Getting Started
At Danville administrators and teachers attended a presentation by Rick DeLorenzo, author of Delivering on the Promise: The Education Revolution (DeLorenzo, Battino, Schreiber & Gaddy Carrio, 2009) at the National Quality Schools Coalition where he presented about the success of personalized learning in Chugach, Alaska. This sparked a study of education processes that led to great success in other districts.
In addition to Delivering on the Promise, administrators at Danville also read Drive (Pink), Focus (Schmoker), and Inevitable: Mass Customized Learning (McGarvey). Customized Learning was a fairly new concept at the time, but the leaders were so intrigued by the process that they decided to send groups to Lindsay, California and Adams 50, Colorado to see the work of the districts firsthand. These small groups of Danville educators were so impressed that the district invited Bea McGarvey to speak to a large group of staff. McGarvey painted a vision for education that would enable Danville to meet every child where they were at by changing some of the age-old school structures that had never been questioned. Why do we have grade levels? Why do we have grades? Why must learning only happen between the hours of 8:00am and 3:00pm?
In addition to Delivering on the Promise, administrators at Danville also read Drive (Pink), Focus (Schmoker), and Inevitable: Mass Customized Learning (McGarvey). Customized Learning was a fairly new concept at the time, but the leaders were so intrigued by the process that they decided to send groups to Lindsay, California and Adams 50, Colorado to see the work of the districts firsthand. These small groups of Danville educators were so impressed that the district invited Bea McGarvey to speak to a large group of staff. McGarvey painted a vision for education that would enable Danville to meet every child where they were at by changing some of the age-old school structures that had never been questioned. Why do we have grade levels? Why do we have grades? Why must learning only happen between the hours of 8:00am and 3:00pm?
For Garrett the journey began in February of 2011 when the administrative team attended the AASA Conference in Houston, Texas. While attending the conference, Garrett High School Principal, Matt Smith, attended a session focused on personalized learning. During dinner that evening, the administrative team began discussing the concept of personalized learning. As the conversation progressed, district leaders noted that the teachers at GKB were having these same conversations back at home. It became clear that it was time to connect the dots!
Upon return the book Inevitable: Mass Customized Learning (Charles Schwahn, Beatrice McGarvey, 2012) was purchased for all teachers in the district. As teachers read, the conversations expanded. The district then connected with Dr. Julie Mathiesen from Technology and Innovation in Education (TIE). Dr. Mathiesen visited Garrett and met key stakeholders. She discussed the concepts from Inevitable and assisted district leaders in identifying weight-bearing walls.
With that the K-2 teams already had many features in place that allowed them to work within a child’s zone of proximal development. These same teachers began asking key questions: what if we worked in instructional teams, what if we set up an environment where students were able to truly work at their own pace, what if children were empowered to follow their passions and interests? These questions sparked even more conversation among the staff.
As a result Dr. Mathesian recommended a site visit to a school district in Wisconsin who had experience with personalized learning. Members of the GKB staff made several visits to Kettle Morraine School District and learned from their leaders. Although the number of districts brave enough to take on customized learning are few, the passion and collaboration shared among them are great!
Upon return the book Inevitable: Mass Customized Learning (Charles Schwahn, Beatrice McGarvey, 2012) was purchased for all teachers in the district. As teachers read, the conversations expanded. The district then connected with Dr. Julie Mathiesen from Technology and Innovation in Education (TIE). Dr. Mathiesen visited Garrett and met key stakeholders. She discussed the concepts from Inevitable and assisted district leaders in identifying weight-bearing walls.
With that the K-2 teams already had many features in place that allowed them to work within a child’s zone of proximal development. These same teachers began asking key questions: what if we worked in instructional teams, what if we set up an environment where students were able to truly work at their own pace, what if children were empowered to follow their passions and interests? These questions sparked even more conversation among the staff.
As a result Dr. Mathesian recommended a site visit to a school district in Wisconsin who had experience with personalized learning. Members of the GKB staff made several visits to Kettle Morraine School District and learned from their leaders. Although the number of districts brave enough to take on customized learning are few, the passion and collaboration shared among them are great!
As for Plymouth, in the summer of 2013 administrators and teachers participated in a book study on Inevitable: Mass Customized Learning (Charles Schwahn, Beatrice McGarvey, 2012). Members of this book study were all intrigued by the vision Inevitable described as “meeting the individual learning needs of every learner, every hour, of every day.” Several reasons for a major change were discussed, and it was agreed that this type of change was necessary, but also that to move forward the leaders needed to recognize that everyone was in a different stage of the change process. By the end of the book study, the vision of meeting the needs of every learner, every day was becoming a little more realistic!
Following the book study, a group of administrators and teachers attended the National Mass Customized Learning Conference in South Dakota. The conference sessions focused on building a common vision for customized learning and developing a growth mindset culture in all stakeholders. Attendees had the opportunity to listen to implementation stories from leaders and practitioners currently invested in the vision of Mass Customized Learning. More pieces of the “personalized learning puzzle” started to come together.
Plymouth teachers and administrators participated in school visits at Kettle Moraine in Wisconsin and Garrett-Keyser-Butler in Indiana. Plymouth educators needed to see customized learning in action! What did the typical day look like in a personalized learning environment? It was discovered that the implementation of a personalized environment was unique in every school/classroom that was observed; although, the core value of “meeting the needs of individual learners” was very evident.
Following the book study, a group of administrators and teachers attended the National Mass Customized Learning Conference in South Dakota. The conference sessions focused on building a common vision for customized learning and developing a growth mindset culture in all stakeholders. Attendees had the opportunity to listen to implementation stories from leaders and practitioners currently invested in the vision of Mass Customized Learning. More pieces of the “personalized learning puzzle” started to come together.
Plymouth teachers and administrators participated in school visits at Kettle Moraine in Wisconsin and Garrett-Keyser-Butler in Indiana. Plymouth educators needed to see customized learning in action! What did the typical day look like in a personalized learning environment? It was discovered that the implementation of a personalized environment was unique in every school/classroom that was observed; although, the core value of “meeting the needs of individual learners” was very evident.