Total Personalized Learning stands in direct contrast with both the traditional one-size-fits-all model as well as the dogmatic adherence of mechanical instruction favored by charter schools at the turn of the century.
Effective instruction differentiates according to the individual needs of students. Transformative instruction, however, requires us to also attend to the unique pedagogical demands of each target learning and standard.
Take Fractions and Percents, for example. Perhaps the most pivotal standard in the early grades, its mastery requires performing sets of math procedures accurately, a skill best acquired through explicit instruction and practice. But to identify the correct procedure for a given problem students must first possess an infallible conceptual understanding of proportions, an idea best grasped through varied experiential learning activities and performance tasks (conducting investigations, defending arguments, or doodling and playing Minecraft.)
We believe that great schools are kitchens full of professional tools and ingredients. Instead of bullying teachers into doing only what and how we ask, we optimize systems to prepare teachers to identify the right tools to use with the best ingredients for the right dishes of lessons. Thinking is learning, always, even for adults.
See the Key Shifts in Support of Total Personalized Learning
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