The website is http://ed.ted.com/
Here is a video to explain what it is and how you can get involved and use it to personalize teaching and learning.
Personalizing Learning
What does this mean? How can we work towards it? And why should we?
Challenge: Your Government gives you 1 hour to answer the question of how to make education more Equitable…What do you say?
A couple of weeks ago, I was inside the “big black box” also known as the British Columbia Ministry of Education. If you know that I am a teacher from Surrey, B.C. you might jump to the conclusion that I was there picketing, slashing tires or doing the ol’ “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” switcheroo. Well, none of that is actually the case. My adventure was a little more bland, but I still felt cool like Harriet the Spy.
I guess you could say I was there doing my own research–trying to get my own sense of where the Ministry is angling the new BC Education Plan–but I’d also admit it was a “job interview”.
Students and education are number one for me, so if I thought I could make a larger impact from with in the Big House (you know, Trojan Horse-style), then I felt it was my duty to explore that possibility.
I, like so many teachers, have no idea what really happens behind the very secure wall of the M.O.E. (It was near impossible to get back inside to retrieve my forgotten umbrella–several people including security had to be called). For some, the Ministry is like Bin Laden’s cave circa 2002 or neo-libralist puppeteering convention.
I’ve got to say, it was a fascinating experience to see first hand the environment, the people that work there, the tone, the types of conversations had in the hallways. Of course, I got the tourist-eye view of things, but I felt what I saw changed a bit of how I view the Ministry. There are some fabulous, caring individuals who work there, but the Ministry is not the sum of its parts. The thing that troubled me most was that as it is now, from what I gathered through informal conversation, not enough of the decision-makers are very closely or personally linked with real classroom life in a very recent, real way. (Time to do a new episode of Undercover Boss maybe!?)
As you know, these are very tense times between the government and our teachers’ union, the BCTF. There are some critical issues that the government must address to improve education for our students and teachers. I know this. I feel this. I want to do my part. And I wanted to gather as much information as I could.
I met with several key figures in curriculum and assessment who I felt were very candid with me about their own perspectives and the direction of the ministry as they see it.
I will be writing more reflections about “the inside” in the coming weeks–I am still trying to make sense of it all. But let me start with one point: as a part of my interview, I was given a computer with no internet connection, a quiet room, and one hour to write my response to the question:
How can we personalize learning for all students
while maintaining equity and fairness within the education system?
Great that they chose this question, right? (Or does this question need more unpacking?)
Understand that I was a little nervous to begin my writing–perhaps somewhat like a fish out of water flopping around at the Cat Show. Well, not that bad. But I was still processing for myself other questions like, “Do I want this job?” “Are these people sincere in working towards real change?” “Am I a traitor?” ”Am I in line to become the next straw man?” “Is this the opportunity of a lifetime to offer what I have to make a real difference for students?”
So, basically for the first 20 minutes, my mind was just blank. Then the next 10 minutes, I was frantic. I only actually wrote for the last 30 minutes.
Imagine: a genie pops out of a bottle and you have one wish…we always say we would ask for more wishes, but you have to take that off the table this time (Keep in mind I KNOW the gov’t isn’t going to listen to my voice if I just type in 100pt bold font “For Pete’s sake reduce class sizes, support students, and pay teachers properly.”). I kind of felt like I was a student writing a grade 12 English examination. I had to keep in mind my audience, while at the same time being true to my beliefs and style…but I also wasn’t sure if I was supposed to be writing from my own true perspective or from my imagined voice as a possible future Ministry of Education employee or a George Orwell 1984 character.
So what did I actually write? Well, I was just emailed my copy of the writing sample. I post below what I wrote, word for word, errors and all, not edited. Here is my answer as I wrote it on Feb. 24th, 2012:
OUR TASK:
As custodians, advocates and representatives of public education in B.C., it is our mandate, duty, and deep honour to serve this province, ensuring that all students, parents, and teachers and educational leaders in British Columbia have equitable access to the benefits of personalizing learning. It is a matter of social justice that the transformation occurs as a result of collaboration with the polyphony of voices in B.C. and that the benefits of personalized learning are fairly distributed to all geographical locations, to every school, to every grade level, and to students of every ability, cultural and socio-economic background, gender, and sexual-orientation.
KEY AREAS:
Taking a broad perspective, we can identify key areas on which to focus in this task of ensuring a fair and equitable transformation:
(1.) Relationship Building: Building positive relationships through open communications with all of the various stakeholders ; especially reaching out to under-identified groups.
(2.) Thorough Research: Gathering input from available current data and supporting new research initiatives in areas impacted by personalized learning.
(3.) Meaningful, Productive Collaboration: Providing opportunity for authentic exchange and consideration of ideas from the broadest spectrum of voices.
