Many educators think “personalized learning” means individualized learning--such as each student having individual learning activities customized to their particular needs. The ed tech industry has bolstered this view of personalization by developing systems based on individualized “playlists” of learning activities tailored to each student’s ability level. France, who in the past helped develop such systems in Silicon Valley, explains how this kind of personalized learning is actually dehumanizing and leads to tracking. Using examples from his classroom, he argues for a more “humanized” approach to personalized learning through affirming students’ strengths and building teacher-student relationships. 

Paul Emerich France

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Curriculum design and lesson planning

Differentiated instruction

Technology

Whole Child

Supported

Personalized Learning

Mathematics

Putting the Person Back in Personalized Learning

Instructional Strategies

Curriculum

Most new teachers avoid exposing their vulnerabilities or having peers (or principals) witness their mistakes in teaching. But, France points out, "it's hard to be a great teacher if you can't make yourself vulnerable." Being willing to take risks, make mistakes, expose your own emotions, and hear constructive criticism is necessary if a teacher is to improve or go beyond highly controlled pedagogy and innovation. France details three approaches schools can take to help new teachers, especially, feel safe enough to make themselves vulnerable and to take risks in the service of their growth as teachers.

Teacher engagement and motivation

School climate and culture

Well-being

Teacher observation and feedback

Teacher leadership

Teacher evaluation

Teacher diversity

New teachers

The Value of Vulnerability

Professional Learning

School Culture

We educators want to develop students' ability to monitor and manage their own behavior—their autonomy. But students can't manage their own behavior entirely; healthy classrooms balance kid autonomy and adult authority. Teachers can foster students' awareness of their own behavior and its effects on others through well-thought-out strategies. France shares strategies he uses in his own elementary classroom.

Healthy

student behavior and discipline

Social-emotional learning

Early childhood education

Classroom management

A Healthy Ecosystem for Classroom Management

Classroom Management

For many educators, personalization and standardization are considered antithetical, with personalization implying learning that's unique to each student and standardization implying something common to all. We must get past this dichotomy, France argues. Comparing methods in education to those in social media, he says that by standardizing processes and tools—as social media platforms do (with, for example, structures for "liking" and posting comments)—personalization can be better supported. Students still have chances to find agency as learners and the process of personalization becomes less complex and more doable. Providing examples from his 1st grade classroom, France argues for creating a culture of personalization by deliberately standardizing carefully selected components of the classroom, such as standards for students' work quality and processes for working and receiving feedback.

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Is Standardization the Answer to Personalization? thumbnail

Student engagement and motivation

Standards

Assessment and grading

Is Standardization the Answer to Personalization?

Engagement

Assessment

Leadership

Author

Paul_Emerich_France

Paul Emerich France thumbnail

Paul Emerich France

About

Expertise

Articles by Paul Emerich

Putting the Person Back in Personalized Learning

The Value of Vulnerability

A Healthy Ecosystem for Classroom Management

Is Standardization the Answer to Personalization?

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