“Not all students learn in the same way. Parents must make an effort to get to know the students’ interests, passions, and learning styles to help them understand their strengths.” – Jaime Martinez, CEO of Schola.
We all crave personalized experiences, from our morning drink to our workout routine; personalization makes a huge difference in keeping us engaged no matter our age. So, if we try to customize most things, why not do it with our child’s education?
At Schola, we know that education is not one-size-fits-all, and that’s why we are constantly looking for new educational options to place students in the right classroom for their unique interests. Through the most powerful school choice platform, we facilitate school search for families all across the country by providing a seamless and personalized experience. When something is tailored to our specific needs, we believe that achieving our goals becomes more feasible.
In the early 2000s, Personalized Learning started to become a popular educational approach that aims to customize the learning experience for each student. This type of learning focuses on the student’s strengths, needs, pace, skills, and interests. With personalized learning, teachers don’t lead students through the same lessons; instead, they each embark on an individualized journey where they receive a customized learning plan that works for them.
How can personalized learning help your student? Here are the top three benefits you should know about:
Empowers Students
This type of learning empowers students to take control and start planning for their future while also boosting their academic performance. As students become agents of their own educational experience, they naturally begin identifying different ways to learn and different people to learn from. It also motivates students to explore their passions and develop new goals in a safe and encouraging environment. Personalized learning also focuses on developing soft skills that cannot be automated, such as creativity, empathy, and communication, so our students can be well prepared for whatever the future holds.
Maximizes Everyone’s Time
We all learn at different paces, so why rush ourselves or waste time? Through personalized learning, students absorb material and master each subject at their own speed. With fewer classroom lectures, teachers have the time to provide one-to-one support and give parents insights into their child’s development.
Encourages Effective Collaboration
This educational approach does not mean that students work by themselves all the time. On the contrary, collaboration is an intrinsic part of it. With personalized learning, students, parents, and educators all work together to set learning goals, curriculum requirements, and address educational gaps. For example, around 97% of schools that offer personalized learning use digital technologies to help students connect with their peers and share their knowledge; teachers can provide feedback and tailor their evaluations. Keep in mind that technology offers students easy-to-access information and exciting opportunities to apply what they learn in the classroom.
Albert Einstein said it best, “Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life thinking it is stupid.”
Personalized learning aims to help identify which students were made to swim, and which were made to climb a tree. At Schola, we hope to do something similar. Our mission is that students can find the learning environment that meets their needs, interests, and passions. As parents you can help your student discover their strengths by finding the right school for them. Inclusion and participation of students, parents, and educators are imperative for a successful learning experience. Remember, as parents, the more we support our students, the more significant impact we can make in their future.