Customized learning is turning out to be a major player in
the 21st-century classrooms. It's a new approach to dealing with teaching and
learning that includes less teacher talking and more contribution from
students. It's changing the way students are learning around the world.
The thought behind customized learning is straightforward.
Students direct their own learning, going at their own pace and, now and again,
settling on their own choices as to what to learn. Preferably, in a classroom
using customized learning, students pick what they're interested in and
teachers fit the curriculum and standards to the students' advantages.
This sort of adapting totally reverses the traditional
approach in the classroom. Rather than the teacher being the focal point of
attention and leader of the classroom, the students are in the spotlight.
Customized learning gives students a voice and enables them to take responsibility
for their education.
For teachers who need to bring more customized learning into
their own particular classrooms, it may appear to be threatening. Surrendering
control of the classroom can be startling. Teachers may wonder, will the
Students truly be interested in this? Will they get the hang of everything that
they have to know for the year-end tests? Will I totally lose control over my
classroom?
Customized learning doesn't need to be win big or lose.
Teachers can begin by talking somewhat less and giving students a chance to
have to a greater degree of control. Enabling students to settle on a few
decisions in the classroom can have a powerful impact.
Teachers can give students various options for showing proof
of what they've learned. One approach to this is to specifically give students
the standards they have to know and request that they present proof that
they've aced those standards. Another alternative is to give students choices,
for example, composing an article as opposed to making a visual representation
of their learning.
Teachers can take another course and give students diverse
alternatives for how they learn the material. This requires somewhat more
preparation, yet teachers can enable students to pick amongst say reading and
watching a video. Again, this enables students to have more options and they
feel that they have a voice in the classroom.
Small changes like these are simple for teachers to make, and
they empower students. When students have little power in the classroom, they
start to put resources into their learning.
Customized adapting also enhances student and teacher
relations. In the traditional classroom, teachers are frequently struggling for
control. They need to demand that students sit down, quit talking, and pay
attention to the teacher. This automatically makes a sort of power dynamic that
can cause issues. Teachers are basically telling students, "I have more
value than you."
But when teachers give students a voice, they're telling the
students, "You are important." They are giving students control over
what and how they learn. Students often react positively to this change in the
power dynamic. Students who are given the power to decide, feel esteemed and
regarded. Thus, they are less likely to create issues for teachers. When
teachers quit demanding that students take a seat, be calm, or respect them,
students will probably do every one of those three things.
For teachers who are searching for a way to get students
engaged and excited for what they're learning, customized learning is the way.
Teachers who talk less and give students a voice in the classroom are engaging
students and empowering them to take responsibility of, and really appreciate
their learning.
