The Mind Lab: Personalise your teaching and learning in 2022

Personalise your teaching and learning in 2022

Although we know we’re in a constant state of change, there’s something to be said for preparing ourselves to face this change head on, embracing it rather than fearing it.

We know 2022 will signal a rethink of education, just like other industries, as a result of the unavoidable impact of Covid-19. So how, as educators, can we be ready for it? The answer is in what we’ve seen and done already: making it more personal. Many of us discovered during lockdowns that we need to assist students to work more independently in ways that work for them. Although it may be difficult to fully adopt this personalised learning approach in your classroom, we encourage you to look for ways to customise the learning process where you can. Consider how it can better suit each individual learner, with their own unique learning preferences, background, needs, and experiences, and reap the benefits when you see your learners engage with the curriculum in a much more meaningful way. Where can you start?

Collaborate with your team

Start off your year by discussing personalised learning ideas with other teachers during planning days. What have you done or seen that’s worked well? What hasn’t worked? What would you be willing to try with the support of colleagues. Working together you can encourage each other to review personalised learning methods and set up steps to implement this together.

Make use of technology

Use technology to create personalised learning experiences, for example game-based learning like Prodigy Math Game, so students can take it at their own pace and enjoy learning, too. Technology is an incredibly flexible tool to drive personalisation, you could even start by utilising some of your students’ favourite platforms and turning them into learning experiences.

Reach out to your community

Personalising the learning process for each student will take time, consider working with other teachers and the community around you to help. Tap into local experts to help deliver 2022 topics in different ways and use this variety in delivery to understand how your students like to learn. For example, your local iwi could share their stories, or their take on sustainability and kaitiakitanga, and speakers could deliver in person or online. Enabling customised learning not only creates a greater connection between students and what they’re learning, it also teaches them skills that will go well beyond their days in school! By Britta Sisam-Jones, storyteller at The Mind Lab.

New learning options for your busy life

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