Personalized Learning in my Busy Beehive

In my current master's class I was asked the following questions about personalized learning:

• How can personalized learning be possible in your classroom? How could you manage it? What are the toughest struggles you foresee when implementing personalized learning in your classroom?

• How can personalized learning be assessed for your students?

My response is posted below:

I actually use personalized learning in my classroom and have for the past 5 years. I was using it before it seemed cool. I read a lot of books on child development and wanted to teach children the way I wanted to learn when I was younger. I also reflect on how I want my own children to be taught so I try to replicate that in my classroom. Personalized learning just takes organization and planning. The hardest part is letting go. Letting go of the tradition of standing up and teaching a whole group of students how to do something the same way and only one way. If you can get past that you will be fine.

Personalized learning for me is taking the strengths of the students and allowing them to learn how they need to learn. I usually do a 10-minute mini-lesson which gives students an overview of what they are going to be learning about but I don't tell them anything that they can discover on their own. Some of my students choose to go to the library and look for books, some work by themselves, some work in partners, some use computers, some use Chromebooks, others want to work in small groups with me, some want to build things, others want to create a Google product. (That's what we call Docs, Slides, etc.)

We use priority standards that our district gives us based on common core standards. The students have these and use these as a guideline for what they need to be learning. We use standards-based grading so students can see what they need to do to be a 1, 2, 3, and ultimately a 4 a show mastery of a standard. This is a great way for students to take ownership and track their own learning progression throughout the year.

In personalized learning, the hardest thing for many teachers is dealing with the perception of what a classroom should be. My classroom is a "busy beehive." You won't find students sitting in rows in desks. It might even be loud at times or really quiet. Students work in flexible bands based on proficiency within the scales. We then break those groups down into learning styles. Right now I have 34 students in a more independent quiet learning group and 21 in a loud more hands-on learning group. They are all learning the same material but in their own way.

Assessment for me is a student progression of learning. They tell me what they are working on with the scale. They then show me what they've learned and how they've learned it. We highlight it on the scale and they continue to progress towards the next level. I will give formative assessments such as exit tickets or simply call them over and ask them to explain ____ to me and keep a checklist for understanding. At the end of the time period for students to work towards this standard I will do a summative assessment of understanding by either grading their portfolio and asking them some questions or giving a written assessment with scaled questions to monitor understanding. Our scales are quarterly but we come back to revisit them so students have an entire year to obtain mastery in all areas.

I love personalized learning and really see the growth my students make. It makes learning targets for students very clear and they are able to focus on the areas they need growth in.

Thanks,

Abby

To my surprise many of my classmates responded with questions looking for further understanding. I was delighted to share my knowledge and passion for personalized learning with my peers. It also made me realize that I am doing something that many of my peers have not started to do or are maybe just trying bits and pieces. It dawned on me that my way of teaching may one day be the norm but right now is in its infancy.

I love to help others be more successful in their own classrooms. If I can help others by showing them what personalized learning looks and sounds likes then maybe more teachers would be willing to give it a try. That is why I have a decided to start a new blog and video series called My Busy Beehive. I will post videos of my classroom and blog about how to start using personalized learning in your classroom. I think it would be a great way for teachers to see that it can be done.

Thanks for reading my blog and make sure to follow me on Twitter @AbbyCameron131