"Traditional teaching is something that is given to you. Personalized learning is something you seek..." As a mom of a future Kindergarten student, I think a lot about how what I do at work through Education Elements means for how I raise my son. I am seeking ways that I can personalize learning for my son during the after-school hours so that I can extend learning in ways that are meaningful.

I also want to help him realize that there is not one right way to do something or to learn. He may be only 5 years old, but I want him to start a love of learning now, and to get excited by it. For this to really happen, I want to make it feel connected to him.  So I am creating my own game plan for how to personalize his learning. And because I am a process person (I work on the Education Elements client services team where my job is to support clients - and being organized is a must) I have three main steps I am taking to do this

First: I try to observe and note the activities that my son enjoys and the activities that he is personally requesting me to register him to do. Then I search online, read school bulletin boards or go to the library to check upcoming registrations. I find this as a good way to celebrate his strengths and for him to know that I’ve got his back. I want to make sure he knows I value his interests and I will help him to pursue them.

Second: I focus on reconnecting with my kid. How you might ask? -- I am doing this by taking time away from any electronic device and just having simple conversations on topics that he likes to discuss and doing activities like hiking and going to park. I try to rediscover the side of me that is fun-loving and silly which I think I have lost somehow. I want to make sure to do things he likes, while also exposing him to new things because, as a 5 year old, there are a lot of things he has not experienced yet!

Third: I reflect. Is this working? What can I do better next time? At the end of the day, I realize that we all have to adapt to the changing need and interest of our children (or students) while building their strengths and identifying their weaknesses.

There’s my game plan! It will not be static and will continue to change. I might be partly the owner for his learning now by guiding him until he becomes independent and an owner of his own learning. Why I am doing this? I got motivated because I work in a company --Education Elements -  that works with schools and districts to support them in creating personalized learning environments and my hope is that my kid (and other students) will get to experience this in a classroom.