Module 2 Unit 3 Activity 1: Personalized Learning in Special Education
Activity requirements
- Participation in the discussion forum on this activity
- Reflection on the role of personalized learning in special education today and how you see it being applied to 21st century classrooms that are student-centered that includes justifications for your opinions.
We are at a point now where technology not only gives us new possibilities as teachers, but it also demands that learners take new approaches to learning so that they can acquire the skills that the world needs. We are living in a present that is ever more personalized, from advertisements that change based on who is looking at them, to 3D printed shoes custom built to fit the feet of the customer. It makes sense then that education too is becoming more personalized, both for special groups and the general public.
For a long time there has been a basic knowledge about how learning works, but the appropriate methods have not been implemented for one reason or another. In the 1880's, Ebbinghaus started his research on forgetting curves. His research showed that memory for information deteriorates with time unless it is actively reviewed or used, however, each time we review the information, we retain it for longer. However, this system can be optimized best when it has data on the individual's learning. We now have the technology to track this data for individuals.
I think this principal plays a central role in what we are seeing in these emerging personalized learning programs. In system's like New York's School of One, they are using an algorithm to find what works best for students. It compares the effectiveness of different types of lessons for different students. It chooses what is most effective for a particular learner. This opens up the doors for a system based on the merit of the educational methods. Methods that are less successful may be less popular and will decline with time. Although computers can also introduce new distractions, overtime schools will find ways of adjusting them so that they become more effective.
Youtube comments by students in the School of One/ Teach to One program show that kids playing games during class is a problem, but despite this, research has shown that schools using the teach to one program are more effective.
In Mesquite Elementary School they have introduced additional refresher classes for struggling students. This again ties back into Ebbinghaus' method. Revision increases retention. It makes sense that struggling students will find this helpful, but the fact is that all students can benefit from revision, that is just how learning works. Personalized learning can and does go further than this, however. These classes can adapt the pace and the material presented so that it compensates for the level of the students. Material should be of an appropriate level, not too difficult and not too easy. Educators have long known that you can't always group students by age and hope that everyone will be at the same level. In a typical classroom, there are always students that are almost a year older than the youngest students in the class due (August children versus September children). The younger students are more likely to need support and perhaps even differentiated instruction. There are may factors besides age that affect the needs of a child.
In Finland we see further acknowledgement of this. Here, special education/differentiated instruction is open to all. It works and it reduces stigma. Why? Because it understands that all students need the material to be tailored to their level and needs. You don't always need to have a diagnosis to fall behind, and sometimes falling behind or being younger than your peers can make a diagnosis more likely (https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/younger-kindergarteners-more-likely-to-be-diagnosed-with-adhd-2019011215756). If students receive the support they need sooner, it can prevent the problem from reaching an apex.