How Can Children Benefit from Personalized Learning?

With the progress and change taking place in every aspect of human development, is education system going hand by hand? The debate rages on whether the classroom method of teaching, with one teacher delivering lectures based on a set curriculum to a diverse bunch of students with different abilities and areas of interest is regressive, restrictive and counterproductive or not.

While the debate between the need for core curriculum classrooms and the need for personalized learning rages on, here’s what you need to know if you want to shift your children into a school that has embraced personalized learning:

What is Personalized Learning?

Personalized Learning refers to a customized curriculum that caters to the needs of every student. The curriculum is not designed based on the student’s age, grade or any school policy. Instead, it is tailor made keeping in mind other factors like the student’s interests, strengths, difficulties, skills and prior learning. It allows students to explore subjects freely at their own pace instead of learning specific information in order to pass a standardized test.

Why do students need Personalized Learning?

The current classroom model of teaching was also known as the factory model because it was designed to teach workers in factories.
The idea was to churn out a homogenous mass of trained factory workers which a far cry from the current requirements of society today that is beginning to embrace diversity, unique abilities and aptitudes.
In fact, this model was designed to quell individualism by routing out the slightest divergence. Conformity was the key to its success as factory owners did not want violent uprisings or unionism.
In the current scenario, however, this system is flawed because it restricts student’s curiosity and creativity.
It forces everybody to conform to an archaic curriculum that is designed by policy makers who define the norm in one sweeping motion. This narrow definition of learning based on Standardized Testing is what personalized learning seeks to broaden.

How does Personalized Learning work?

The curriculum works with the help of technology. It programs individual learning paths for students based on their abilities and interests and then tracks their progress and feeds it back into the program where it can be monitored by teachers and parents.
The program not only helps students set their goals, but it also motivates them to work on them regularly and gives regular feedback to keep students on track.Technology driven schools are benefiting a great deal from this learning plan.
This program works on the basic premise that students benefit from personal attention. However, in the current system of education, it is not possible to implement a system where each student can be personally tutored by one teacher.
Personalized Learning gives students the individual attention that they require with the help of technology.
This way teachers are not burdened with lectures or grading papers. Instead, they can focus on filling in the gaps in the students learning by helping them understand complex processes and leading group interactions.
Technology does not replace Teachers or make them obsolete; it helps them devote their time more effectively in places that require a human touch.
Use personalized learning as one of four ways to learn English in seven days.

How do students benefit from Personalized Learning?

Students benefit from a customized curriculum based on their interests and abilities rather than a one-size-fits-all curriculum that punishes a Math prodigy for flunking an English test.
The freedom to learn at their own pace help children to develop their interests and satisfy their curiosity. They are more likely to develop a love for a subject when they are not forced to learn it.
Technology based learning like this does not limit students with the scope of a syllabus or a textbook. Instead, it encourages them to explore further according to their interests.
Personalized Learning gives students access to information far beyond a textbook or a teacher. They can access information more relevant to their interests by getting straight to the source.
This method of learning feels relaxed and non-threatening. Learning becomes fun and students respond better to it.
It helps Teachers and students develop a bond that is more relaxed and personal. The teacher becomes more of a guide and less of a figure of authority as they are no longer required to push students to hand in assignments or grade them for poor work.
Students are not pressurized by exams that evaluate progress on a narrow one-dimensional This is very important, and exam and study pressure hinders their ability to learn without a fear of failure.
Personalized Learning eliminates unhealthy sources of competition as students strive to compete to better themselves instead of focusing on beating another student.
This program helps children set their own path of learning so that they can choose what they wish to turn into careers.
It quells sources of teenage angst and rebellion as it makes students feel safe and in control of their lives.
Personalized Learning is especially beneficial as it is an inclusive curriculum that fits the needs of children with disabilities. It is a groundbreaking move for special education that integrates differently abled students into the mainstream classroom.
It is a system that can cater to students with a variety of special needs and learning disabilities because of its flexible structure.