(4.) Strategic and Balanced Distribution of Resources: Determining where there are existing gaps and working to correct these.
(5.) New Research & Development: Exploring new technologies and methods that can make the most of existing resources and support personalized learning initiatives for all.
SEEING THE PERSONAL FACE OF PERSONALIZING LEARNING:
As we move towards personalizing learning, we are mindful that imbalances in each of these abovementioned areas have a very personal, individual face. When a high school library in Prince Rupert does not have funds to pay for subscriptions to valuable online learning programs that West Vancouver students have been using for over a decade, inequality exists. When a South Surrey elementary school has mobile icarts, smartboards, and ipads for every class because these were paid for with PAC funds, while an East Vancouver elementary school has fewer than fifteen operable computers, inequality exists. When some parents are able to attend PAC meetings and parent-teacher interview scheduled midday, while other working parents cannot, inequality exists. These are the stories we need to hear, reflect on and respond to with supportive and measureable plans of action.
PROVIDING MULTIPLE PLATFORMS:
Driven by a desire to co-create change that is meaningful and impactful for all, we can harness new technologies to offer a variety of platforms from which people will be able to share their personal stories. This has already begun through the BCEDPLAN forums and beyond.
EXPLORING THE RESEARCH:
We partner with all stakeholders to code the data that emerges and then present and reflect on findings. It is an iterative process we engage in as we move towards identifying the scope and causes of current challenges to providing fair and equitable access to personalized learning opportunities. We must consult the wealth of knowledge offered by research occurring in our universities, and colleges, through the BCTF, teacher-initiated projects, student and parent contributions and beyond.
FINAL NOTES:
In this era of transformation in education in B.C., matters of equity and fairness must be forefront. Personalized learning comes at a time when we need to put social justice issues at the top of the list. We need to re-imagine and redefine to ensure a first-class education system, our greatest public good and one that is accessible to all.
Okay, so…? Not terrible. Not very groundbreaking. Mostly rhetoric. Looking back, I wish I had taken a harder line, been even more direct, had more examples. You know what irks me the most is that I played it safe and started to sound like a politician myself here. Sure, there are reasonable important ideas here that could be developed, but it’s not an actionable plan which is what we need right now. (But, hey, I only had 60 minutes and was nervous as a nacho on Superbowl Sunday!). But really, I could have done better if I was prepared…I believe I will get prepared by dialoguing more with like minds.
Okay, I JUST now realized the BCTF logo is a genie in a bottle? What am I supposed to make of this symbolism?
So the take away lesson from for us all is BE READY! Be ready for the genie! Be ready for the microphone because it may pop in front of you at any time! Be ready! I have more thinking to do on how I will refine my answer to these and other critical questions.
I would love to hear from you, what would YOU say we can do “to personalize learning while maintaining equity and fairness within the education system?”
Oh, wait, I just picked up on something I never saw before: why did they frame the question to say “maintain” as if fairness and equity were the present state of affairs?! Hmmmm…
21st Century Education: So Where Are We Now?
I’m a teacher in Surrey, British Columbia, and I wanted to take stock of where we are with regards to education in the”21st Century”. More often that not, I meet teachers and others who are struggling to get a sense of what is going on with new movements, discussions, and controversies in education, and I know it can be very hard to keep up–especially with the incredible demands of attending to students and classroom and school life. I wanted to write something to begin to give an overview of the discussion from what I’ve gathered.
It’s clear that in our province the government’s new “BC Education Plan” and the related issues dominate public discussion of education. This purported “plan of action” driving a “transformation” in B.C.’s education system[1] has been argued by some as an exciting, proactive response to our changing times. Others argue the plan reflects a neo-liberalist-driven agenda cashing in on a broader global discourse—one that perseverates on marketing “new” pedagogies and technologies (a.k.a. products) branded as “21st Century Education”.
So what is this notion of a “21st Century Education”? In response to this question I have heard futuristic musings that would appeal to any person’s inner child: envision soaring through school hallways on Marty McFly’s hoverboard[2] or zapping through homework with gadgets inspired by The Jetsons! As well I have heard expressed by many well-informed individuals that they have a tough time grasping the rhetoric of education for the 21st century.
Although “21st Century Education” and it’s cousin concept “Personalized Learning” have a been much heralded, there is concern that definitions have been obscured on purpose by politicians, bureaucrats and entrepreneurs in effort to maneuver this apparent “movement” towards their own most desirable ends, such as to gain votes or profits (Sims, 2010; Kuehn, 2011). These 21st century practices touted already by some as “best practices” might at this stage be more akin and reducible to Kenneth Leithwood’s descriptions of bandwagons, slogans, and locally-valued ways of behaving (2008, pp. 72-73).
