Skip to main content

Truly Personalized Learning



I am sure we have all heard schools say, we ‘Personalize’ learning, but what does this really mean, and do all schools mean the same thing when they use the phrase?  The short answer, of course, is no.

Many schools may use the term, but how many actually do it?  So, let’s be clear, Personalized learning does not mean a student can choose History instead of Geography, or Art instead of Drama. Equally, it does not mean that a teacher has two different worksheets for students to use, depending on the perceived ‘ability’ of a student.

It helps to think of three different approaches; Differentiated, Individualised and Personalized learning. The chart below, based on the work of Barbara Bray and Kathleen McClaskey, provides a good visualisation of these different approaches.


Personalized
Differentiated
Individualized
Starts with the learner
Starts with groups of learners
Starts with the needs of the individual learner
Connects with interests, passions, and aspirations
Adjusts to learning needs of groups of learners
Accommodates learning needs of the individual
Learners actively participate in the design of their learning
Explicit instruction based upon the learning needs of groups of learners
Explicit instruction based upon the learning needs of an individual learner
Learners have a voice and choice on what they learn
Teachers create or adapt instruction based on different needs of learners
Teachers customize lessons and tasks for learners based on individual needs
Different objectives for each learner
Same objectives for groups of learners
Same objectives for learners with specific objectives for individuals who receive one- on-one support
Learner selects appropriate technology and resources to support their learning
Technology and resources are selected to support the learning needs of groups of learner
Technology and resources are selected to support the learning needs of an individual learner
Learners build a network of peers, teachers, and others to guide and support their learning
Learners are reliant on the guidance of teachers to support their learning
Learners are dependent on individual teachers or para- professionals to support their learning
assessment AS learning
assessment FOR learning
assessment OF learning
Teachers develop capacity to create independent learners who set goals, monitor progress, and reflect on learning
Assessment involves time- based testing and teachers provide feedback to advance learning
Summative assessment is grade-based and involves time- based testing which confirms what learners know and don’t know


In Individualized and Differentiated, the teacher is in control of the learning. The assumption is that the teacher has something (often knowledge) and they need to impart it to the student. The role of the teacher is an Instructor and this is sometimes referred to as Instructivist education. It’s the type of education I had when I was a student.

In the Personalized model, the assumption is that the learner already has what they need, or they are capable of discovering it for themselves. The role of the teacher here is help the student make new meaning, or to co-construct learning with the student. This is often referred to as Constructivist learning.

Every time you tell a child something you deprive them of the joy of discovering it for themselves.
John Dewey

Great teachers understand that there is a time and place for each of these approaches, but that the most powerful learning comes when it is truly Personalized.


Andrew Derry
November 2019


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Diversity is our Strength

What Makes Our Students Special?            ' Our Community is our Village and our Diversity is our Strength'. We are proud of the fact that we have around 50 nationalities represented in our school. Even so, each one of us is still 99.9% genetically identical to everyone else. But, it’s the 0.1% that provides for the beautiful diversity in our world. There is a great deal of research that shows that babies and young children do not see differences. It is as we get older that we tend to separate ourselves in to groupings based around artificial notions such as race, color and faith. We are not born with these tendencies; we acquire them.   As an international school, we are uniquely placed to help our young students see past these artificial barriers that society tends to create. Although we are one race, the 0.1% variation is vital. One of the things that has made the human race so successful is its diversity and its ability to adapt. The most su

Music Brings Us Together

They say that music is the international language and they are right. February 5-9, 2020 saw The International School of Belgrade’s upper school campus double in size as we welcomed 130 students, directors and chaperones for the annual Middle School CEESA Choir Festival. The music festivals are a unique part of CEESA as they are the only events on the CEESA calendar that are not tournaments. All students from the participating schools come together to learn the same music and sing in one final concert at the host school, showcasing friendship, dedication, and the joy that music brings into our lives. Students from eleven schools around the CEESA region met at The International School of Belgrade for three days of singing, laughing, and learning.  Many schools had been preparing for several months either in after school clubs or in the choral classroom to learn such beautiful songs as ‘Wau Bulan,’ by Tracy Wong, ‘Ad Astra’ by Jacob Narverud and ‘This Is Your Time’ by J. Norris Ree

Meet Branka Sreckovic-Minic - one of our world class teachers at ISB

Branka has worked at ISB for over 20 years in a variety of leadership roles: MYP Coordinator, DP Coordinator and Head of Humanities Department, as well as Pamoja Education IB Site-Based Coordinator and DP Extended Essay Coordinator. An experienced and passionate educator, Branka works with the IB as a team member of IB evaluation visits to international schools around the world. For the last 12 years she has also worked as a workshop leader for the IB in training Heads of Schools, Principals and Coordinators and is a IB Field representative. Branka obtained her Bachelor's degree from the University of Belgrade Law School (International relations) and is a teacher of French language. See the above video to hear about Branka's work with our students here at ISB.