Personalized Learning

Personalized Learning (PL) is instruction that offers pedagogy, curriculum, and learning environments to meet the individual student’s needs. The experience is tailored to learning preferences and the specific interests of different learners. In a personalized learning environment, the learning objectives and content, as well as the method and pace, may all vary. Personalization also encompasses differentiated instruction that supports student progress based on subject matter mastery.  A PL approach supports our district Strategic Plan by increasing student engagement and allowing student ownership of learning.

We are focusing on personalized learning because we want students who know themselves and have the resilience to explore their changing world.  Our students have made it clear that they want to be engaged in their learning.   They deserve to have voice in own their learning and persevere through a changing world.

Gananda Central School District began training staff for the implementation of personalized learning in 2017. Staff were divided into groups with each group learning the best way to customize and adapt their educational methods and techniques in the classroom.  The overall training took approximately three years to complete and for all staff to begin implementation.  New staff are trained as part of New Staff Orientation each year.  In order to continue to engage our students, the district has Personalized Learning Instructional Coaches to provide support to staff as they continue to improve their implementation of personalized learning.

Part of personalized learning includes the reconfiguration of classrooms.  No longer are desks situated in rows all facing the same direction.  Students and teachers have choice of desks, tables and a variety of chairs for group work, individual work spaces and nooks to help students find the most comfortable space to learn to support their style of learning.