#CUSTOMIZEDU

Mass Customized Learning is functional and available in schools today. If the tools are there why wouldn’t we allow our students to learn in the best way possible for them? Customizedu.net is an excellent source for those considering mass customized learning. Aside from the site being user-friendly, it is providing you with great information. Regardless of where you are with mass customized learning, they will be able to help you. I like that they include the steps needed to implement customized learning in your school. I think that the Customized Learning Classes page was the most useful. This page gives you the tools for creating a flipped classroom. This is an easy way to begin customization even if the other teachers are not on board. I do wonder about the costs of implementing customized learning into a small school. I am curious about the outward perception of what students and teachers are “doing all day” that may be taken by some community members. I am also concerned about what would happen to a student’s schedule. In the MCL scenario, students are signed up for classes/seminars at random times. Theoretically, they could be working anywhere. Unfortunately one of the most important aspects of school is that they are a place where students physically are during the day. We cannot get away from this in any situation. Students always need to be accounted for. I also read a lot about the idea that the 9-month school year is not necessary and is outdated. While that is true for much of the country, it is not true in my school. I work in a rural community. My students live on farms and they are expected to help out. Summers for my many of my students are spent farming. Mass customized learning should only be implemented if there is a need and desire for it. But I also believe that once it is tried you must be willing to give it a fair shot. Once implemented you must commit to a minimum time frame, we should not quit after one year. Sometimes you have to wait to see the benefits and success of a new program.

One-to-One: When they need proof...

The importance of technology in school is rising. It is most vital in the upper grades. These websites allow us to discover how to implement one-to-one initiatives in our schools by offering proof of effectiveness. They provide us with specific examples of success in schools, teacher support for technology in the classroom, and show us specific high-need subjects that are supported by technology in the classroom. I like that the research is available. I feel that some school patrons and community members are more likely to take the opinion of an outsider as an “expert” opinion rather than those working in their own district. In any case, it’s best to have someone corroborating your own findings—that one-to-one initiative can be successful, that technology is a necessary tool in the classroom. Some websites provide many examples of one-to-one ititatives across the country. I do think this is beneficial to selling the idea in your district. THe more that people see that this is common and helpful the more they will be willing to buy into the idea itself. I especially enjoyed this quote from the CASTLE site: "A report on one-to-one computing in the state of Indiana revealed that 100% of educators interviewed shared either observational or anecdotal evidence about the success of one-to-one (Lemke & Martin, 2004b)." I thought the connections to science and math on the National Science Foundation website were excellent. These are considered very important subjects—and very hard to find teachers for. I think that when people see how necessary technology is to math and science they will count this as another point for technology in their schools. Finally, the Department of Education is wise to publish information on the last twenty years of technology in schools. I think that this will force people to reflect on their own school experiences. Hopefully this will encourage them to see where technology has been and where it’s going. They will acknowledge the years of growth and remind them that this is not a “new” thing.

Move with the Stream

Mass-customized learning is great for motivated students. They're able to plan their own course of action. They can study the topics of their choosing. Hopefully this will lead to more student interest. The idea that a person sets their own path is a great idea. But I don’t think that students are able to do this. They still need guidance. Now I realize that using personal learning plans would still have required subject areas. But I think that students need more than that. How do they know which classes they want to take without some background information? I do not think that student will carry this over with them from middle school. Today a student asked if I would assign the third book in a series so that he could read it. (We’ve read the first two in class.) I told him he could find the book at the library. He told me that if he didn’t have a reading assignment he wouldn’t get it done. Sure, he’s motivated. But by the wrong things. He wants to read the book. Not motivated to do it. He’s motivated by my requirements/grade. He would not do well with mass customized learning because he does not have the proper motivation. Personalized learning plans also assume that students will have interests in all subject areas. Most students are only motivated to work hard in one or two classes—because they genuinely like them. I think it’s a mistake to discount the benefits of moving with the stream. I feel like most students in public school are “moving with the stream.” They are only swimming when they’re interested. Teachers are needed to keep the current moving. This is harder to accomplish in a mass customized school environment. I think the superintendent must look to the students and their level of achievement. What are the goals of families and their students in the district? There must be a strong desire for personalized learning plans in the community for them to work. This cannot solely be driven by the superintendent or school.

Technology Resources

As a school leader you must push for innovation and change. I think administrators have so many responsibilities that they need a reminder to innovate in their schools. The technology resources provided by The School Superintendent’s Association will offer school leaders perspective. And hopefully guide them towards innovation in their schools. The Office of Educational Technology, part of the Department of Education, seems to offer the most for school leaders. I like that the website helps school administrators formulate a technology plan. The website is very user friendly. This website would be the most useful for me as a school leader because it provides information on funding, services, and goal setting for districts.