Guide to Personalized Learning Experiences

7. Encourage Reflection + Responsiveness

By introducing reflection into the learning experience, teachers and students can make adjustments together to improve the learning process. Bringing learners into this process fosters trust, ownership and self-awareness of strengths and areas needing improvement. Working alongside students to course-correct throughout the year keeps them engaged in the learning process and encourages them think critically to achieve their goals.

Methods

Hold regular conferencing between students and teachers to gain insight into where the learner stands and how best to respond to their needs.

Ask questions to reflect on work progress and process. Involve the student in the reflection process. See Launch Pad below for some ideas on what questions to ask.

Take formative assessments frequently as part of learning process and reduce or eliminate summative assessments.

Allow for flexibility to change the learning approach as needed.

Story from the Field
At one school, a student asks a teacher “Should I work on one thing for 45 minutes or should I do a couple things?” The teacher asks her what she think would work better for her at this moment. This prompts the student to reflect and consider her own learning preferences and goals, and make a decision.

Launch Pad: Try these Personalized Learning activities today

Teachers can give students an opportunity to reflect on their progress in one-on-one meetings, independent reflection or with a peer.

Questions for Reflection

Why
Why are you learning what you’re learning? How might this help you discover new passions? How might it aid you in your purpose?

Setting
Where is the best place to accomplish your goal?

Goals
What is your goal for today? For this week? For this month? For this year? For your life?

Choices
What choices did you make? How well did they turn out? What might you try differently?

Time
How might you best use the time available to you?

Assessment
How well are you accomplishing your goals? Where do you need more work?

Support
What help do you need? Who might be able to help you? What resources could you go to?

Opportunities to Redirect

Change location
Change topic
Ask for help
Spend more time
Use a different resource
Continue doing what works well
Alter what doesn’t work well

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