Implementing Learning Playlists in
My Fifth-Grade Classroom
Kathryn Gregorsok
Three years ago, my rural elementary school took the initiative to adopt what we call “Intervention and Enrichment Time” and standards-based grading. While this was a difficult change for many teachers at first, over time it has become an integral part of our school culture and routine. From my perspective, students and teachers are more focused on mastery and
improvement rather than simply looking at points and percents.
To address this instructional shift, I decided to implement “learning playlists” in my fifth grade science classroom. Learning playlists are a form of blended learning in which each student has an individualized learning plan set by the teacher. In my classroom, these plans include activities such as digital videos, articles, quizzes, games, online learning activities, mini lessons, and websites. When completing a playlist, students might not complete every learning activity. Instead, they are assigned work that best meets their needs. They also have some control over which items they complete and the order in which they complete them. Playlists can cover a particular standard or a topic within a standard. I have found them to be an easy way to differentiate and personalize learning.
There are several ways to assign playlists to students. One possibility is through the use of a pretest. Based on areas of need, I’ve used playlists to address problem areas before the unit even begins. Another is through the use of formative assessments. In a recent unit, I used the online tool Plickers to check students’ understanding as we worked through the content. Based on how they scored on specific standards, I customized the playlists to best fit areas in which they needed more work before the unit was complete. A final option is to use playlists as a remediation tool at the conclusion of a unit. In past units, I looked at summative assessment data to determine if students needed playlists to support intervention or enrichment.