Making it personal

What was once seen as a buzzword, personalised learning is now being much more widely adopted by schools across the globe as an approach that enables teachers to deliver tailored, high-quality learning based on a solid knowledge and understanding of each student.  

In the past, teachers often taught classes by transmitting a body of knowledge in the hope that every student would be able to assimilate it — but these methods are slowly fading, including ‘teach from the front using a chalk board’ and ‘talk and learn from the stage’  approaches. Educators believe that traditional learning in schools isn’t effective at equipping children with all the skills necessary for the jobs of the future.  

According to the National College for Teaching and Leadership, an executive agency of the UK government’s Department for Education, personalised learning seeks to provide relevant and challenging opportunities that support children as they progress and develop. It promotes the idea that every child matters, recommending teachers pay attention to students individual learning styles, what motivates them and what they need.  

Personalised learning also enables each student to surpass challenging targets they may set  themselves, which helps teachers to use a continuous, in-depth assessment of students that empowers them to be stretched appropriately. This way the focus is on the learning and not teaching, and students are able to enjoy learning that’s supported by partnerships with other individuals and opportunities beyond the classroom.   

At BSN,  teachers continually strive to help students learn through individually tailored combinations of activities. This may include using learning technologies, identifying their own problems with peers and coming up with creative solutions, supported self-study and experiential learning opportunities outside the classroom.   

Teachers change the activities or approaches to learning regularly and optimise lessons to each child’s individual learning preferences, strengths and areas for growth.