The world of edtech is resplendent with acronyms and phrases for techniques that will “revolutionize” or “reinvent” education. Likewise, there are always critics ready to punch holes in those ideas. “Personalized learning” is one such phrase that gets tossed around in the Tech&Learning newsfeeds lately. This recent Hechinger Report piece breaks down the conversation: “Some educators support the philosophy behind personalized learning but worry that schools are focusing on the technological aspect — resulting in classrooms that depend too much on kids learning alone in front of a screen.” On the same day, Rick Hess posted some back and forth of a recent column he wrote for EdWeek: “The common thread is a sense of relief that there's a platform where people are sharing uncomfortable truths about personalization.” Thomas Arnett, senior research fellow at the Clayton Christensen Institute, tackles the issue with some constructive strategies on the 74 here: “By adding personalized learning to teachers’ workloads without changing how schools are organized, schools face a great risk that their attempts to personalize learning will fall short of their promise.” What’s your take?
—Kevin Hogan, Content Director
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