Personalized Learning

How ed tech was born: Twentieth-century teaching machines--from Sidney Pressey's mechanized test-giver to B. F. Skinner's behaviorist bell-ringing box. Contrary to popular belief, ed tech did not begin with videos on the internet. The idea of technology that would allow students to "go at their own pace" did not originate in Silicon Valley. In Teaching Machines, education writer Audrey Watters offers a lively history of predigital educational technology, from Sidney Pressey's mechanized positive-reinforcement provider to B. F. Skinner's behaviorist bell-ringing box. Watters shows that these machines and the pedagogy that accompanied them sprang from ideas--bite-sized content, individualized instruction--that had legs and were later picked up by textbook publishers and early advocates for computerized learning. Watters pays particular attention to the role of the media--newspapers, magazines, television, and film--in shaping people's perceptions of teaching machines as well as the psychological theories underpinning them. She considers these machines in the context of education reform, the political reverberations of Sputnik, and the rise of the testing and textbook industries. She chronicles Skinner's attempts to bring his teaching machines to market, culminating in the famous behaviorist's efforts to launch Didak 101, the "pre-verbal" machine that taught spelling. (Alternate names proposed by Skinner include "Autodidak," "Instructomat," and "Autostructor.") Telling these somewhat cautionary tales, Watters challenges what she calls "the teleology of ed tech"--the idea that not only is computerized education inevitable, but technological progress is the sole driver of events.

HOW to Personalize Learning This practical follow-up to Bray and McClaskey’s first book, Make Learning Personal: The What, Who, Wow, Where, and Whybrings theory to practice. Teachers will find the tools, skills, and strategies needed to personalize learning and develop self-directed, independent learners with agency. Discover how to get started and go deeper by building a shared vision that supports personalized learning using the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework. Also included are: Tools and templates such as the Learner Profile, Personal Learning Backpack, Personal Learning Plan, as well as tips for lesson design and PBL Lesson and project examples that show how teachers can change instructional practice by encouraging learner voice and choice QR codes and links to the authors’ website for electronic versions of tools, templates, activities, and checklists Create a powerful shift in education by building a culture of learning so every learner is valued. "If you are looking for a step-by-step guide on what personalized learning is and how to implement it, while being inspired and gaining ideas to implement immediately, this is definitely the book to read!" Diana Petschauer, Assistive Technology Professional, CEO AT for Education & Access4Employment, Wolfeboro Falls, NH "Barbara and Kathleen present well-tested strategies for personalization within a coherent framework. This highly practical book forms a reliable foundation for empowering a community striving to make schools work for all learners." John H. Clarke, Professor Emeritus, University of Vermont

In this powerful new book, James Rickabaugh, former superintendent and current director of the Institute for Personalized Learning (IPL), presents the groundbreaking results of the Institute’s half-decade of research, development, and practice: a simple but powerful model for personalizing students’ learning experiences by building their levels of commitment, ownership, and independence. Tried and rigorously tested in urban, suburban, and rural districts--and in different academic and economic settings--the IPL model has been proven to enhance student engagement and achievement at all levels. Rickabaugh provides principals and other top-level leaders with * Step-by-step guidance for implementing the model; * A detailed overview of the research and work behind the model’s development; * A complete introduction to the heart of the model—a comprehensive, multi-layered framework centered on the three core components of learner profiles, customized learning paths, and proficiency-based progress; * Tools and activities for assessing and adjusting the model to meet the specific needs of students and staff; * Strategies for increasing and reinforcing enthusiasm for the change process among everyone involved, from the classroom to the greater community; and * An abundance of real-life examples and reflections from students, teachers, principals, and superintendents whose schools have flourished in record time and with minimal additional funding or resources. Tapping the Power of Personalized Learning offers a blueprint that dramatically improves student outcomes and prepares today’s learners to meet life’s challenges in college and beyond.

