Download slides below. The PPT slide deck is available via Google Drive Download at the bottom of this post.

The next generation of teachers will have more tools to shape the future of education than ever before. With advances in technology, teaching is rapidly evolving, and the classroom of tomorrow will look very different from today. Whether you're considering a career in education or simply curious about how technology is changing learning, there are some exciting tools and concepts you should know more about.

Makerspaces: A Hub for Creativity and Innovation
Imagine a space in your school where you can design, create, and build anything you can dream of. Makerspaces are popping up in schools worldwide, offering students access to tools like 3D printers, laser cutters, and coding software. These creative hubs encourage problem-solving, innovation, and hands-on learning, making subjects like science and technology come to life. You can read more about Makerspaces here: edtechbooks.org/encyclopedia/makerspaces

Coding Bots: Bringing Programming to Life
Learning to code is one of the most important skills for future educators. Coding bots, such as Beebots, Ozobots, and Sphero, make programming fun and interactive. These tiny robots follow code-based instructions, allowing students to see their work in action. As teachers, you’ll be able to use these bots to help students develop logical thinking and problem-solving skills in a way that's engaging and easy to understand.

Virtual and Blended Learning: Learning Beyond the Classroom
The pandemic showed us how virtual learning can transform education, but it's more than just a temporary solution. Virtual learning offers flexibility for students who need to study at their own pace, and we can bring these benefits into traditional classrooms through blended learning. In a blended classroom, students can control aspects like the pace and path of their learning, making it easier to cater to individual needs or interests. You can read more about Blended Learning here: edtechbooks.org/encyclopedia/blended_teaching

Artificial Intelligence: The Future of Personalized Learning
Artificial intelligence (AI) is another game-changer in education. Imagine a classroom where AI helps teachers personalize lessons for each student. AI can track student progress, identify learning gaps, and suggest tailored activities to help students succeed. From chatbots like ChatGPT to AI-based learning platforms, the possibilities are endless. AI can even facilitate the activities above by guiding Makerspace activities, providing coding challenges or learning about coding using the language you naturally speak, and by optimizing virtual and in-person learning.

Technology is not just changing education—it’s making learning more interactive, personalized, and engaging. As future educators, you have the opportunity to harness these tools to create engaging, innovative learning environments. So, get ready to embrace the future of teaching today by exploring more about The Teachers College at Emporia State University!

www.emporia.edu/teachers-college/

Slides for the ESU Future Educator Summit: Google Drive Ppt File
(docs.google.com/presentation/d/13YR90RcJUfdRKNhZnwgcpaM3qUTGmhYx/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=106061852616377032986&rtpof=true&sd=true)

The special edition eBook Research Highlights in Technology & Teacher Education, edited by Blankenship and Cherner  (2024) offers explorations of various topics at the intersection of technology and teaching.

Blankenship, R. & Cherner, T. (2024). Research Highlights in Technology & Teacher Education 2024 35th Anniversary Edition, Volume 2. Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). Retrieved September 9, 2024 from https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/224717/.

My chapter of the book, "Preparing P-12 Educators for Providing Technology-Mediated Personalized Instruction" offers insights into Personalized Learning (PL) practice and its role in modern K-12 education, particularly within blended learning environments. Through interviews with 62 K-12 teachers, the research sheds light on how educators implement PL strategies to address the diverse needs of their students. As highlighted, PL allows for flexibility in goals, time, place, pace, and path, enabling students to engage with content that is relevant to their individual learning profiles.

A critical insight from the research included the strategies that teachers use to effectively manage PL in classrooms where students may lack motivation or struggle with self-regulation. For example, one secondary science teacher explained how they helped students prioritize high-stakes assignments to improve their grades, making PL not only about personalized content but also about guiding students to focus on their individual academic growth. Another teacher emphasized the importance of starting small when implementing PL, allowing educators to gradually adapt to what works best for their classroom dynamics.

The study also revealed that PL requires careful scaffolding for students who may feel overwhelmed by too much freedom in their learning choices. One elementary teacher shared how they helped a student select a writing topic by narrowing down options in a guided yet personalized manner. This underscores a key takeaway: personalization does not equate to complete autonomy but instead involves strategic teacher support in decision-making.

The research findings have contributed to the development of several theoretical frameworks that can guide the implementation of personalized learning and blended learning, including the Personalized Learning Design Framework and the 4Es of Effective Blended Teaching. The Personalized Learning Design Framework provides a structured approach for educators to personalize instruction based on performance, activity, and learner profile data. It offers a taxonomy of learner agency that helps teachers scaffold learning from teacher-centered to increasingly student-centered practices. The example of the elementary student struggling with writing shows how this framework can be applied to tailor learning experiences to individual student needs.

