How can personalized learning technology empower teachers?
Personalized Learning: A Video Series. #4
“[It’s about] having a space and time to honor innovation in action, and not be so focused on the outcome. And that helps to create a growth mindset in your faculty, so that you’re not coming from a point of fear when you’re tinkering and trying things out in your class that could be real breakthroughs.” — Tiffany Wycoff, school leader
In this video series, we’ve looked at why personalized learning is important, how it fosters student engagement, and how administrators can work to implement it across a learning community. For this last installment, we’re going to explore how personalized learning technology can empower teachers — both in supporting their students to succeed and finding the freedom to explore their own creative pedagogical strategies.
In the videos below, you’ll find interviews from prominent thought leaders in personalized learning, including Tom Vander Ark from Getting Smart, and Tiffany Wycoff, an innovative school leader. If you think their advice is helpful, be sure to share it with your PLN on Twitter or Facebook!
Focus on the Journey, Not the Destination
Implementing technology in the classroom can be overwhelming, for students, administration, and especially teachers. It’s easy to get caught up in what you’re striving for and lose sight of the day-to-day learning journey. In this video, Tiffany Wycoff explains how teachers can have a better experience in the classroom during tech implementation by focusing on the journey rather than the destination:
Get Creative with Open Content
Open content, when reliable, has the potential to boost access and give educators more flexibility in their teaching. Personalized learning technology makes effectively utilizing open content a far more seamless process, and ultimately empowers teachers to take control of their classrooms. Tom Vander Ark explains:
Mark Your Successes, and Share with Students
While personalized learning implementation can be stressful, it’s important to take the changes in phases, and make note of your progress. It’s also important to share those successes with students — you’ll learn alongside each other, and set a great example of adopting a growth mindset. Tiffany Wycoff has more advice on successful stages of change:
To see how adopting personalized learning technology empowers teachers to become more comfortable with tech, get innovative in the classroom, and connect with students, check out this Ohio school’s story:
