Questions About Personalized Learning
I love the idea of personalized learning… but it’s left me thinking about some questions that I just can’t answer yet.
1) With this trend in education to post a learning target for the whole class, are we limiting the growth of some of our students?
2) If every student is indeed a unique learner, doesn’t every kid require an IEP, or individualized education plan? What would that look like in a typical school?
3) How did we ever get so far away from personalized learning, when learning is so, well, personal?
4) Do we sometimes use barriers like time, testing, and other things as excuses so that we don’t have to change? Or are there some small ways we could work around our limitations?
5) Why don’t undergrad teacher programs focus more on building relationships and community in a classroom, if that’s what really helps with a learning environment?
More Than Outside The Box
After I created this poster, I thought, gee, that poster is overwhelming visually. So many details, crowded together, in so many different styles. Then I realized. It’s finished. This? It represents to me what gifted is. I was trained just like everyone else as a teacher, I got the one paragraph in my undergraduate program in my “Exceptional Child” class, that the professor skimmed over. We never even discussed it. The lack of understanding? It starts right there. A lack of education, professional development, and time spent even exploring it.
The very word “gifted” can be misunderstood. A gift? It’s a wonderful, shiny package with a big sparkly bow. I mean, who doesn’t LOVE receiving a gift?
But we are talking about kids. People. Humans. It’s not about a sparkly bow. It’s about a magnifying glass of intensity that amps up qualities and characteristics in various ways, causes rapid development in some aspects, while other areas might lag behind. It’s about people thinking of the sparkly bow and think “perfect student” and “smart at everything.” Two things that just cause a child to be put, well, in a box of unfair expectations.
It’s time to get beyond the label and the myths, and reach a point of understanding. There are kids in our classrooms and schools are waiting for someone to “get” what it’s like to be them. For the words on this poster to become conversation points help see what these students are dealing with. Kids who sometimes don’t even “get” themselves. We can’t afford to misunderstand them any longer. Their needs are just as great as every other student, but far more misunderstood than anyother. They are waiting for us, and through understanding and collaboration, we can do something for them, too.
Unless, we’re just okay in our system with only meeting the needs of some kids.
This post inspired a day of thinking and sharing on my Facebook page… an entire set of these posters was created and are free to download on Flickr.
The Power of a Dream
Today I stood in a room full of kids, discussing Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and how he had a dream so big, and so important to him, that he followed his heart to make it happen. We talked about how every single day at school is a chance for kids to build their dreams, and how we all, as educators, want them to work hard so that they can have opportunities in their futures.
As the kids left the room, I realized discussions become forgotten. Words spoken drift in our memories. But, actions? The things we do every single day? That is what sticks.
Day by day, the things we do are inspiring kids, even when we don’t realize it. We are modeling, sharing, and encouraging them through little moments, one at a time.
When we are more, they want to be more.
When we live our dreams, they see that it’s possible to live theirs.
When we make a mistake, they see that overcoming mistakes leads to opportunities.
When we share our passion, they see that it is okay to be exactly who we are.
When kids feel a part of a community that is there to learn together, work together, and grow together, they feel supported.
Our schools are a reflection of us. Of everything we wanted school to be as a child, and everything we know our kids deserve. They are the reason we wake up early and stay up late. It’s not just a job. It’s our dream. Because our dream is to have the kind of school where kids find their dreams.
When you get drawn into paperwork, or data tables, or long staff meetings, take a moment to think about the power of dreams. Your dream to have a better school, so their dreams can happen. That? It’s what it’s all about. The rest is just details.
A Typical Day Should Include Stretching For All
Take a typical lesson, on a typical day, in a typical classroom. We are constantly reaching out to the learners who have fallen behind. Tutoring. Intervention. Extra Time. Small group. Individualized Instruction. Scaffolding. All of these things are so important, and we’d all agree, essential for the success of students who need the extra support.
But doesn’t every kid need support? What about the kids who already know it? Maybe they learned it on their own, got it really quickly, or read about it once before. They think differently. Should they wait to learn? What will be done differently for those kids?
We tend to say things like, “They’ll be fine.” But fine really isn’t good enough. What if we offered more for all kids. Not just on one lesson or one day, but whenever they need it. Bringing everyone up to a level that, for them, is enough for a good healthy stretch. Reaching, struggling, extending.
Because in that stretch? There is learning. The kind every kid deserves.
Post and poster… inspired by this. Want to download the poster? Please visit Flickr.