Put the person back in personalization with a touch of humanity. It’s a paradox: technology to individualize curriculum has made classrooms less personal. In the second edition of this groundbreaking book, Paul France presents a vision of humanized personalization that rejects the corporate mindset and instead holds equity and inclusion at its center. Features include: Practical guidance on designing inclusive learning environments for diverse groups Sustainable applications for humanized personalization in curriculum design, assessment, and instruction Real-life stories from the author’s experience on both sides of the personalization debate A multitude of classroom tools, adaptable to a variety of instructional contexts

Put learning back into the hands of the learner! Personalized learning empowers learners to take control of their own learning. This resource draws on Universal Design for Learning® principles to create a powerful shift in classroom dynamics by developing self-directed, self-motivated learners. You’ll discover: A system that reduces barriers and maximizes learning for all learners An explanation distinguishing personalization from differentiation and individualization The Stages of Personalized Learning Environments that transform teacher and learner roles. Background information to build a rationale on why to personalize learning Strategies around the culture shift in classrooms and schools as you personalize learning. As recognized authorities, the authors have led educational innovation for almost three decades.

A real-world action plan for educators to create personalizedlearning experiences Learning Personalized: The Evolution of the ContemporaryClassroom provides teachers, administrators, and educationalleaders with a clear and practical guide to personalized learning.Written by respected teachers and leading educational consultantsAllison Zmuda, Greg Curtis, and Diane Ullman, this comprehensiveresource explores what personalized learning looks like, how itchanges the roles and responsibilities of every stakeholder, andwhy it inspires innovation. The authors explain that, in order tocreate highly effective personalized learning experiences, a newinstructional design is required that is based loosely on thetraditional model of apprenticeship: learning by doing. Learning Personalized challenges educators to rethink thefundamental principles of schooling that honors students' naturalwillingness to play, problem solve, fail, re-imagine, and share.This groundbreaking resource: Explores the elements of personalized learning and offers aframework to achieve it Provides a roadmap for enrolling relevant stakeholders tocreate a personalized learning vision and reimagine new roles andresponsibilities Addresses needs and provides guidance specific to the jobdescriptions of various types of educators, administrators, andother staff This invaluable educational resource explores a simple frameworkfor personalized learning: co-creation, feedback, sharing, andlearning that is as powerful for a teacher to re-examine classroompractice as it is for a curriculum director to reexamine thestructure of courses.

Personalized Learning: A Guide for Engaging Students with Technology is designed to help educators make sense of the shifting landscape in modern education. While changes may pose significant challenges, they also offer countless opportunities to engage students in meaningful ways to improve their learning outcomes. Personalized learning is the key to engaging students, as teachers are leading the way toward making learning as relevant, rigorous, and meaningful inside school as outside and what kids do outside school: connecting and sharing online, and engaging in virtual communities of their own Renowned author of the Heck: Where the Bad Kids Go series, Dale Basye, and award winning educator Peggy Grant, provide a go-to tool available to every teacher today—technology as a way to ‘personalize’ the education experience for every student, enabling students to learn at their various paces and in the way most appropriate to their learning styles.

A tremendous amount of money is being steered toward personalized learning (PL) initiatives at the federal, state, and local levels, and it is important to understand the return on the investment in students’ futures. It is only through rigorous discussions that educators and policymakers will be able to determine if PL is a passing fad or if it possesses the staying power necessary to show a positive impact on student achievement. Evaluation of Principles and Best Practices in Personalized Learning is a critical scholarly publication that explores the modern push for schools to implement PL environments and the continuing research to understand the best strategies and implementation methods for personalizing education. It seeks to begin creating a standardized language and standardized approach to the PL initiative and to investigate the implications it has on the educational system. Additionally, this book adds to the professional discussion of PL by looking at both the advantages and disadvantages of PL, the teacher’s role in PL, creating a PL program to scale, the role of technology and PL, the special education population and PL, emerging research on PL, and case studies involving PL. Featuring research on a wide range of topics such as blended learning, preservice teachers, and special education, this book is ideal for teachers, administrators, academicians, policymakers, researchers, and students.