Mastery with Sal by Scott Feder https://padlet.com/sfeder/j3ilp5nthi6x Sal Khan of Khan Academy hosts one of the most successful and productive sites for supporting learners. This TED talk addresses a component of Personalized Learning and very much like his instructional work in teaching mathematics, he so clearly lays out his thoughts in this 10 minute talk. After you have watched the talk, use this Padlet to share anything that resonated with you. "How do you see this impacting your instruction?" "What is the reality of what he is saying?" Any comments are welcome and this can be part of the continued exploration of how PL could impact our worlds in education. en-us 2016-10-21 17:29:11 UTC 2016-11-01 15:26:27 UTC hello@padlet.com Great Idea https://padlet.com/sfeder/j3ilp5nthi6x/wish/132426060 How can we effectively manage the change in mindset?  How does this effect curriculum, scheduling, and progress reporting? Where can we provide a safe testing ground?]]> 2016-10-21 18:03:41 UTC https://padlet.com/sfeder/j3ilp5nthi6x/wish/132426060 Very Interesting dkazanjian https://padlet.com/sfeder/j3ilp5nthi6x/wish/132441385 It was really interesting when he talked about the educational gaps that can be left when we don't master something before moving on to more advanced concepts.  I like how he compared it to building a house! Although an 85% may be a good score, it means that you still don't have mastery over 15% of the material.  This gap builds up, and eventually can leave students behind.  With personalized learning, the variable is the amount of time students spend on something, but the constant is that they master it.  It really helps students gain responsibility over their own learning. Very thought provoking!
-Dan Kazanjian (6th grade)

]]> 2016-10-21 19:00:01 UTC https://padlet.com/sfeder/j3ilp5nthi6x/wish/132441385 https://padlet.com/sfeder/j3ilp5nthi6x/wish/132464320 I definitely see the gaps in regular and advanced math in the 7th grade.  If we do a true standards based learning, then it would be helpful if we restructure the middle school to have a room of math teachers, a room of science teachers, etc. in order for the teachers to be able to properly rotate around the classroom and be able to remediate some students and be able to challenge the other students. 

]]> 2016-10-21 21:52:44 UTC https://padlet.com/sfeder/j3ilp5nthi6x/wish/132464320 gmorrone2 https://padlet.com/sfeder/j3ilp5nthi6x/wish/132505279 From a philosophical perpective, who could imagine that any good intentioned educator wouldn’t be 100% on board with the Mastery Based Learning model?  The curriculum design in theory makes a lot of  sense. I think if we were having this same discussion even just a few years ago, it would have been much more difficult even for the most forward thinking educator to envision how this model could be successfully implemented/practiced. However in 2016 the path to follow should be more clear, as new technology coupled with the 1:1 model should help to make this possible.

The complexity of implementing this curriculum model which hinges on assessment results to determine proficiency will require changes to how the education system is currently set up. 
Questions that I still have: What exactly are the necessary changes? If we jump in, how do we as a district effectively communicate the new plan, set expectations to help with a smooth transition and increase buy in for all stakeholders (educators, parents, students, greater educational community)?
]]> 2016-10-22 18:17:27 UTC https://padlet.com/sfeder/j3ilp5nthi6x/wish/132505279 Interesting take! https://padlet.com/sfeder/j3ilp5nthi6x/wish/132728043 I have used the "building a house" analogy with my students and parents at BTSN for years. It is important for them to understand that sometimes it is okay for the classroom to not be all bells and whistles--sometimes using "old school" strategies like we were exposed to as students can be the methods to help students achieve mastery, especially the basic facts in math.
I love the idea of personalized learning because it is true differentiation within the classroom. However, I still question how a change in thinking, which is systemic, would be successful? How do we get everyone to "buy in" to this new way of learning. And furthermore, with standardized tests, such as the PARCC, how would personalized learning work? If the test is assessing skills that should be mastered by a certain point in all students learning, how then can learning truly be personalized?]]> 2016-10-24 15:07:01 UTC https://padlet.com/sfeder/j3ilp5nthi6x/wish/132728043 PARCC? https://padlet.com/sfeder/j3ilp5nthi6x/wish/132729805 Very intriguing thoughts. It'd be interesting to see if using this type of methodology better prepared students for the standardized tests that we are held accountable to these days. ]]> 2016-10-24 15:10:34 UTC https://padlet.com/sfeder/j3ilp5nthi6x/wish/132729805 I love this. https://padlet.com/sfeder/j3ilp5nthi6x/wish/133161367 I have thought a lot about how to close the gaps that students who struggle have.  It is almost impossible within the current system.  This is going to take a long time and a lot of change to implement.  We may not see it fully implemented in our tenure, because there are some fundamental structures that will have to be altered.  It is already happening in higher education, so it behooves us to prepare students to participate in self directed learning.  I also think that today's students are ready for it.  The question is, are we?]]> 2016-10-25 20:05:57 UTC https://padlet.com/sfeder/j3ilp5nthi6x/wish/133161367 Reply... pbaker11 https://padlet.com/sfeder/j3ilp5nthi6x/wish/134441784 I think "jumping in" would "sink" this initiative. Proper professional development, supporting a mindshift, and pilot programs would have to be implemented before systemic implementation can take effect.]]> 2016-11-01 12:24:01 UTC https://padlet.com/sfeder/j3ilp5nthi6x/wish/134441784 Old becoming New Again https://padlet.com/sfeder/j3ilp5nthi6x/wish/134514892 I found it very interesting that mastery based learning was a practice that was used over 100 years ago and then was deemed not practical. It is very much important to building the foundation of a child's education. Also, why is education the only part of a child's life where we move on without mastery?]]> 2016-11-01 15:24:49 UTC https://padlet.com/sfeder/j3ilp5nthi6x/wish/134514892