowledge by not just answering questions but by us really understanding their understanding of a certain topic. More of the deep learning takes place when they have to create or explain in their own words with reasonsing.
  • data-driven
    • bhauswirth
      bhauswirth on 18 Feb 21
       
      Data driven was a key word that always grabs my attention. This is where data can be placed into the course to understand where a certain student's pathway lies. This would also be a great example of our students. We have students that are 18 years of age, with minimal prior education but we still place them as a senior grade level. This allows us to really personalize learning for that student for them to be successful.
  • ‘We often say we want creativity and innovation – personalization – but every mechanism we use to measure it is through control and compliance.’
    • Janet Wills
      Janet Wills on 04 Mar 21
       
      This is the tension I am struggling with- it's great to want kids to learn in a personal way, but there are standards we are accountable for
  • they digitally attached it to a generic animated child’s body that “plays” with Barney in the video.
    • Janet Wills
      Janet Wills on 04 Mar 21
       
      that's creepy
  • “’Personalized’ learning is something that we do to kids; ‘personal’ learning is something they do for themselves.”
    • Janet Wills
      Janet Wills on 04 Mar 21
       
      this should be on the bumper sticker
  • Tracking kids’ “progress” with digital profiles and predictive algorithms paints a 21st-century gloss on a very-early-20th-century theory of learning.
    • Janet Wills
      Janet Wills on 04 Mar 21
       
      this brings to mind the questions of PLCs 1. What do we want all students to know and be able to do? 2. How will we know if they learn it? 3. How will we respond when some students do not learn? 4. How will we extend the learning for students who are already proficient? I'm still struggling with the idea of personalized learning and how structurally fits into our school model.
  • B.F. Skinner proposed setting each child before a teaching machine,
    • Janet Wills
      Janet Wills on 04 Mar 21
       
      it seems that the COVID induced remotely learning across the country has served as a sign that this idea is not good for anyone
  • The idea of personalized learning is seductive
    • Janet Wills
      Janet Wills on 08 Mar 21
       
      like many new "initiatives"- it's important to look past the shiny newness and see what is worth keeping
  • “Personalized” learning is something that we do to kids; “personal” learning is something they do for themselves.
    • Janet Wills
      Janet Wills on 08 Mar 21
       
      these definitions are key to any conversation about personalized learning or even when talking about a student-centered classroom
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