Still, even without consensus and clarity on the terms, power-players in education are making future-altering decisions regarding various legislation, curriculum design overhauls, budgetary priorities, and corporate partnerships. Because of this—despite the considerable immediate demands in our classrooms, schools, communities and homes—I believe it is our vital responsibility as educational leaders to stay alert in this era of electronic media and social-media proliferation and to tune into the polyphony of voices emerging through this foggy discussion of educating for the 21st century.
On the world stage we have already heard from the likes of Sir Ken Robinson, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Rupert Murdoch, George Lukas and others.[3] In B.C. we have heard about education in the 21st century from the government, the BC Teachers Federation, journalists and others.[4] At the local ground level, several thousand commentators identifying as public and private school administrators and teachers, students and parents have shared their own visions in the “BC Education Plan” forums and in personal blogs and websites, and the dialogue is voiced in many other forms in school staffrooms and classrooms, at school board meetings, in coffee shops and around kitchen tables.
So what conversations are you having with your colleagues, students, family and friends? Where do we need to focus more attention in this conversations around 21st century education and personalized learning?
Parents: What do you want for your children?
In this moving video, What I Want For My Children, Heidi Hass Gable asks of teachers that they honour the value and individuality of each child and, as well, she calls parents to honour the work teachers do. She asks parents to get involved in their children’s education and for us all to be the change we wish to see in the world.
Heidi is a parent, the District Parent Advisory Council president in Coquitlam, B.C., and avid blogger on issues in transforming education, leadership, and parent engagement. Check out her writing at the following links:
Cognitive Science says “Learning Styles Don’t Exist”: Meaning-Making is King!
Check out this video from cognitive scientist, learning expert, and author Dr. Daniel T. Willingham. He says it is not enough to simply aim to teach to various “learning styles” in effort to enhance learning. Willingham does not say that we people do not have certain proclivities towards ways of experiencing content, but we must go one step further beyond this because learning occurs when information is presented in a manner that is conducive to making meaning.
A week ago before coming across this video, although I didn’t plan to I did my own informal experiment testing this hypothesis. I needed to try to remember a 3 minute speech for an upcoming presentation, and I was convinced I would learn the content most efficiently using various visuals models to appeal to what I believed what my dominant learning style…I drew pictures and relational diagrams of the text. As well, I knew I was also partial to auditory learning so I recorded a cd of the speech and played it dozens of times on repeat. Wanting to cover the kinesthetic domain, I would move about dramatically while the cd played, trying to act out the text. I figured all of these antics would burn the speech into my mind, but I have to say that as creative as these strategies were, they alone did not seem to do the trick. What finally made that speech stick was definitely the combination of the activities insofar as experiencing them was cause for me to really meditate on the meaning of what I was saying in the speech. As I eventually understood in my core the message I was trying to convey, like an actor who becomes “one” with her script and character, I found the words came to me suddenly without effort. Trying hard to learn something involves grasping for meaning and the process can feel like a kind of alchemy…the ingredients can be mysterious combinations, but when it all works, it works! Learning!
As a teacher, I am committed to providing a multi-modal learning experiences for my students…but now I will do so with the understanding that although this is a valuable end in itself, for real learning to occur these multi-modal presentations of content must serve that “magical” process by which students will create and apprehend meanings!
This “magical” process of creating and apprehending meaning occurs differently for each person–ahhh, and this is the joy and challenge of teaching!
What would Socrates Say about 21st Century Learning?
UPDATE FOR MARCH 12th, 2012: CHECK OUT MY NEW WEBSITE EXPLORING THIS ARTICLE IN MORE DEPTH: http://whatwouldsocratessay.wordpress.com/
Peter w. Cookson Jr. is the author of a thought provoking article about 21st Century Learning, titled “What would Socrates Say?” and published in Educational Leadership in September 2009. Article Abstract:
The 21st century mind must adapt to the electronic learning environment that is replacing the linear, text- bound culture of conventional schools. The 21st century mind must engage in critical reflection to see the world from multiple points of view and imagine alternate outcomes, be willing to abandon supernatural explanations for naturally occurring events, recognize and accept a shared evolutionary collective intelligence, promote metacognitive skills to monitor learning, and make changes in approach if learning is not perceived to be going well. Socratic inquiry can be useful in systematically applying knowledge to real- world challenges.
Click here to read more:
Reference: Cookson, Jr. P. W. (Sept. 2009). What would Socrates Say? Educational Leadership, 67 (1), 8-14.
For more information on exploring the Socratic inquiry and philosophy in classrooms, please visit www.qisforquestion.com 
Personalized Learning: A “Steve Jobsian” Vision of Education?
