personalized learning – KPBSD Communications Field Notes

KPBSD teacher feature: connect with students one-on-one

“What does Personalized Learning (PL) look like in the classroom?” is quizzed back and forth in education circles, and students and parents even wonder and ask questions!

Every teacher, group of students, and scenario is unique, and personalized learning is adaptive. To offer a look into the practices of PL, meet Mrs. Amy Angleton, a KPBSD English and Language Arts teacher at Skyview Middle School in Soldotna, Alaska.
Every day of the week offers something unique for the students, and Amy takes the weekly schedule for her classes and creates a consistent rotation schedule for the students. On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, they move through stations in their classroom that include independent work with technology integration for delivering some content, collaboration with other students, and application of the writing process with one-to-one conferencing with her.
To dive further into what happens with the one-to-one conferencing, Amanda Adams, KPBSD personalized learning specialist, asked Amy about what happens when she has the opportunity to meet with each student individually to guide, support, teach, and reflect with them about their needs, and successes one to three times individually, in addition to general class time interaction. This type of student reflection and goal setting is directly connected to the Core Four of Personalized Learning in KPBSD.
“The benefits for Mrs. Angleton and her students is crystal clear,” said Adams. “She knows her students on a personal level that has never been achieved before this point in her career. This is all about them and their individual needs! Grading becomes teaching and offers so much more opportunity for investment from the students. It is important to note that the logistics of shifts like this take dedication to really figure out a system, but no one says it better than Amy herself, ‘I can honestly say that I have never felt more effective as a teacher than I do with one-on-one conferencing.’”

One-on-one conferencing with students
Conversation with Mrs. Amy Angleton, Skyview Middle School teacher

“Language Arts is one of those weird subjects that isn’t linear. Once students learn to read and write at a foundational level, they step off of a line and jump into this pool of language arts skills that they grasp onto or not. This creates a problem for Language Arts teachers that may have students who are strong at grammar skills but cannot think deeply in the same room with students who have great ideas but cannot form a coherent thought on paper. With such diversity in student writing abilities, one-on-one teaching is really the only way to teach students what they need to improve their writing. One-on-one conferences is when the teacher schedules meetings with each student throughout the week to read their work with them and discuss the student’s strengths and weaknesses in the skill being demonstrated.”

How do you do it?

Let’s be honest. Creating one-on-one conferencing time with students each week is not easy, but the benefits definitely make the pre-work worth every minute of time.

I create time with students by having three stations. The students rotate to the stations on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday each week. One station is on the computer. This is where students watch lecture videos, take notes, do research, and other independent work. The second station is a collaborative station where students work on a skill with a partner that revolves around a classroom reading. This station usually requires a little direction from me but then continues independently of the teacher the rest of the period. The last station is the writing station. Here students work through the writing process. They write, they edit with peers, their revise, they edit again. I conference with students at this station. Sometimes I let them come to me when they are ready, and other times I invade their space and sit with them (some students I have to go to as they would never willingly seek me out—but they are getting better). When I conference with them I use a checklist that includes all different skills needed in their writing. I think out loud and tell them what skills they have and what skills they need to work towards mastering. If they are not satisfied with how well they did, they continue working on their writing, and then have another conference with me before the end of the day to see how they have improved. On Friday’s and Monday’s if they wish another on-one-on conference with me they can seek me out on those days.
At the beginning of each quarter I have students write a pre-assessment paragraph in the structure that will be the focus for that quarter. The following week during my conference with each of them I score that paragraph with them. Then they record their score on the board. Each time I grade their writing they get a new score they can record on the board.

*Student data tracker. The skill in the top left corner and the emojis represents 1-4 on the rubric.

Why is one-on-one conferencing beneficial?

