What is Personalized Learning?
Definition of Personalized Learning
CESA #1 "The Institute for Personalized Learning" defines personalized learning as an approach to learning and instruction that is designed around individual learner readiness, strengths, needs and interests. Learners are active participants in setting goals, planning learning paths, tracking progress and determining how learning will be demonstrated. At any given time, learning objectives, content, methods and pacing are likely to vary from learner to learner as they pursue proficiency relative to established standards. A fully personalized environment moves beyond both differentiation and individualization.
The graphic below begins to outline the core principles of Personalized Learning. This image is called "The Honeycomb" and represents many aspects that are present in a Personalized Learning Environment. In QUEST, we use this as our guide and focus on a few pillars of these as our personalized learning basis.
CESA #1 "The Institute for Personalized Learning" defines personalized learning as an approach to learning and instruction that is designed around individual learner readiness, strengths, needs and interests. Learners are active participants in setting goals, planning learning paths, tracking progress and determining how learning will be demonstrated. At any given time, learning objectives, content, methods and pacing are likely to vary from learner to learner as they pursue proficiency relative to established standards. A fully personalized environment moves beyond both differentiation and individualization.
The graphic below begins to outline the core principles of Personalized Learning. This image is called "The Honeycomb" and represents many aspects that are present in a Personalized Learning Environment. In QUEST, we use this as our guide and focus on a few pillars of these as our personalized learning basis.
The Pillars of QUESTLearner Profiles – each student will develop a learner profile that helps them better understand themselves as students and learners. We use this learner profile as a basis for conferring, goal-setting, and making educational decisions regarding our future.
Proficiency-Based Progress – in QUEST, our gradebook looks a little different than in the traditional classroom. Each student tracks his / her progress through the required standards using a learning continuum that is housed in his / her portfolio. As students show proficiency in a standard, that standard is checked off and the student moves on. Instead of learning being a “one-time shot” at getting it right, we work with students to ensure they have mastered all the required skills. Students work through these learning continuums at different paces that best reflect their individual learning. Conferring – each student in QUEST is placed in a “Mentor Group.” Each teacher is assigned one mentor group and is then the go-to teacher for conferring and goal-setting. Students meet with their mentor teacher throughout the year in a one-on-one setting to discuss progress, set goals, reflect on past learning experiences, and develop a plan for moving forward. These conferences are shared with parents as a way of keeping everyone informed of the learning process. Cultural & Life Relevance – the QUEST program believes that students should be able to apply their learning to the real world. We work with students to develop learning opportunities that take learning outside the walls of the classroom and show them how it is applied in the world. Students have opportunities to model this within the QUEST program as well as connect with others in our community. Making learning applicable and relevant to all students is important to our learning experience. Customized Learning Pathways – the QUEST program realizes that all students learn differently and have different strengths and interests. Part of the QUEST experience provides students with customized learning pathways which allow students to choose how and what they learn. This is done through some of the curricular assignments as well as through our EXPEDITIONS which are Quarter-Long-Projects that allow students to choose the content and scope of their project. Some of the learning within the QUEST program is assigned directly by the teacher, while other aspects allow students to choose the learner pathway that best fits their learning style and interests. Student Ownership – the QUEST program believes that it is important for students to take ownership of their learning. When a student takes ownership for the how, what, and when of learning, great things happen. One primary way students do this is through their student portfolio. Each student develops a student portfolio in which they track their proficiency across the content areas, standardized test scores, learner profiles, and more. When students are able to own their learning, talk about themselves as learners, and know where they are going, the educational journey becomes incredibly impactful. |
Schedule & LearningOne question we receive a lot of “What will my day in QUEST look like?” The quick answer to that question is “It depends.” There are some things that will remain the same, but some things will change based on what we are learning, studying, or working on. Having 7 teachers and 7 rooms allows us to be flexible with our learning to provide students with the time and resources they need to succeed. The schedule may change throughout the year, but here’s what you can expect:
Students will have some say in their schedule, but it will not be a “free-for-all” throughout the day. The QUEST program believes in a healthy mix between student choice and teacher directed instruction. Either way, there will be a lot of flexibility to allow students to learn at their own pace. |
QUEST HabitsPart of the job of the QUEST program is to prepare the next generation of citizens for life in an ever-changing world. A few quotes / statistic that has stuck with us is this:
“Education is about preparing students to succeed in the real world. That is a tough task in a world like we have today where 65% of the jobs our students will have do not exist yet.” “Personalized learning is not about following a pacing guide or using a set framework for classroom management. It’s about empowering students and giving them the opportunity & resources they need to take ownership of their learning.” Those are tall tasks! How do you empower students and prepare them for jobs that do not exist yet? One way we do that is through instilling in students various Habits of Mind that are structured around our QUEST name. QUEST is more than an acronym. It’s a way of life in the classroom and in the world. Students and teachers work through each letter in the QUEST name and use these skills to become independent thinkers who are driven to enact positive change in our world. Click on the button below to learn more about the QUEST Habits and see how QUEST students are asked to reflect on and use the Habits in their learning. |