Here are some excepts from a Wall Street Journal article on October 15, 2011 adapted from a speech given by Rupert Murdoch is chairman and CEO of News Corp., which owns The Wall Street Journal and a new Education Division. This article is adapted from his remarks Friday to the Foundation for Excellence in Education Summit in San Francisco.
“Our children are growing up in Steve Jobs’s world. They are eager to learn and quick to embrace new technology. Outside the classroom they take technology for granted—in what they read, in how they listen to music, in how they shop.The minute they step back into their classrooms, it’s like going back in time. The top-down, one-size-fits-all approach frustrates the ones who could do more advanced work. And it leaves further and further behind those who need extra help to keep up.”
“Teachers are likewise stunted. Some excel at lecturing. Some are better at giving personal attention. With the right structure, [teachers] would work together like a football team. With the existing structure, they are treated like interchangeable cogs.”
“Better doesn’t have to be more expensive, either. For example, Georgia state legislators now spend $40 million a year on textbooks. They are considering iPads to save money and boost performance. Unlike a textbook—which is outdated the moment it is printed—digital texts can be updated.”
“Let’s be clear: Technology is never going to replace teachers. What technology can do is give teachers closer, more human and more rewarding interactions with their students. It can give children lesson plans tailored to their pace and needs. And it can give school districts a way to improve performance in the classroom while saving their taxpayers money.”
“Steve Jobs knew all about competitive markets. He once likened our school system to the old phone monopoly. “I remember,” he said in a 1995 interview, “seeing a bumper sticker with the Bell Logo on it and it said ‘We don’t care. We don’t have to.’ And that’s what a monopoly is. That’s what IBM was in their day. And that’s certainly what the public school system is. They don’t have to care.”
“We have to care. In this new century, good is not good enough. Put simply, we must approach education the way Steve Jobs approached every industry he touched. To be willing to blow up what doesn’t work or gets in the way. And to make our bet that if we can engage a child’s imagination, there’s no limit to what he or she can learn.”
You may not accept Rupert Murdoch’s or Steve Jobs’ brand of politics or vision of education reform, but what can we take away from their perspective?
So how would a bold, innovative and perfection driven mind such as that of Steve Jobs have sought to restructure and re-imagine education in this region?
How could we redesign physical learning environments?
How might teachers become the “Apple” of education’s eye?
How can teachers compete with and be even more useful, engaging and inspiring than the iphone!?
Is there a way to effectively package and transport a “first rate teacher” in your pocket, so to speak? What might get lost in the tech. translation–how can we supplement?
Yes, these questions can feel somewhat threatening to ask–but they have to be asked if we are to evolve with students and avoid going the way of the IBM and dinosaurs.
An Example of Online Teaching: What do you think?
This is a video made by Florida Virtual School, a leader in online education. I wondered how it might be to communicate with students in this way. How would students experience learning through a webinar format and would this style of instruction suit me as a teacher?
It’s important to note that in the “real world”, webinars and online conference calls are a commonly used communication method since it can be a better used of time and money when people are spread out.
MY INITIAL REACTIONS:
-This teacher has a warm, intelligent persona and she seems to be very competent and caring towards her students. She is expressive and clear in her communication style. She seems well suited to teaching either in person or online.
-I would sign my own child up for this class…that is, if it were not available in person. In person will always trump online–why? I guess because we are embodied, physical beings that crave real sense experiences and the ability to have real time eye contact…but this is not really the central debate anymore because there will always be more amazing opportunities than can be offered in a local physical setting. I guess we just have to cherish the time we have in person and try to make the most authentic online experiences we can. This is an example to consider…
What do you think? Any thoughts?
TRY THESE PERSONALIZED, SELF-DIRECTED ACTIVITIES!
Dr. Maurice Gibbons is an educator and author who runs a great website on self directed learning.
If you click in his link in the menu bar titled “Becoming Self-Directed”, you will find 21 detailed, sequential activities for young people. A great resource!
Sir Ken Robinson on “Personalized Learning”
Thank you to “PW” for posting this content as a comment on Nov. 20th–I wanted to repost to draw attention to what Sir Ken Robinson says about Personalized Learning:
“Personalized learning, to me, is the process of contouring learning to the individuals that you’re dealing with, recognizing that we all have different strengths and weaknesses, different interests [and] different ways of learning.”
“It isn’t that everyone has to learn different things, although eventually our interests will take us in different directions,” he continued. “But in terms of the things we want all people to learn … personalized learning is finding the best ways to engage with people with different interests, passions and ways of thinking.”
It’s what good teachers have always known, he added. “That their job is not to teach subjects, but to teach students.”
Read more in the Vancouver Sun article from August 23, 2011 : http://www.vancouversun.com/Robinson+urges+schools+adopt+personalized+learning/5298060/story.html#ixzz1eT7j0SoI
