Doesn’t every child deserve an Individualized Education Plan?
Currently only a very few children qualify for an Individualized Education Plan, but what if every child could be given instruction at their own pace and geared toward their own learning style? We believe they should. The current education system cannot do this. Teachers’ time and resources are spread thin enough by having only a few students with IEPs. What about technology? Could we better utilize this resource to provide every student with an individualized education? We believe we can. Read more about individualized education here.
Technology Can Make Continuous Assessment Possible
One of the biggest barriers to individualized education is the assessment of individual students’ needs. Currently, it takes hundreds of dollars to test and qualify a child for special education. Technology could be used to assess and track students’ progress on a daily basis. Once we can identify each child’s current understanding of basic concepts and their most efficient way of learning, we can begin to deliver them an education that is tailored specifically to their needs and interests.
Standardized testing is like a Balance Sheet in the business world. It is a snap-shot of how things are at a specific moment in time without regard to where they have been or what is in process. Continuous assessment is more like an Income Statement which reports on a period of time. In the proposed system, continuous assessment would replace standardized testing. Continuous assessment through a digitized system can instantly show trends of progress or the lack thereof. It can pinpoint areas that need work, create an instructional plan, and deliver content designed to address those areas. Click here to read more about continuous assessment.
Standardized testing is like a Balance Sheet in the business world. It is a snap-shot of how things are at a specific moment in time without regard to where they have been or what is in process. Continuous assessment is more like an Income Statement which reports on a period of time. In the proposed system, continuous assessment would replace standardized testing. Continuous assessment through a digitized system can instantly show trends of progress or the lack thereof. It can pinpoint areas that need work, create an instructional plan, and deliver content designed to address those areas. Click here to read more about continuous assessment.
Technology Can Facilitate Individualized Instruction
Each child would spend a portion of their day working through individualized content delivered via the computer. They would explore interactive instruction, play educational games and complete assignments that assess their progress. The generated content would be done at their own pace and be based on their interests and learning style. As students make progress they are motivated by a wider variety of options that open up to them. Click here to read more about how curriculum/content would be generated. Click here to read about ideas for what types of technology would help facilitate student learning. Click here to read more about student motivation and incentives for progress.
More Hands-on Activities and Peer Collaboration
There is some worry that the system being presented on this website will be seen as a digitized system only. This is not true. The true system is an individualized education system with more personal interaction with teachers and more hands-on learning in meaningful peer groups. BUT technology is what can make that possible.
By having students spend time in computer labs monitored by teaching aides, licensed teachers will be able to work with small groups. Some teachers will be specially trained in teaching strategies that help students develop basic skills like reading and mental math. They will work with students in small groups or one-on-one. Other teachers who are educated in specific subjects will be involved in creating and leading hands-on experiences. Those experiences will focus on exposing students to specific subjects such as history, science, art, music, dance, creative thinking and problem solving. If a student shows particular interest in a specific subject, they (under direction of their parents and/or mentor) can choose to spend more time getting an in-depth knowledge of that subject with other kids who are also interested in exploring that subject. Click here to read more about the role of a teacher. Click here to read more about hands-on subject specific experiences.
By having students spend time in computer labs monitored by teaching aides, licensed teachers will be able to work with small groups. Some teachers will be specially trained in teaching strategies that help students develop basic skills like reading and mental math. They will work with students in small groups or one-on-one. Other teachers who are educated in specific subjects will be involved in creating and leading hands-on experiences. Those experiences will focus on exposing students to specific subjects such as history, science, art, music, dance, creative thinking and problem solving. If a student shows particular interest in a specific subject, they (under direction of their parents and/or mentor) can choose to spend more time getting an in-depth knowledge of that subject with other kids who are also interested in exploring that subject. Click here to read more about the role of a teacher. Click here to read more about hands-on subject specific experiences.
Flexibility
Parents will be able to have more choices regarding the nature of the educational content their child receives, what activities they participate in and how their child spends their educational time. Parents and students should be able to access the individualized content from home, school or anywhere they have the internet. Parents will have access to an interface in which they can recommend content, monitor their child's progress and coordinate their schedule. Parents who want to home school could have their child do all their individual content on the computer at home. If they wish, they can sign their child up to spend time in school only for hands-on subject specific experiences. Labs could be open for extended hours to accommodate parents who work early or work late. Vacations could be scheduled at any time during the year without interrupting the student's education. Students have the option to participate year-round. Click here to read more about flexibility options and logistics.