“One-on-one conferencing is beneficial for teachers. Of course it is beneficial for students, but let’s be selfish for a minute. Teachers work endlessly until they eventually say good enough at the moment and go home to try to relax with their families and get some rest. But when they are home, most teachers are still stressing about school and students and what they could have done better. One-on-one conferencing has made my life (not just my teaching life) easier. Each quarter I focus on one particular writing structure with students. That structure is the big skill that I assess. Instead of students doing a test they turn into the basket, then me taking those tests home to grade (and while grading thinking about talking to a student that isn’t there about what they should or could have done differently or better—I don’t think I’m the only teacher who talks to herself when she grades—I now grade these assessments with the student sitting next to me during class time. Suddenly, I have taken the stress of finding time to grade assignments out of my teaching practice, and I have turned grading into teaching. Students receive instant feedback on their individual skills, turn around and improve. I am no longer trying to teach every little skill that is needed in order to write an effective paragraph or essay. Now I am teaching writing holistically. I do not plan my quarters around what skills are needed to build up to an essay anymore (often missing some and mastering none). Instead, I plan writing prompts, and when I sit down with students to read their paragraph, I tutor them on the skills they need to improve their writing. Now I do not go home to grade papers, and I do not go home worrying about what I could have done differently.

I know at the end of every week that I met every student where they are in their ability and taught them something new. I can honestly say that I have never felt more effective as a teacher than I do with one-on-one conferencing.

What differences have you seen?

“I received this note from a substitute that has subbed for my classes throughout the year. On the day she wrote this note the students were writing their pre-assessment paragraph for the third quarter. As she described, my students are now “eager writers.” Eager writers! I never thought a junior higher would be described that way before now. Yes, there is the occasional student that enjoys writing but usually teachers can count those students on one hand now the opposite is true for my students. I can count on one hand the number of writers that resist writing. As I explained, students record their progress on the board throughout the quarter. I have students excited to move their initials up the board. I even have some students in competition with each other to see who can get their initials under the cool face (the one with glasses) the fastest.

Not only are students suddenly excited about writing and excited about showing me their improvements, I also know my students better than I ever have before. The first quarter they wrote about things important to them, and as I read these paragraphs, I talked to them about these things. I talked to students about the loved ones that they have lost, and about the sports they are passionate about, and which book series is better: Harry Potter or Percy Jackson (it’s Harry Potter hands down by the way). In years past I have tried to love every student and failed miserably. This year, I can honestly say, I love every one of my students. As a result, I feel more trust from my students, and they are more willing to do what I ask of them. And, they challenge themselves because they trust me!

Thank you to Amy Angleton and Amanda Adams for this story.
Links

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Seventh graders personalize reading at Nikiski Middle High

“I’m very big on giving students as much choice as possible in their middle school years,” said Laura Niemczyk, Nikiski Middle-High School teacher. “I am also very big on turning kids into lifelong readers. With those two objectives in mind, I issued the 25 book challenge to my seventh graders this year. This is not a new idea—it comes from a modified version of Donalyn Miller “Book Whisperer” 40 book challenge. I was tired of fighting struggling readers on reading logs, fluent readers who hated reading after having done years of reading logs, and students who would tell me that they didn’t have time to read. Notice it’s a challenge, not an assignment. There was no mention of grades attached to it and when I introduced the challenge to students, not one asked me, “how much is this worth?” They had many questions: about the types of books they could read, about audio books, about books they wanted to reread, about reading on their devices. So now we read for chunks of each day’s class period. And it’s great.

I don’t consider it innovative when my classroom is full of students actively reading, and not looking up if someone enters the room. What’s better than I did before is that instead of having to assess students on written reading logs, I now meet students where they are at and provide them with multiple ways to show me what they know. We have class book talks, the students recommend books, write reviews, and engage in discussions on theme and characterization. Some of this I planned—once a week there are open ended prompts that are differentiated for student reading level and even book type. And they do them, without complaint, because they chose their book and choose how to respond. Some students write out their answers, others type, others draw, and some record an audio file.
Aspects of how this added innovation into our classroom came from the students. They are required to keep track of the books they have read. Once again I gave them options for this: a Pinterest board (it’s how I chose to do my reading challenge), Twitter, a written reading record form, chart in the classroom, discussion list on Canvas or through Goodreads.com. One student asked if she could record her answers in a blog; I said “yes!” That led to others asking if they could use LibraryThing.com and Shelfari.com to create their virtual book worlds. As always I said yes, and then asked them to show me what these things were.
In the last quarter, I learned A LOT about where kids like to go to share and talk about books, helped struggling readers learn that audio books are still reading (they can only “read” ten audio books for the challenge), and had some of the most authentic and informative reading conference-mini lessons of my teaching career—some of these have even occurred online in these new virtual book worlds the kids have created (and helped me to navigate). The students feel like they have a say in their education, we are doing things that make sense to them, and I am creating connections with my students.”
–Laura Niemczyk, Nikiski Middle-High School
#relevance #responsive #read #AKlearns
Personalized Learning in KPBSD

