This article explores how Individualized Education Programs (IEPS), typically created for special education students, can be a used as a model for all students and make personalization on a large scale easier and more accessible to all students. When special education teachers create IEPs for students with learning differences, a variety of professionals come together with parents to help identify specific needs. Building on this model, some schools are trying various ways to position differences as strengths, and let a child’s personality, likes, dislikes, strengths, and weaknesses influence how he or she is taught. The article highlights how two schools, Gateway Public Schools and The New School of San Francisco, have taken this model and made it their own, personalizing learning for each student. It also emphasizes how these two schools ensure equity and equitable standards for diverse students.
The examples of personalized learning in action presented in this article, may help school leaders and educators think through ideas for creating more equitable school environments and ensuring that all students learn deeply, despite differences in how they learn.
Source Organization: KQED News