Personalized Learning + Learning Mascots

Personalized Learning 

If there is one pedagogy I completely agree with, it's "Personalized Learning".  What does that mean?  Here's the definition that's used on our state framework here in South Carolina: "Personalized learning is an educational framework that supports all students as they seek to achieve the knowledge, skills, and characteristics identified in the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate. ​

 By fostering student ownership of learning, developing learner profiles and learning pathways and adopting flexible learning environments, each student’s education experience is tailored to meet his or her unique strengths, needs, and goals."  There's a lot to "unpack" here, but I'm just focusing on Learner Profiles of it for this post.  

Learner Profiles

A few weeks ago, I made myself put down my required reading to escape with Carrie Baughcum's book,  My Pencil Made Me Do It.  It's a guide to sketchnoting, which is one of my favorite ways to take notes!  After I read a professional development book I go back and capture all the notes scribbled in the margins, along with highlighted quotes/thoughts and add them into a  bullet journal type planner so I always have my notes with me.  There's NO way I could carry my favorite EDU books around with me and I'm not one of those people who can spout off quotes like I'm the one who said them (my husband is like that and I WISH I was, but I digress).   So... Sketchnoting is my way of documenting and accessing my learning when I can't retrieve it from my own memory.   
What does Sketchnoting have anything to do with Learner Profiles?  Here's an #sketchnote I created based on Carrie's idea of creating a Learning Mascot!  It is basically a character you create to give your learner profile a life of it's own.  Mine had to have an owl because I love them for no apparent reason, but  I feel like they fit the education theme, the rest of the image is pretty self explanitory. ?

Learner Profiles + Learning Mascots

"Learner Profiles are up-to-date records that provide a deep understanding of each student’s progress toward meeting the knowledge, skills, and characteristics of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate as well as his or her unique strengths, needs, and goals. Meaningful evidence of learning from multiple sources is used to inform learner profiles including pre-and post-assessments and frequent formative assessments."

When I saw the questions asked to come up with a Learning Mascot, I realized that this activity also helps identify "unique strengths, needs, and goals" by creating a character to help students describe themselves.  It's like having a friend that says what you want to say, but are too scared to say it. 

My #Hyperdoc for a Learner Backpack from the book How to Personalize Learning.

 Step 1  to create your Learning Mascot: 

• Identify 3 of your strengths
• Identify 5 things you love
• Say hello to your learning mascot

Step 2, answer the following questions: 

1. What is it's story?
2. What does it need to grow?
3. What are 5 facts about your learning mascot? 
4. What legacy does it leave?

*What does it say when things get hard? #growthmindset ?
*What does it's heart look like? #SEL
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It's like giving your learner profile a life of it's own!

Now the fun part... Draw your mascot image and add it's height, age, and where it lives.  

Of course, I can't explain this part like Carrie would, so you have to check out her videos that I have linked above and grab her book while your at it! I can't wait to demonstrate this process in classrooms to give life to our learner profiles to help Personalize learning.  I hope you'll join us on our journey by following the hashtag #learningmascot on Twitter and Instagram!  
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Call to action!

What does your learning mascot look like? I hope you'll give this activity a try and share on social media! Make sure to tag me and Carrie too.  This is a great visual to add to your personal mission statement or to visualize your "why".  Happy doodling! ~Pam @specialtechie