Personalized Learning: facilitate plus solid trusting relationships

Mrs. Stephanie Cronin, Seward High School
Educator of all levels of high school mathematics and Principles of Engineering
My role in the classroom is as a facilitator of learning. This role has changed throughout my twenty years as a teacher. From the days of overheads, and sage on the stage in which the teacher passes along information, students sit passively taking notes, then regurgitate for the unit exam, education has come a long way. The shift began with a need for differentiation. Students come to us with vastly different experiences, background knowledge, and abilities.

In order to help every student succeed, we need to determine the starting point for every student, and provide the scaffolding necessary for growth. It is my goal to tailor instruction to meet the individual needs of every student who walks through my door.

The advancement of technology has helped me to meet this challenge. Through technology, students have more choice as to when, where, and even how they learn. They have access to videos that cover the lesson and can watch them as many times as necessary for understanding. There are programs available like ALEKS, and Khan Academy that can determine if a student has any gaps in their learning and provide instruction to fill in the “holes”. Technology also allows for the opportunity for students to advance beyond the expected course outcomes.

Personalization of learning also happens in my classroom through peer teaching. When students in my class show proficiency on a topic, they are frequently paired with students who are struggling. This allows the proficient student to reach mastery through teaching others, while at the same time bringing the struggling student to a greater level of understanding.
What has not changed in my twenty years in public education is the need for relationships. I believe that building solid, trusting relationships with my students is the key to teaching, inspiring, and learning. My students know that I care about them, and their lives beyond the classroom. I care about their success and their future. I encourage every one of my students to believe in themselves, shoot for the stars, and to have the grit and determination to reach their goals.
Links
KPBSD Personalized Learning blog
KPBSD Personalized Learning FAQs
KPBSD Personalized Learning webpage

Personalized Learning: increase student autonomy

Mrs. Meredith McCullough, Kenai Central High School
English Teacher

By the time I meet my students in high school, many believe their educational paths are set. This fixed view of learning creates unnecessary challenges and limitations that impact students for their entire lives, and is the reason I reevaluated my beliefs about teaching. The truth is this: my role as an educator is to teach students that they are capable of writing their own destinies and to help them discover tools which will benefit them long after they leave our school district. I turned to personalized learning and standards-based grading in my classroom because those strategies augmented my efficacy and gave my students greater control over their lives and learning, one of the key steps in becoming an adult.

Using standards-based grading in my classroom revealed a new world of student reflection and understanding. Students are capable of recognizing their own learning gaps and can therefore choose assignments which will either deepen their understanding of skills they possess, or allow them to self-remediate and practice those skills which require greater growth. As part of my grading system, students review their data and negotiate their grade in my class. To an outside observer, this looks like utter chaos. However, this process has allowed me to have honest conversations with students about their abilities, their goals, and how to continue to push their learning to the next level. It has resulted in more authentic learning. My students no longer care about what grade they received on an assignment; they are more concerned about what feedback they received. This shift in thinking is revolutionary, especially as students now regularly utilize that feedback in future iterations of their work.

Perhaps the greatest benefit of personalized learning and standards-based grading is increased student autonomy.

My students are eager, capable, and hungry to earn respect by proving themselves to the world.

