Learning Gets Personal
June 16, 2016
Have you developed a Personalized Learning Mindset?
- The belief that every child deserves a personalized learning experience.
- The understanding that personalized learning is a continuously evolving process.
- The idea that this work is creative and often answers are unknown until you try.
The more that people can adopt a PL Mindset, the more they buy into the idea that this work is valuable and worth working for. They are willing to take risks and jump in, realizing that this journey is about growth. They also recognize that by doing this work and changing the way we teach, we are modeling for students what we want from them: to be reflective owners of their own process. This summer as you are thinking toward the start of the new school year, I would challenge you to reflect on where you fall with your own personalized learning mindset. What aspects have you already adopted, and what areas are you still grappling with? Where do your staff members fall, and how can you help them begin to adopt this way of thinking?
Happy Reflecting,
Heather
The Tenets of Student-Centered Learning
According to the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, there are four tenets of student-centered learning:
1. Learning is Personalized
2. Learning is Competency-based
3. Learning Happens Anytime, Anywhere
4. Students Take Ownership Over Their Learning
These four tenets prove essential to students’ full engagement in achieving Deeper Learning outcomes and to enabling all students to achieve what they need to know and master to succeed in college, careers and civic life. Click here to read more.
Why Personalized Learning is Imperative
The Personalized Learning Mindset
In this blog post (referenced above) Anthony Kim, founder of Education Elements, discusses what he calls the PL Mindset. In his experience touring schools that are implementing personalized learning, he has noticed a difference in the way that people think about personalized learning classrooms. Click here to read more about the PL Mindset and why it is essential to the work we are doing in Fulton County.
Technology Titans
Upcoming Professional Learning Opportunities
Summer Workshop: Personalized Learning Environments by Design
Registration available in Edivate in the Academic Support catalog.
Elementary School Session
July 6 - 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Middle School Session
July 6 - 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
High School Session
July 7 - 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Summer Office 365 Professional Development Courses for Administrators
Registration available in Edivate in the Instructional Technology catalog
Microsoft Innovative School Leader Academy
July 14 - 8:30-3:30
This one-day professional learning experience is designed for the K-12 school leader who wants to use Microsoft technologies to create, promote and sustain digital-age learning culture. This workshop will facilitated by two FCS principals and will explore OneNote Staff Notebook, Office Mix, Forms, Skype for Business, and Sway. These are all tools you can use to collaboratively plan with teachers, leaded flipped faculty meetings, communicate with parents/students, gather data, evaluate teachers/staff, and more.
Helpful Links
Questions?
Heather Van Looy, Ed.S.
Fulton County Schools
Email: vanlooy@fultonschools.org
Website: https://employees.fultonschools.org/academics/Personalized%20Learning/Pages/default.aspx
Location: 6201 Powers Ferry Road, Atlanta, GA 30339
Phone: 470-254-6899
Twitter: @heathervanlooy