Students Created Learning Playlists

In their book, Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools, Horn and Staker (2014) give several examples of schools using learning playlist created by teachers. These playlist provide a more individualized learning experience for all students. Data is collected through digital formats that teachers use to assign new learning playlists to students. These playlist might include online videos, paper pencil practice, research, small group practice, independent practice, or something similar that teachers believe would be a good fit for their students.

This week, Meredith Akers wrote a blog on student created learning playlist. She explains that the typical use of a jigsaw would provide students with a section of text to read and require them to present their findings from that section to their group. However, this method does not allow students to be very creative, nor does it include the use of technology. Akers suggest allow them to create a learning playlist instead. By assigning a small sub-topic instead and providing them with a list of online resources to use, students can use high levels of thinking in order to demonstrate learning.

Akers provides a template and example of the student centered learning playlists she created. Within the template, students are asked to insert a video relevant to the topic, select an appropriate article for classmates to read, insert an image, create a 10 question formative assessment, and a prompt asking classmates to create something to display 3 important facts they have learned.

This is an image of the Learning Playlist Akers provides in her blog. The yellow boxes are the directions. The blue boxes would be what is displayed for other students to follow. 

This is an example for teachers to use while learning to use this tool.