Journal #1

Journal #1: Personalized Learning: Definitions, Descriptions, Rationale, Challenges. And, Getting to Know My Students.

Early on in this course, I see that there exist significant challenges to personalizing learning. We have a long way to go. For our first assignment, I noted:

“A transformative system requires shifts in mindset from all stakeholders, including teachers, education governance, citizenry and students. Inertia prevents policy makers, school systems, and educators from making substantial systematic changes … Personalized Learning disrupts the traditional social fabric of “school”. Once in place, the well-established social connections between teaching staff, community, and classroom would require reimagining.”

For these reasons and others, I feel the need to start slowly, integrating manageable pieces of PL into my practice. I will not make wholesale changes. But undoubtedly, within the notion of PL lie some really great practices. One of these, is about getting to know my students.

A new year, a new class, and a new set of challenges faces me this September. Of particular note on the topic of personalized learning, though, relates two particular students. Both are new to me, and both will present challenges for personalizing their learning.

The first is a girl, (E), a grade five student entering just her second year in the public school system. A recent meeting with her mother provided interesting context. Until recently, E had been home-schooled, primarily by her mother, at the family home on a small Gulf Island. Mother was and remains highly invested in the education of her two children. She seems remarkably well-versed in alternative education modalities, and is a strong proponent of personalizing E’s learning, and is very concerned that E develops a close, trusting relationship with her teacher. Mother is highly concerned that E maintain independence and choice in the things she will study, and that she receive flexibility in the pacing of her learning. As outlined by () the wishes of E’s mother are critical components of personalized learning.

Of note, mother presents as anxious. She was quite open about the things that are stressors for E (which, at a guess, are also stressors for her), including a relatively recent move from the island, and a recent separation from E’s father. Even this early in the school year, she is mistrustful of me and my style of teaching, and was blunt in her assessment. To be fair, I am quite different than E’s previous teacher - a young female teacher who emphasized mindfulness, yoga and meditation, was calm and quiet and enthusiastic. E’s previous class, a grade 3/4 split, was very sweet - no behaviour challenges; a dream class.  What mom sees for E’s year is a teacher who is working with a much more challenging group, with a complex set of behavioural and academic challenges. I believe she feels that I will not have time to connect with her daughter, and that she will suffer emotionally and academically as a result. Mother was pleased to hear that I am taking this course and I know she will have very high expectations of me. 

The second child that will undoubtedly put my newfound understanding of Personalized Learning to the test is C, a grade five boy. C has, according to our counsellor, “trauma brain” - with elements of PTSD and fallout of early-childhood abuse. C has an IBI designation and has ODD and ADHD. He is prone to lashing out verbally and physically. He has a debilitating fear of failure - he avoids tasks where there is a chance of not succeeding. C’s mother has a history of being unsupportive of interventions, and resisted the support of outside agencies. Despite drawing only minimal funding for EA support, C requires and receives almost full-time access to an EA. The quality of the connections he makes with me and with his EA, will go a long way in determining the success of his year. My focus, at the outset of this year, must be on building strong mutual trust and a social foundation with C. Without that connection, it seems likely C will not engage with learning. Personalizing C’s learning will be critical. He will work on a modified program, but I plan to negotiate with C the course of his learning. Flexibility in pacing, topic choice, presentation mode, and evaluation criteria will be features of C’s learning plan. 

There are several more students in my class this year who may struggle with traditional teaching styles and teacher-as-knowledge-giver pedagogy. Two students have been previously identified as candidates for LD designations and hopefully will receive Psych-Ed testing this year. Two others seem to have extraordinary difficulty in attending to class instructions and will need extra academic support. And still two others have been diagnosed with ADHD - and by family choice are not medicated. My challenge in implementing Personalized Learning for this year’s group of learners will be great. Never more apparent to me, though, is the need to create a learning environment where students will build agency over their learning, and have a relationship with the adults in the room built on mutual trust and respect.

Ruthanne Tobin, CREATIVE Framework for Personalized Learning. Course material, EDCI 591 A01 - PERSONALIZED LEARNING IN LITERACIES.