Channeling this passion and energy is a continual challenge, but drives me to become a more effective educator. I refuse to allow students’ full potential to go untapped. Offering them choice, offering them opportunities to fail forward and to improve on their skills, offering them unconditional support and the unshakeable conviction that they can rise to their highest selves is my gospel. Student autonomy is paramount if a district intends to produce adults who will think critically and empathetically.
After eight years of teaching, I can state without reservation that our students do, and will continue to, rise to any challenge held for them. Trust and respect for our students and their personal learning journey is the future of education and one I am proud to be part of thanks to the support of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District.
Links
KPBSD Personalized Learning blog
KPBSD Personalized Learning FAQs
KPBSD Personalized Learning webpage

Personalized Learning: Think Kaladi Brothers, soup and salad bar, treadmill

Ms. Sienna Griggs, Mountain View Elementary, 4th grade teacher explains,

I define personalized learning as the ability of a student to have self-directed choice in what and how he or she is going to learn; a sense of ownership over their education. While I am still learning about personalizing, I experimented with several elements of personalization in my classroom this past year.

Flexible Seating

Think Kaladi Brothers
I might always choose to sit in the comfy couch chairs because that’s where I usually prefer to drink my tea. However, a friend may enjoy sitting in the chairs next to the wall, as she likes an outlet for working on her computer while she sips her coffee. When my students were responsible for choosing their seating, it fostered a deeper sense of community in our classroom through sharing, taking care of supplies, and compromising. It also developed students’ skills in taking an active role in their learning on where they work best in the room, and when they need to make an informed change.

Station Rotations

Think soup and salad bar
The salad side is for choosing which toppings you want to go over your lettuce. The soup side is for ladling out the best soup choice according to what you prefer most. Both sides are for lunch, both sides are complimentary to one another, both feed you, and most likely you’ll visit both sides. We had four stations where students rotated through structured learning activities in small groups for both math and reading. Students were responsible for choosing which books they read, which activity would be best to support their level of understanding, and completing collaboration activities were provided to enhance learning and understanding. Their station information was up on a PowerPoint that ran on its own timing between slides, informing the students when it was time to switch stations. With different activities at each station, learning occurred alongside with exploration.

Adaptable Curriculum Pacing

Think treadmill
If a gym member steps on a treadmill in the middle of training for a marathon, their pace is most likely going to be quicker and they will probably run for many miles. Another gym member heads toward the treadmill for the first time in a few years. Both members’ experiences will be vastly different, but with the treadmill having adjustable speeds and incline both of these individuals have the ability to work hard and leave the gym feeling successful with their efforts.

Personalized Learning
Most of us, if not all, already differentiate beautifully in our classrooms. Differentiation, a teacher modifying material that is being taught and how students will learn it based on the unique needs of his or her class, has been extremely successful in meeting the needs of small groups of students. Before I learned about personalized learning, our classroom differentiated groups were centered around myself as the teacher; even though there was choice involved, I was still the only one responsible for what we were learning, and when, and how. In reaction to hearing about personalization, I wondered how this would work in the classroom and how I could personalize my students’ learning with myself in more of a guide position to support my students. With much help from others, I was able to use an online platform to build part of my math materials for this year. The learning curve was steep, and sometimes frustrating, but my students were helpful by providing feedback and catching mistakes I made.
I had a specific group of students working in a personalized learning method. Eighty percent of the students who were using the online platform met or exceeded yearly growth for math. Student reflections and feedback included statements such as, “I like working online because it lets me go at my own pace,” and “The program helps me be less distracted by other people and I can focus on my own work,” also “I don’t have to be worried about where other people are at.” I observed different students working at various parts of the math unit and utilizing tools and manipulatives that made sense to them as they worked through the lessons. My students also questioned the lessons, helped each other, and challenged one another’s thinking. Watching personalized learning unfold was really neat to experience.
Through personalized learning, I was able to integrate other programs and platforms to further exploration, learning, and real world connections. It wasn’t all smooth and perfect, but that’s where my learning as an educator comes in. This is only the beginning of my attempt to personalize my classroom, and I am already seeing the benefits through the students’ experiences and collaboration, assessment results, and direction that personalizing learning is taking both my students and myself.
Links
KPBSD Personalized Learning blog
KPBSD Personalized Learning FAQs
KPBSD Personalized Learning webpage