The world is changing and our schools need to keep up. Students need to become problem solvers and collaborators. They need to take ownership of their learning and become lifelong learners. To do this, students need learning in classrooms to be accessible, relevant, and reflective of how they learn outside of school. We think classroom environments need to change in order to meet the needs of students today and prepare them for tomorrow. Personalized learning helps us do that.
We take an expansive view of personalized learning. We believe that personalized learning means that students get the instruction they need, when they need it. We believe there are many good and valid approaches to personalize learning for students. They include: blended learning (which we think is usually a good starting place), competency-based learning, culturally-responsive teaching, project-based learning, and a focus on incorporating student choice and agency into instructional decisions. Through our design thinking process, we believe we can support any district and school to personalize learning for students, regardless of their approach. However, we believe personalized learning is most successful at scale when technology is used effectively, classrooms are redesigned, and districts have a clear plan for supporting schools through the transition.
