The Potential of Personal!

 

The Potential of Personal!

In the evolving landscape of education, the concept of personalised learning has gained considerable attention. This pedagogical approach tailors the learning experience to cater to the unique needs, interests, and strengths of individual students. With its origin deeply grounded in academic research, personalised learning holds the opportunity to transform the classroom into a dynamic environment that fosters engagement, motivation, and deep understanding supporting the student to flourish academically, socially and emotionally.

Academic Backing for Personalised Learning

Research consistently highlights the advantages of personalised learning in the primary classroom. According to Black and Wiliam (2010), students thrive when their educational experience aligns with their personal interests and preferences. Hattie (2012) emphasises that by catering to learners' needs and strengths, educators can improve students' academic performance and confidence. Tomlinson (2014) affirms that personalised learning aids in narrowing achievement gaps, ensuring that every student receives the necessary support to move towards their academic capacity.

My Journey
Thinking back to some of my earliest memories as a young athlete, I can remember my coaches constantly providing me with dialogue that would improve my performance and how important it was for me to receive positive individual feedback. They would always take the time to watch me perform a skill and then provide me with specific feedback on how I could improve. This feedback was unique to me as the way I performed a skill was distinctive to me. For example, they might point out that the angles of my shoulders closed as I was too tense, that I wasn't using my core muscles enough or the power required to ensure the skill was cleanly executed. They would also offer suggestions on how I could correct and improve these skills. 

I can remember the programs that I would do and in most cases I have come to realise they were personalised to me. I can remember direct instruction to the group was kept at minimum except for a briefing at the beginning and the end of gymnastics training and for sessions such as strength; however, even in those programs it would be tailored to our strengths and enhancing areas we needed development in. 

The decisions for what I needed to work on were driven through data gained by verification, observation, in skill testing and personal goals. As someone who trained in an individual sport it might be thought that this feedback might have always been acted on but in reality like every child, I had to want the improvement and this is where my coaches' relationship and understanding of me was so important. Without this, they could have created as many personalised programs as they wanted but I would not have had the motivation to work on them. 

This feedback was incredibly helpful to me, and it helped me to improve my performance significantly. It was also motivating, because it showed me that my coaches believed in me and that they were invested in my success.

As an educator, I try to emulate the same approach to providing feedback to my students. Being known is one of the most powerful tools we have as educators to inspire and connect with our students. As I walk around the grounds of my school or the floor of the gymnastics centre that I coach at, I always take the time to get to know my students as individuals, so that I can tailor my feedback to their specific needs and influence what they believe about themselves and what they are capable of. Through knowing my students, I gain permission to personalise the learning and tailor it to their point of need. I also make sure to provide feedback in a positive and encouraging way, so that students feel motivated to improve.

Learning Experience Design: Crafting Tailored Educational Journeys

An essential component of implementing personalised learning is Learning Experience Design (LX). LX empowers educators to construct learning experiences that are engaging, meaningful, and challenging for every student (Kraft & Bickford, 2015). By considering students' interests, prior knowledge, learning styles, and cultural backgrounds, teachers can develop personalised learning paths that cater to the diverse needs of their classroom. In addition, thought around providing rich opportunities to collaborate and communicate understanding increases the collective capacity of the class.

Examples of some personalised learning paths that I have used:

