Personalized Learning / Personalized Learning

Personalized Learning

What Is Personalized Learning?

Personalized Learning is a unique, blended classroom and non-classroom based public educational model that is tailored to the needs and interests of each individual student. Personalized Learning is a 21st century, "on the leading edge" approach to public education that honors and recognizes the unique gifts, skills, passions, and attributes of each child. Personalized Learning is dedicated to developing individualized learning programs for each child. The intent is to engage each child in the learning process making it productive, relevant and meaningful. The goal is to optimize the student’s learning potential and success. The key attributes that comprise the Personalized Learning model are based upon a solid foundation of the latest educational research findings as to how students learn most successfully. These attributes include the following:

· A strong emphasis on parental involvement

· Smaller class sizes

· More one-on-one teacher and student interaction

· Attention to differences in learning styles

· Student-driven participation in developing the learning process

· Online learning

· Varied learning environments

· Teacher and parent development programs

· Choices in curriculum programs

Why is the Personalized Learning model advantageous?

Education research confirms that not all students are able to learn successfully at the same pace, with the same approach, in the same environment, on the same path, and in the same style and manner. Furthermore, every individual assimilates information according to his or her own unique learning style, need, and interest. Learning styles vary. Some people are visual learners, others learn by auditory means, others kinesthetic. Some people learn at a faster pace, others need more time. Some students feel distracted, intimidated or unsafe in a large classroom environment. Motivation to learn varies significantly from student to student. Interests and passions vary. Personalized learning has the ability to adapt to these individual student needs.

Key Components of Forest’s Personalized Learning Program:

The Personalized Learning model embodies flexibility, inclusion, collaboration and innovation. Forest recognizes the value of parent involvement and participation in their children's education and learning process. We support a collaborative relationship between parent, student, teacher, and school in creating an optimal learning process. Forest recognizes a variety of learning choices and opportunities, both within and beyond the classroom, to address each student's individual learning needs and optimize each student's learning potential.

Students and Education Specialist on Costa Rica field trip

· Forest provides a wide variety of curriculum choices, attention to individual learning styles, technology access, and a variety of learning environments and opportunities both within and beyond the classroom so that learning programs may be tailored according to the individual needs and preferences of each student.

· Parents are strongly encouraged and supported to be actively involved in their children’s education and to take personal responsibility for ensuring that their children are learning successfully.

· Forest supports and facilitates learning program development and oversight through an ongoing collaborative relationship between parents, students, teachers, the school, the greater community, and the state.  

· Forest is committed to reduced class sizes, generally limiting attendance to no more than 15-20 students per class.

· Forest utilizes a variety of assessment tools to determine student academic achievement. Certificated teachers oversee student progress toward satisfying state academic standards through the regular recording of detailed learning records, compiling student portfolios, and conducting annual state mandated testing programs.  

· Forest devotes the majority of the budget for the instructional benefit of our students. This includes providing students with certificated education specialists providing expertise and oversight, technology access, and a wide variety of learning choices and environments that students need in order to be successful academically.

· Forest emphasizes dynamic staff development programs that help education specialists learn how to tailor learning according to their student’s learning styles, needs, and aspirations.

How it works?

After the enrollment interview and the completion of all enrollment paperwork, a credentialed education specialist (ES) is assigned to the student. At this point, the collaboration begins with ES, student and parent creating the dynamic educational team.

After discussing the student's educational goals, curriculum options and methods for delivery are addressed. Graduation requirements and college or vocational goals are reviewed. A plan is then established that integrates California State content standards with the desired methods and approaches to learning.

Role of the FCS Education Specialist

Following enrollment, the ES will meet regularly to assign and evaluate student work, monitor attendance and document student progress toward course completion. Samples in each of the core subjects of student work are submitted to the charter school each assignment period.

Student work samples might include written work, video taped performances, photo journals, etc. Progress is also recorded by semester report cards, required from grades 8 to 12.