Similarly, the 4Es of Effective Blended Teaching framework provides educators with criteria for evaluating blended learning practices. It encourages teachers to consider whether their instructional strategies enable, engage, elevate, and extend learning opportunities. These elements are critical in determining whether blended learning is effectively personalized and whether it can support students in developing real-world skills beyond traditional classroom constraints.

The research also sets the stage for future work in the field of PL, especially in understanding the affordances and constraints of personalized instruction. The chapter raises important questions about whether PL strategies can live up to their promise of advancing learning for all students and whether the costs of implementing such individualized practices are worth the effort for teachers and students alike. Additionally, the potential integration of artificial intelligence into PL is an emerging area of interest, offering the possibility of scalable personalized learning experiences that move beyond the traditional “one-size-fits-all” model.

Overall, the chapter provides valuable insights for educators seeking to implement PL in blended learning environments, offering practical strategies, theoretical frameworks, and future directions for research and practice in the field.

Chapter Citation:

Short, C. R. (2024). Preparing P-12 educators for providing technology-mediated personalized instruction. In Blankenship, R. J., & Cherner, T. (Eds). (2024). Research Highlights in Technology and Teacher Education Special Edition. Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/224717/.

Download Conference Presentation Slides Here
Download AI-Generated TL;DR Slides for the Blog Post Here

This week I have the honor and privilege to address the next generation of educators at the Buzz Into Teaching conference at Johnson County Community College. My keynote presentation will embark on a journey into the future of education—a future shaped by the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

In our exploration of AI's role in education, we will uncover a world of endless possibilities. We will imagine classrooms where learning is personalized to each student's needs, where AI-driven systems adapt in real-time to foster deeper understanding and engagement, and where every teacher in every classroom has an assistant to help, and every student in every classroom has a one-on-one tutor. This vision of personalized learning isn't just a dream; it's a reality made possible by the integration of AI technologies - but only if future educators can learn to strategically integrate these technologies with the tried and true strategies of yesterday's classroom.

Looking ahead, we can envision a future where AI revolutionizes nearly every aspect of education, from curriculum design to global collaboration. As we prepare for such transformation, it is essential to equip ourselves with the necessary skills and knowledge to harness the power of AI responsibly. Professional development opportunities, like those provided at the Buzz Into Teaching conference, will be key as we adapt to the changing landscape of education and the world at large. To remain at the forefront of innovation and best practices, we must become explorers and inventors - designers willing to take on new challenges with new approaches.

Moreover, advocating for ethical guidelines and standards in AI usage will be paramount to safeguarding the rights and well-being of all students. From safeguarding data privacy to ensuring fairness and equity in algorithmic decision-making, it is our responsibility as educators to navigate these ethical waters with diligence and integrity.

The journey ahead is both exciting and challenging. As we stand on the precipice of this technological revolution, my sincere hope is that we can constantly remember the profound impact we as educators have in shaping the future of our students and society as a whole. Together, we can embrace the AI revolution in education with open minds and compassionate hearts, ensuring that every student has the opportunity to thrive in a world powered by knowledge and innovation.

I am sincerely grateful for the opportunity to share this journey with tomorrow's teacher leaders and leader teachers.

Together, may we seek to inspire and empower the next next generation of educators with passion, dedication, curiosity, and humanity.

As educators, we are experiencing a dynamic shift in teaching methodologies, propelled by the rapid integration of technology in educational settings. Blended and virtual learning environments have become increasingly prevalent post-pandemic, demanding a reevaluation of traditional teaching competencies and the cultivation of new skills tailored to these modern modalities. As someone deeply immersed in exploring the nexus between technology and pedagogy, I find myself continually reflecting on the evolving landscape of educational technology and the skills teachers need to navigate such a shifting landscape.

I've been reviewing the synthesis of literature on online (OL) and blended (BL) teaching competencies from Pulham and Graham (2018) and Pulham et al. (2018) in preparation for an upcoming presentation for the Indiana Department of Education. These studies provide valuable insights into the core skills necessary for educators to thrive in modern digital domains. Their analyses underscore personalized learning as a cornerstone competency, with sub-domains such as pacing, curriculum, scheduling, and learning styles emerging as focal points for research and practice. While the effectiveness of catering to individual learning needs remains debated, attention to pacing, curriculum design, and scheduling offers promising avenues for enhancing personalized learning experiences within blended and virtual settings.

Importantly, the syntheses highlight nuanced distinctions between BL and OL teaching competencies, emphasizing the need for targeted training and support tailored to each modality. BL teaching places a premium on instructional design that seamlessly integrates face-to-face and online components, whereas OL teaching requires a deeper focus on crafting engaging digital learning experiences. Recognizing these differences is crucial for guiding teacher preparation programs to equip educators with the diverse skill sets needed to navigate the complexities of blended and virtual instruction effectively.

