LMS of the Future

The days of “one size fits all” are gone. Just this week I had an interesting conversation with a friend about meeting the needs of special education students. Next year San Diego Unified School District transitions to a new special education model. All students are to be mainstreamed into every single classroom regardless of whether full inclusion is appropriate or not for these students. As a teacher I wonder how I will meet the needs of these students in my classroom. While I get that all children come with their own unique needs regardless of whether they are identified as “special education” or not, those that do come with the special education label are special and require a whole set of different skills and knowledge as a teacher. Last year I had two “special” children in my third grade class. One functioned at a pre-kindergarten level and it was difficult to integrate him into the classroom both academically and socially. I’m optimistic that perhaps, the LMS of the future will help me as a teacher meet the needs of these children in my classroom.

Future LMS systems will take advantage of new technologies and use them to meet a growing trend in America to differentiate learning for all students, including perhaps these special education students. I’m hoping some of the ideas being proposed for universities will trickle down to the K-12 environment. Some of the highlights of the LMS of the future are that learning will be relevant to the needs of each student and not the masses. Learning can also be adjusted and tailored to what students already know about a subject, what skills they already possess, and their career aspirations. LMS of the future offers flexibility. Students can pace themselves and set their own course of study. Forget registering for classes two or three times a year. How about every month? And students can choose who they'd like to work with in a cohort? Students become more responsible for their learning and how they learn.

While I’m not sure how a special education student could manage his own learning (and it may require an aide), the LMS of the future would allow all of his case managers/teachers to track his progress from within one central location on a regular basis. No more annual Individualized Education Meetings to plan and set goals. The LMS of the future would greatly improve communication and the frequency of communication by allowing all of his case managers/teachers to frequently upload curriculum, report on or modify goals, or even conduct assessments.