Adaptive learning can take on a look in your classroom that can completely change the idea of what we thought individualized learning looked like. In my next blog post, I would like to share what i've learned adaptive learning can look like and ways that I am starting to incorporate adaptive learning into my sixth grade math classroom! Before we start, however, I want to highlight the fact that my classroom is 100% a work in progress. In no way do I feel I have "mastered" the approach to adaptive learning in my classroom but I would like to share some resources that I have found helped me along in the transition to the adaptive learning lifestyle in our classroom!
What Could Adaptive Learning Look Like for YOU?
While I believe technology helps in the blended learning classroom, technology is to be thought of as a support in making this transition easier on yourself (the educator) and the students. If you're like me, my school district has been limited and is just now incorporating more technology in the classroom. There are many ways to use adaptive learning in your classroom with limited technological resources. After all, we don't want students becoming bored and overwhelmed sitting in front of a computer screen with an overload of information causing them to become uninterested and potentially a behavioral issue. Think about this example:
By incorporating blended learning with the in-the moment data that adaptive learning provides, a teacher can divide her class into a rotational model based on thirds. She can then deliver live instruction to a small group with greater impact while other students are engaged in personalized learning while working on a computer station or a personal device.
Supportive learning technology like this can allows students to work at their own pace and path while the output of that work is informing the teacher about how best to support each student. This new kind of partnership between learning guardians and adaptive learning software is powerful because it enables personalized at scale.
By incorporating blended learning with the in-the moment data that adaptive learning provides, a teacher can divide her class into a rotational model based on thirds. She can then deliver live instruction to a small group with greater impact while other students are engaged in personalized learning while working on a computer station or a personal device.
Supportive learning technology like this can allows students to work at their own pace and path while the output of that work is informing the teacher about how best to support each student. This new kind of partnership between learning guardians and adaptive learning software is powerful because it enables personalized at scale.
Take a look at this video for three more ideas for your classroom!
What Adaptive Learning Looks Like for ME!
As I shared before, my math classroom and I are very much a work in progress in creating the adaptive learning atmosphere to enhance my students' learning! I have found things that work for me and my students now as we work towards more technology becoming available in our school. I will include all resources!
A normal day in our classroom, students come in and begin working on the warm-up individually. I always try to connect the warm-up to prior knowledge of content that we worked on earlier in the year or in previous grades. The warm-up is used, for me, to measure what students already know about prior content that relates directly into what we are doing in class that day. As students as working, if I see many are struggling to remember what they learned, I will throw in a video from Khan Academy, Brain Pop, or Math Antics to highlight the key ideas relating to prior knowledge and connecting/building up to the new ideas that we will be learning in class that day.
- Notice that I have not used individual technology to provide the blended learning experience, only the SMART Board to display the ideas to the whole class. Ideally, with individualized technology like Chromebooks, I could have students take control of their learning by providing them with the link to only view if they needed to but this is our approach to adaptive learning for the time being.
- To help with a more individualized approach, I have students who are confident in their knowledge become the speaker of the group to share their strategies with the class mastering their knowledge of the content while also supporting others with multiple approached to learning. Fast finishers are encouraged to add models to support their ideas. Again no individualized use of technology, just materials and models to support each student.
Finally, to highlight the adaptive learning environment, I use formative assessments to measure individual student knowledge of the math content for the day to fix or alter the next days instruction. I use Plickers, Khan Academy, Prodigy, Sumdog, SMART board games, etc. (all shared below) to provide students a time to reflect on what they have learned while also build upon their individual understandings, while informing me with where they are individually in the understanding the content.
- This is where some technology comes into play to support the adaptive learning experience through individualized learning. I have the ability to support students one-on-one and see what they learned in the lesson.
In summary, I am working to add the technology into instruction in support of a more individualized adaptive learning experience, but for the time being, this is how I support my students as a whole class and on a individual basis. Is it perfect, of course not! But it works for me and my students to get the best mathematical experience using the resources we have!
Classroom Blended Learning Resources!
Prodigy Sumdog Freckle
All free engaging approaches to learning through a individualized mathematical experiences to support all students! Each of these awesome resources use a placement test to support each student in filling the gaps of content that I may not get it. I use these during RTI times of the day to in support of each students' past, present, and future knowledge in mathematics. I receive reports of each student and of the whole class to see their progress.
Plickers Khan Academy Kahoot Padlet
Awesome ways to formally assess knowledge of individual students and the class as a whole. I use Plickers - no individual technology needed - as an exit pass to see what students understood from a lesson. Students hold up a code card indicating their response to a question presented to the whole class. Khan Academy is great for individualized learning experiences that directly relate to lessons in class. Students can choose to watch videos to enhance their understanding before attempting directly related problems and advanced problems if they choose. Kahoot is by far the most engaging formative assessment for my classes, they love it! Find or create directly related quizzes for students to test their individual knowledge through a competition with their other classmates. I use this as an exit ticket or a way to review before giving a quiz of test. Padlet is a great way to get written feedback with how students are doing in class and/or share resources to support one-another in their learning. Students can share and comment on others as they share their learning experience and their strategies.
I also try to incorporate technology into my lessons with the limitations of not being a 1:1 classroom. We have access to iPads and laptops, but not a whole class set each day. What technology are you using with your class? I like the idea that your students can watch a video to review before answering questions and working through new content. I have used Freckle, Kahoot, and Padlet with positive results in my second grade classroom. Plickers looks interesting and I will look into that to try in my classroom. Thank you for sharing your classroom ideas and resources!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing! The technology I use every day in the classroom is my SMART Board and Document Camera but this year mid-year we were given a Chromebook cart to share with at least one other classroom. I caught word that our district is working to provide every classroom with their own class set of Chromebooks to stay in each room! I hope what I heard is true. This will definitely make implementing the adaptive learning technology into the classroom that much more effective!
Delete