Preservice Teacher Education Preparation:
Implementation of Personalized Learning and Technology Integration in the Fifth Industrial Revolution
Crystal C. Loose, Ed.D. and Rose Jagielo-Manion, Ed.D.
Abstract
It has been argued that we have moved into the age of personalization. One can see this while ordering drinks at a local Starbucks, where options are limitless. This personalization has been called the Fifth Industrial Revolution, a time noted for a deep, multi-level cooperation between people and machines. With emphasis on innovation, purpose, and inclusivity, this revolution calls for changes in the classroom setting to focus on relationships and lived experiences. So, how do we prepare our preservice teachers for this reality? Methods of instruction that create an engaging and collaborative learning community need to be considered when designing classroom experiences. The five facets of personalized learning will be examined through the lens of student research and application. These facets include assessments, instructional rigor, equity, study agency, and classroom culture. Qualitative data will be shared emphasizing student experiences as they engage in research and implementation of personalized learning tools during their field experiences. In addition to this, data from administrator and mentor teacher surveys regarding our teacher preparation program will be examined to better understand viewpoints from the schools that host our teacher candidates. Situated learning theory will be cited to emphasize the necessity of learning in context for preservice teachers.
Keywords: personalized learning, preservice teachers, Fifth Industrial Revolution, teacher preparation
Preservice Teacher Education Preparation: Implementation of Personalized Learning and Technology Integration in the Fifth Industrial Revolution
Challenges in education confronted during the pandemic have caused teachers and researchers to study the way we have been instructing students both present day and prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the pandemic caused setbacks in academic achievements, lessons learned about the classroom environment continue to challenge current perspectives and future discussions about the way students learn. Connections made to recent realizations in the literature regarding personalized learning experiences, both the benefits and challenges, need to challenge educators and instructors in higher education to consider the classroom experiences necessary to prepare our students for the Fifth Industrial Revolution (FIR) (Voskoglou, 2020).
Over the course of the last century, we have moved from an industry focused on standardization and mechanical production to the influence of technology becoming an integrated and essential part of our lives. The advent of the FIR takes the concept of the digitalization of our lives to one where all technology is used strategically to personalize products and services to meet the varied needs of individuals. (P