Dive Brief:

• Schools across the country have moved to the next level of blended learning, turning to student-directed personalized work that matches pupils' needs and abilities, rather than simply combining online elements with face-to-face instruction.
• District Administration reports there are four learning models embedded in "blended 2.0" nationwide: rotation, where students move through classroom stations based on data-driven teacher insights; flex, which combines in-school and homework activities; a la carte online modules that add to classroom instruction; and an enriched virtual model that gives students face-time in class and requires online work at home.
• Districts are focusing on professional development to help teachers make the switch to such personalized learning, which schools have found decreases behavior problems and improves attendance among students.

Dive Insight:

Teachers have long personalized learning by differentiating instruction in the classroom, but digital tools create an opportunity to go much further and use data to analyze and track student progress. Online, every student in the class can be working on something different as they all progress at their own pace and benefit from targeted supports. The element of student choice is also expected to be more engaging for students, giving them more power over their education.

At the extreme of granting this power, a new Facebook-backed learning management system, the Summit Personalized Learning Platform, shows kids an entire year’s worth of content and lets them choose which subject and unit to start with. Teachers become coaches, helping them stay on track.