Unit 1: Personalized Education: What is it?
Content:
Unit Learning Methods
Unit Objectives
Lesson 1: What is Personalized Learning
-Reading Links, Instructor Thoughts
Lesson 2: What Does this Mean?
-Reading Links, Instructor Thoughts
Unit 1: Personalized Education: What is it?
Instructional Methods: Discussions, Inquiry-Based Learning
Here you will find both lessons and links to the activities at the end of each lesson for this unit.
Lesson 1: What is Personalized Learning
Objective: Define personalized education and what it means in the early childhood classroom
Introduction:
Before getting into the pieces and learning how to use this type of learning, we need to understand what it is. That seems essentially easy to do by just finding a definition, but it’s important to make this personal. We must look for key terms that help us come up with this definition, and then you must decide what this means int he early childhood classroom. First, we will examine these terms together. From there you can move along to the next lesson where you can see and decide how this all connects to help come up with a working definition. At the end of this course, you will have the chance to redefine this as you become more experienced in this process.
| Terms | Explanation |
| Adaptive | Adjusting to different needs
|
| Individualization/Personalization | *Sometimes used as synonyms replacing one another*
Creating a Personal Plan
|
| Differentiation | Understanding the differences between the various learners
-visual, audio, sensory
|
| Grouping | Finding learners with similar abilities
|
| Self-Directed Learning | Allowing learners to take ownership
|
| Flexible Paths | Giving learners options
|
Now that you have this...
Please read the Developing Personalized Education article on understanding and constructing instruction for individual learners.
Link(s):
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10648-020-09570-w
Additional Resources:
Instructors Thoughts:
When instructing young students, try thinking of the goal as understanding each student's strengths, weaknesses, and preferences, and then from here adapt teaching methods and content. This might mean using various instructional strategies, incorporating special resources, providing opportunities for self-directed learning, and offering individualized feedback and support. Think about how you can use this and what this means when defining it in your own way.
Lesson 1: Activity Guidance and Materials
Lesson 2: What Does this Mean?
Objective: Define personalized education and what it means in the early childhood classroom
Introduction
Now that we have the terms defined and we know essentially to us what personalized learning is, let's figure out the meaning in this. Knowing what something means and knowing the meaning of it are two different sperate things. We must figure out how all those terms connect to make something as particular as personalized learning.
Read:
"What educators Think about Personalized Learning" to gain more insight as to what it can do and become.
Link(s):
Think about this...
Personalization will require you to differentiate material for the learners and adapt to their needs. The students can then be grouped and can engage in learning through these flexible paths as well as self-directed learning. Each piece here has a function and they connect as you can see visually below.
Let's look at it as a diagram
Instructor thoughts:
Although implementation of personalized learning is limited due to various challenges like lack of resources and training, educators should notice the possible benefits of personalized learning. Encouraging students to explore the topic further could involve discussing these challenges and benefits, pushing critical thinking on how personalized learning can be effectively integrated in these types of classrooms. Try to think about these benefits, the constraints and the meaning of it all when testing your knowledge of the subject.
Lessons 2: Activity Guidance and Materials