Myths of Customized Learning

Like most initiatives, there can be a lack of clarity about what customized learning is and isn't. Here are a few that deserve debunking:


MYTH: Customized learning is a chaotic free for all.
REALITY: Customized learning requires significant organization. It requires careful short and long range planning, ongoing assessment, and the development of an organized set of classroom routines. As a plus, I've been seeing students develop organizational skills of their own by following these classroom routines and developing personal auxiliary routines that work best for them.


MYTH: Customized learning doesn't hold everyone to the same standard.
REALITY: All students are held to the same standards in a customized learning classroom. Instead sequence, pacing, context, supports, and methods of demonstrating proficiency in those standards are what can vary. For example, all of my students must be able to identify an author's purpose in informational text. However, there is nothing in the curriculum that requires all students to identify an author's purpose using the exact same text.


MYTH: Customized learning, with its focus on the individual, is impersonal.
REALITY: Customized learning should result in increased and higher quality dialogue. With students scattered about working on independent tasks, casual observers may think that there are few instructional conversations between students and their teacher. In reality, I've had far more (and more meaningful) dialogue with my students this year than I have in the past. Every assignment a student submits requires direct feedback from me, and when needed, direct instruction. One reason why this dialogue is hard to spot at first is that it often takes the form of 21st century electronic conversation, in the chatting arena where most students live. There are students who engage in this sort of dialogue with me off and on for entire classes as they work their way toward meeting or exceeding a standard. There are times for whole class direct instruction (more of a monologue than dialogue), but in a customized learning classroom, it becomes the exception rather than the rule.

MYTH: Students can get away without doing work in a customized learning classroom.
REALITY: Students are held more accountable in a customized learning classroom. When one thinks of student accountability, the image that often appears is of a student not getting his/her work done. In a customized learning classroom, content doesn't simply go away based on a school calendar. Standards need to be met, period. I've had some students test this, but eventually, the realization sets in that the standard isn't going anywhere. Some of my students will begin their second year with me by meeting the remainder of their first year standards. There's simply no opt out. Also, what is often missed in the consideration of student accountability is the student who in the traditional program earns a grade of "C" or "B" by doing very well on some work and putting little to no effort into other work. I would argue that a student who is allowed to pursue, and perhaps even be rewarded for that record of "achievement" is not being held as accountable as the student who is expected to at least meet all standards, even the hard ones, no matter how long it takes.

There are, of course, many other myths about customized learning to debunk. What's the best way to get a real understanding of this approach?

• Visit a customized learning classroom for more than just a class period.

• Do some professional reading. There is an increasing library of books and articles about the approach.

• Try it out yourself! I've learned more from this year's pilot than I ever could have in any other way!