• Technology can be used to provide students with personalised learning experiences in a variety of ways. For example, students can use online learning platforms to access content and activities that are tailored to their specific needs and interests. They can also use digital tools to collaborate with each other and with their teachers, and to receive feedback on their work.
• Flexible seating arrangements allow students to choose where and how they want to learn. This can be helpful for students who learn best in different ways, or who need to move around in order to stay focused.
• Differentiated instruction or levelled tasks are teaching approaches that provide students with different levels of support and challenge, depending on their individual needs. This can be done by providing different direct instruction, learning materials, activities, and assessments for different students.
• Positive personal feedback is essential for student motivation and learning. When students receive feedback that is specific, timely, and actionable, they are more likely to take it to heart and use it to improve their work. This is especially true when the feedback is delivered in a positive and encouraging way. By making it specific we point out specific things that the student did well, or areas where they can improve rather than saying, "good job" or "you need to work harder." Making it timely, we provide the feedback as soon as possible, so that students have a chance to use it to improve their work. Offering actionable feedback allows students to have the steps to improve and delivering it in a positive manner lets the student know that you believe in them and that you are confident they can improve.
• Problem-based learning is a student-centred approach to learning that allows students to work on real-world problems and projects that are relevant to their interests. This type of learning can be highly personalised, as students can choose the projects they want to work on, and they can collaborate with each other to solve problems in a variety of ways.
• Self-paced learning allows students to progress through the material at their own pace such as matix’s, blooms, genius hour, 20% time, passion projects and gamification. This can be helpful for students who learn quickly, or who need more time to master a concept.

LX acknowledges that students possess distinct passions and motivations. By tapping into these innate desires, teachers can create connections between the curriculum and students' interests. This approach not only enhances engagement but also motivates students to delve deeper into their world of learning.

Harnessing the Power of Provocations

Provocations are potent tools that can ignite curiosity and set the stage for meaningful exploration. By posing thought-provoking questions, presenting intriguing challenges, or offering stimulating activities, educators can captivate students' attention and prompt them to think critically and creatively (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005). When I use them, the provocation serves as an entry point that inspires students to connect with the content being taught on a personal level which hopefully assists them to become active participants in their learning journey.

Visible Thinking and Anchor Charts: Cultivating Deeper Understanding

Two strategies that I have found play a pivotal role in fostering deep understanding are visible thinking and anchor charts. Visible thinking entails making students' thought processes visible through routines, graphic organisers, sticky notes, and other visual aids (Ritchhart, Church & Morrison, 2011). This process not only aids students in comprehending complex concepts but also facilitates effective communication of their ideas to peers and educators alike.

Anchor charts, on the other hand, provide a tangible reference point for students to revisit as they progress through their learning (Warlick, 2012). These visual representations of key concepts act as a scaffolding tool, assisting students in consolidating their understanding and connecting new information with prior knowledge.

Recommendations for Thriving Personalisation

Personalised learning is not a one-size-fits-all approach, it takes time, effort, and collaboration to create the environment. However, the rewards are great. 

• Get to know your students as individuals. What are their interests? What are their strengths and weaknesses? What are their learning preferences? Once you know more about your students, you can start to tailor instruction to meet their specific needs.
• Set clear goals for each student, so that they know what they are working towards. Goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
• Provide regular feedback that should be specific, timely, and actionable. It should help students to identify their strengths and weaknesses, and to make progress towards their goals.
• Be flexible as things often don't go according to plan in the classroom. Be prepared to adjust your instruction as needed to meet the needs of your students.
• Celebrate the success when students achieve their goals with them and showcase this with their broader community. This will help to motivate them to continue learning and growing.

Conclusion

The personalised learning approach presents a transformative opportunity for classrooms. It has emerged from research and is supported by practices such as the principles of learning design, provocations, visible thinking, and anchor charts. This approach allows teachers to nurture students' individual growth, enhance engagement, and cultivate deeper understandings. As education continues to evolve, embracing personalised learning holds the promise of empowering students to thrive in our rapidly changing world.

Stay the Course!

References

• Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (2010). Inside the black box: Raising standards through classroom assessment. London: Routledge.
• Hattie, J. (2012). Visible learning for teachers: Maximizing impact on learning. London: Routledge.
• Kraft, M., & Bickford, S. (2015). Learning experience design: A framework for creating engaging, relevant, and challenging learning experiences. New York: Teachers College Press.
• Ritchhart, R., Church, M., & Morrison, K. (2011). Making thinking visible: How to promote engagement, understanding, and independence for all learners. John Wiley & Sons.
• Tomlinson, C. A. (2014). The differentiated classroom: Responding to the needs of all learners (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
• Warlick, D. (2012). Learning walls: Tools for engaging students and displaying learning. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
• Wiggins, G. P., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design. ASCD.