Category: Personalized Learning (Page 2 of 2)
What is personalized learning? #PL #empowers #KPBSD
Read or download PDF: KPBSD Personalized Learning
August 9, 2017
Dear KPBSD families,
Welcome to a new school year in the KPBSD! Our district is very excited to have all of our students, staff, and parents back in school. We are committed to meeting the needs of every individual student every day. This is an integral part of our overall philosophy of strong, positive relationships and providing a high quality educational experience for all of our students.
As the year begins, I ask you to think about how your child would answer this question,
“Where do you want your learning to take you and how can KPBSD help you get there?”
We want to directly connect your child to rigorous learning that is relevant and an excellent preparation for life, college, and the careers they will encounter after high school. The deliberate integration of personalized learning (PL) into every classroom in the school district over the next three years will accomplish this KPBSD goal. Personalized Learning in KPBSD empowers every student to reach their lifelong learning potential.
I recognize that you may have questions concerning personalized learning and what this will entail for your child or children. Please contact your school principal directly with your questions. Additionally, if you have questions, or want to learn more, please visit the KPBSD Personalized Learning Blog, and check out the FAQs. There’s also a link on the KPBSD homepage www.kpbsd.org, and more information at the end of this letter.
We invite parents and community members to join us by volunteering in the schools and becoming involved in partnerships to support students. In order to be successful, schools need the help of parents and community members. It is also critical for our youth to know that their parents, guardians, relatives, and friends are supportive of their schooling process. A child without this support may at times feel at a loss to find the necessary focus to excel at his or her studies.
I hope to see you in the coming months and wish you a great start to this school year. We look forward to another outstanding year!
Sincerely,
Sean Dusek, Superintendent
Click to Learn more about PL, or read on:
Personalized Learning in KPBSD
Personalized learning shifts from a one-size-fits-all factory model of education to better prepare students for the jobs and needs of their future. The design of instruction and the classroom allow educators to respond to the individual needs of students instead of expecting students to fit the current mold or adapt to unsuccessful learning structures. PL does not replace teachers with computers. Many of our teachers implement elements of PL in their classrooms right now, and we will now build on this foundation to create an even better learning environment. Key elements your child will experience include:
- Teachers offer flexible content and tools, which allow for differentiated path, pace, and performance tasks based on individual student needs
- Teachers use targeted instruction based on specific student needs and learning goals
- Teachers use current and relevant data to help inform instructional decisions and groupings
- Students engage in ongoing self-reflection that promotes ownership of their learning
When will PL formally start in KPBSD schools?
Every KPBSD school is doing some degree of work with personalized learning. However, the formal work of individual schools and teachers working directly toward personalized learning will be rolled out in three “waves” over the next year.
- Wave 1 schools began their work in spring 2017, and will continue in the fall of 2017.
- Wave 2 schools will begin their formal work with Education Elements in the fall of 2017.
- Wave 3 schools will begin their formal work with Education Elements in the spring of 2018.
Links
Personalized Learning webpage
KPBSD Personalized Learning Blog
Personalized Learning FAQs
The District’s PL Council is comprised of educators across the district, representing a variety of grade levels, geographic areas, and academic content areas. The PL Council’s objective is to help guide the district-level decisions and direction for what personalized learning looks like in KPBSD.
School District Representation:
- Sean Dusek–Superintendent
- John O’Brien–Assistant Superintendent of Instruction
- Eric Soderquist–Director of Information Services
- John Pothast–Director of Elementary & Secondary Education
District Specialists Representation:
- Darci Drury–Professional Development/Instructional Coach
- Melissa Linton–Curriculum Coordinator
Teacher Representation:
- Kersten Gomez–Redoubt Elementary School
- Jen Booz–Homer Middle School
- Meredith McCullough–Kenai Central High School
- Kim Leslie–Distance Education
Principal Representation:
- Doug Hayman–Tustumena Elementary, Hope, and Cooper Landing Schools
- Sarge Truesdell–Skyview Middle School
- Trevan Walker–Seward High School
The most commonly accepted definition, from International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL), is:
Personalized Learning (PL) is tailoring learning for each student’s strengths, needs and interests—including enabling student voice and choice in what, how, when, and where they learn—to provide flexibility and supports to ensure mastery at the highest standards possible.
Personalized learning is the structuring schools, classrooms, and instruction so we can better respond to the individual needs of students, instead of expecting students to fit the current mold or adapt to structures that may not be successful for them. Many of our teachers implement elements of personalized learning in their classrooms right now. Key elements include:
- Flexible Content and Tools: Instructional materials allow for differentiated path, pace, and performance tasks
- Targeted Instruction: Instruction aligns to specific student needs and learning goals
- Data Driven Decisions: Frequent data collection informs instructional decisions and groupings
- Student Reflection and Ownership: Ongoing student reflection promotes ownership of learning
Personalized learning is about continuing and improving our shift away from the one-size-fits-all, factory model of education to better prepare students for the jobs and needs of their future. We want to directly connect students to rigorous learning that is relevant and prepares them for life, college, and careers they will encounter after high school, and create a system that supports this approach.
“The modern concept of personalized learning leverages technology tools, classroom organization, student ownership, and redefines the terms teaching and learning to help teachers truly meet the individual needs of students in their classrooms. Through this process, we create new classroom environments that allow students to do some work at their own pace, path and place, and some work directly with small group instruction from the teacher, which allows teachers to better focus instruction and target student needs.” –Kenai Peninsula Borough School District
I think my classroom works fine and my students are learning. Why do I need to “do” this?
FAQ
Personalized learning is not a program. Personalized learning is not a piece of technology that may or may not fit within the structure of any particular classroom. Rather, personalized learning is the structuring of schools, classrooms, and instruction so we can better respond to the individual needs of students, in contrast to the expectation that students fit a current mold or adapt to structures that may not be successful for them.
Personalized learning is about continuing and improving our shift away from the one-size-fits-all, factory model of education to better prepare students for the jobs and needs of their future. We want to directly connect students to rigorous learning that is relevant and prepares them for life, college, and careers they will encounter after high school, and create a system that supports this approach.
Because of this, all teachers are expected to work with their principals, school leadership teams, district leadership team and Education Elements. This process and commitment will allow our staff to explore, define, and implement strategies and tools that will allow all teachers to deliver effective instruction and empower all learners to shape their futures. KPBSD students will pursue their dreams in a rigorous, relevant, and responsive environment.
Who is Education Elements and what do they do?
FAQ
- Education Elements website: https://www.edelements.com/
- Three minute video: Ed Elements: What Good is Tech If You Don’t Know How to Make the Most of It?: https://youtu.be/6CnruSd2Tqg
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/edelements
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/edelements
Education Elements (EE) helps school districts throughout the United States develop the tools teachers need, then works directly with teachers in schools to develop plans to leverage those tools to meet the needs of all students, regardless of ability levels.
Education Elements is not a program—it is a paradigm shift of redefining teaching and learning
Education Elements works with districts and teachers to help us do exactly what good teachers know need to be done
From a KPBSD conversation with a Yuma, Arizona superintendent: “They are very responsive & customized. They really synthesized our conversations and used them to help guide our schools and district.” And, “They are great problem solvers. They don’t endorse any particular product or company, but have all the information we needed to help us evaluate the options and make choices that fit our needs.”
