This Time It's Personal: True Student-Centered Learning Has a Lot of Support from Education Leaders, but It Can't Really Happen without All the Right Technology Infrastructure to Drive It. and the Technology Just May Be Ready to Deliver on Its Promise

Abstract

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] EDUCATORS HAVE KNOWN FOR SOME TIME now that one-size-fits-all approach to learning does not lead to level of student engagement and academic success that schools strive to achieve. In their search for more customized approach to delivering instruction, they've explored project-based learning, addressed different learning styles, and increased collaborative learning among Educators have also looked to technology for customizable solutions, implementing 1-to-1 laptop programs, utilizing data-driven decision-making tools, and setting up Learning management systems to access digital content. But, for most part, schools have incorporated these 21st century instructional techniques and tools as add-ons to teacher-centric 19th century classroom structure, in which majority of curriculum is pulled from textbook, and, despite best intentions of all involved, most students learn same thing in same way at same time. Enter personalized learning, student-centered teaching and learning model that acknowledges and accommodates range of abilities, prior experiences, needs, and interests of each student--with goal of moving every student to higher standard of achievement. It's not particularly new theory (versions of it have been around since 19th century), but it has gained currency among many of today's education thought leaders, particularly because technology seems to be ready to do its part to provide more personalized learning environment for every student. By marrying principles of personalized learning with tools of technology, some educators believe that they have chance to create kind of customized learning environment that can finally break schools out of industrial-age model of education to bring about true 21st century school reform. But what exactly is personalized learning? And why is technology so central to its outcomes? De-Mystification Is in Order To start with, personalized learning is not individualized learning, in which students share same learning goals but progress through curriculum at their own pace. Nor is it differentiated instruction, in which students also share learning goals but receive instruction that is tailored to their learning needs. In National Education Technology Plan, US Department of Education's Office of Educational Technology describes personalized learning as an instructional approach that encompasses both differentiation and individualization, but is also flexible in content or theme to match specific interests and prior experiences of learners. Karen Cator, director of OET, explains further: learning really takes into consideration that long tail of interest, of prior motivation, of languages. It leverages all different things that people have in their repertoire to add value to their The Personalized Learning Foundation says attributes of personalized learning model include a strong emphasis on parental involvement, smaller class sizes, more one-on-one teacher and student interaction, attention to differences in learning styles, student-driven participation in developing learning process, technology access, varied learning environments, teacher and parent development programs, and choices in curriculum programs. In PLF model, technology is just one factor, but there are many educators--including Cator and her boss, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan--who advocate tech-enabled model of personalized learning. According to Cator, access to technology is the essence and nature of opportunity to provide much more personalized learning environment for students. In any personalized learning model, student--not teacher--is central figure. In technophilic view of personalized learning environment, students have access to traditional learning resources like books and hands-on materials, and time-honored support from people like teachers, parents, mentors, coaches, and schoolmates. …