Abstract

In this chapter I foreground three key philosophical concepts that are of renewed interest in new schooling spaces: autonomy, authority, and the notion of a public or community. In order to give concrete examples of how these philosophical questions play out, I use personalized learning as an example where digital technology and social media have changed the ideologies, policies, and practices of education. I draw attention to the ways that autonomy, authority, and public/community emerge within PL contexts. I begin the chapter by defining PL and describing three key components of PL: data-driven instruction, student agency, and the use of social media sites to create social connections. I then flesh out some of the questions that a philosophical orientation opens regarding autonomy, authority, and community in PL contexts.