Differentiated learning | Ilana Vines | TEDxYouth@ISASDuchesneAcademy

Ilana Vines is an 8th grade student at the Emery/Weiner School. She is an active member of her basketball team and the school community at large, and an experienced TEDxYouthDay participant. Ilana has previously presented on the importance of gratitude. Currently, she is focused on the importance of revisiting our educational models.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx

Hi, my name is Ilana Vines,
and I go to the Emery/Weiner School.

I like to think of myself
as a pretty well-rounded person.

I am an okay student.

I'm an exceptionally hard worker
if I say so myself.

I play basketball.

I like to think of myself
as pretty creative.

Like everyone, we all have
strengths and weaknesses,

some more easily recognized than others.

For example, when you see someone
who's in a wheelchair,

the first thing you see
is a weakness of theirs.

But let's say you see someone
who's not in a wheelchair -

let's use me as an example.

You may not see someone
who gets distracted easily.

For some people, they may have a unique
quality that can be looked as a weakness.

For example, not being able to work
in a normal learning environment.

School systems have worked incredibly hard
to provide a good education

for kids to take on
and go and do exceptional things.

However, there's one flaw.

It only accommodates
to one kind of learner.

Classes are structured on that one
learner's strenghts and weaknesses.

By doing this, you're helping
a lot of students, but not all.

Why can't the other kids
have the same advantage?

So far, the only solution
I've seen to this problem is one thing -

One thing that seems like they're helping,

but actually doing nothing
to help the situation.

The solution schools have come up with
is to group all the other kids together

that don't learn like everyone else.

By doing this, you're saying

they have more in common with each other
than with the other students.

But what if there was another way, a way
for all kids to learn at their on pace?

The idea I came up with

is to allow the student to decide
how they get the information.

Yes, the child decides.

Research shows that kids
do tremendously better in college.

They do better

because they pick and choose
their own classes.

I mean, this makes so much more sense.

No one knows you better than you.

I'm not saying we get to pick
our classes and what we learn.

I'm just saying we get to choose
how we get the information.

For example, if a child has ADHD,

instead of putting him or her
in a separate learning environment,

why not letting the child decide
how they learn better

and the teacher helps them from there?

So far, in the United Kingdom,
they're already using this idea.

They call it PLE,

Personalised Learning Environments.

PLEs are environments

in which individual learners
and groups of learners

can access a range of tools and resources
for personalised learning activities.

By doing this, you are not separating
the child from the rest of the classmates.

You are also putting the child
on a path of academic success.

Right now, they're being prepared
because when they go to college,

they will know exactly what to do.

Thank you.

(Applause)