Strategies for Implementing Personalized Learning in Rural Schools

• Published in: The Education digest Vol. 83; no. 3; p. 40
• Format: Magazine Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ann Arbor Prakken Publications, Inc 01.11.2017
• Subjects: Community; Curricula; Distance learning; Education; Educational Attainment; Extracurricular activities; Funding; Guidebooks; Internet access; Rural areas; Rural schools; School districts; Secondary schools; Students; Teacher Collaboration; Teachers; Teaching Methods; Urban schools; Wireless access points
• ISSN: 0013-127X; 1949-0275

[...]many teachers in rural areas take on multiple subjects and grades, resulting in a lower likelihood that teachers have certification in all of their subjects. While there are unique considerations for each gear, two strategies are critically important across all gears: * District leaders must de- velop and communicate a clear vision and plan of action for transitioning to a personalized learning model. Because rural schools often serve as the heart of their communities, changes to long-standing norms and traditions and trade-offs tied to investments in innovation and change must be vetted and embraced by the community. [...]the leap to systematically collecting data on student learning and customizing instruction may not be as big as it may first seem. Rural schools tend to pay about two and a half times more for bandwidth than urban schools. [...]many rural school facilities need significant infrastructure upgrades to handle new technology.