Moving forward, professional development must be grounded in real-world classroom observations and collaboration with educators who have experienced refining technology-infused teaching applications. Teacher education programs must seize the opportunity to integrate blended and online competencies into their curricula, ensuring that all pre-service teachers are equipped with the requisite skills to thrive in 21st-century learning environments. Support for in-service teachers must provide theoretical foundations while leveraging these teachers' experiences during the pandemic - helping them to see how they can transform in-person learning practices through overcoming the challenges they experienced during emergency remote teaching or helping them to combine virtual learning victories with their already effective in-person strategies.

By embracing the paradigm shift toward technology-infused learning post-pandemic and fostering a culture of continuous learning and adaptation, we can empower educators to unlock the full potential of technology in transforming education.

As we navigate the ever-evolving landscape of educational technology and attempt to help teachers navigate it, it is imperative that we remain steadfast in our commitment to equipping educators with the competencies needed to excel in blended and virtual teaching environments. By embracing personalized learning, acknowledging the nuances between modalities, and refining competency frameworks to align with the demands of digital pedagogy, we can pave the way for a future where technology serves as a catalyst for innovation and access to quality education for all.

As a professor with a research history in personalized learning, I have witnessed the transformative power of tailoring education to individual needs, preferences, and interests. While personalized learning has been a part of education for centuries, recent advancements in instructional technology have paved the way for a more accessible and effective approach. The slides accompanying this blog post demonstrate that both teachers and students recognize and appreciate the affordances of personalized learning, marking a crucial shift in educational paradigms.

The evolution of personalized learning, underscores its potential as a gateway to lifelong learning. The 2017 U.S. National Education Technology Plan redefined personalized learning to emphasize the learner's role in tailoring instruction, emphasizing activities that are meaningful, relevant, and often self-initiated. This learner-centric approach aligns with the call for a dynamic, personalized learning strategy capable of providing a unique and effective learning experience for each individual, fostering the skills needed to promote a lifelong commitment to learning.

Technological advancements have given educational institutions the tools to customize learning experiences, but the true power lies in the pedagogical knowledge required to leverage personalized learning effectively. My research, drawing on frameworks and findings presented by experts like Horn and Staker (2014), Graham et al. (2019), and Shemshack et al. (2021), has emphasized the importance of tailoring the time, place, pace, path, and goals of learning. By incorporating learner profiles, previous knowledge, personalized learning paths, and flexible self-paced environments, educators can empower learners to take charge of their education and enhance their self-efficacy.

The five dimensions of personalized learning (goals, time, place, pace, and path), illustrate the multifaceted nature of this pedagogical strategy. Understanding what is being personalized, how it is being personalized, who or what is providing personalization, and what the personalization is based on allows educators to create tailored, effective learning experiences. While the potential of personalized learning is vast, ongoing research, as highlighted by Short (2022), Bulger (2016), Watters (2023), and Zhang et al. (2020), is necessary to explore outcomes and ensure technology fulfills its promise of transformational, individualized learning.

Read more foundational information about Personalized Learning in my chapter on the topic in EdTechnica co-authored by the brilliant Atikah Shemshack: https://edtechbooks.org/encyclopedia/personalized_learning

Short, C. R. & Shemshack, A. (2023). Personalized Learning. EdTechnica: The Open Encyclopedia of Educational Technology. https://dx.doi.org/10.59668/371.11067

Bulger, M. (July 7, 2016). Personalized learning: The conversations we're not having. Data and Society 22(1), 1-29. https://edtechbooks.org/-jkKy

Graham, C. R., Borup, J., Short, C. R., & Archambault, L. (2019). K-12 blended teaching: A guide to personalized learning and online integration. Provo, UT: EdTechBooks.org. https://edtechbooks.org/-TiF

Horn, M. B., & Staker, H. (2014). Blended: Using disruptive innovation to improve schools. Jossey-Bass.

Shemshack, A., Kinshuk & Spector, J. M. (2021). A comprehensive analysis of personalized learning components. Journal of Computers in Education, 1(19). https://edtechbooks.org/-Uwr

Short, C. R. (2022). Personalized learning design framework: A theoretical framework for defining, implementing, and evaluating personalized learning. In H. Leary, S. P. Greenhalgh, K. B. Staudt Willet, & M. H. Cho (Eds.), Theories to Influence the Future of Learning Design and Technology. EdTech Books. https://edtechbooks.org/-GBqb

Watters, A. (2023). Teaching machines: The history of personalized learning. The MIT Press.

Zhang, L., Basham, J. D., & Yang, S. (2020). Understanding the implementation of personalized learning: A research synthesis. Educational Research Review, 31(100339). https://edtechbooks.org/-RLV