Personalized Learning FAQs
Personalized learning is a journey with the path you take customized to meet your district or school’s needs. And when planning or taking any journey, you may have questions or be seeking a “road map” to guide the way. We’re here to help! Please contact us for a free consultation to discuss personalized learning and what it might “look like” for you … and explore some frequently asked questions below to learn more, too:
It depends where you are now and what your goals are! Contact us for a free consultation, and our experts will listen, answer your questions, and help you chart your path toward personalized learning.
The IU13 Personalized Learning Academy (PLA) focuses on supporting districts ready to embark on the personalized learning journey, a next step after the successful implementation of a blended learning model such as flex, flipped, or station rotation. If you’re not ready for personalized learning yet, we also offer our extensive experience in supporting schools in implementation of blended learning, in addition to high-quality supports and consultation services in a wide range of curriculum and instructional areas! Please contact us — we’re ready to help you plan (and implement) your next steps toward enhancing student learning.
We pride ourselves on two overarching strengths: flexibility and our people.
Flexibility – COVID and staffing shortages “turbocharged” our already strong approach to providing high-quality training for educators in non-traditional ways to meet their needs. From Schoology courses available on demand to facilitation groups at various times during the day to tailoring our wealth of live and virtual resources to meet your district’s needs, we’re here for you.
Our people – Really, this is our greatest strength. Our team of personalized learning experts has extensive experience and knowledge, and, most of all, is local, available, and committed to you. Our team members started as classroom teachers and now, as professional development experts and leaders in their fields, know our local schools well. You can call us with questions, reach out for support, or arrange for us to be on site. You won’t find any “800 number” or automated live chat here – you’ll find dedicated educational leaders who build relationships with your team and are invested in helping you and your learners succeed!
Sure! Join us for one (or more) of our annual Leadership Series keynote sessions to hear nationally recognized speakers present on a variety of research-based models of personalized learning. Past presenters have included noted experts including Bea McGarvey, Brad Geise, and Jim Rickabaugh.
Our PLA Foundations might also be a good option for you! Select from our series of asynchronous online courses to explore key elements of personalized learning “on your own” as you consider next steps:
- Curriculum & Assessment: The Sound Foundation for Personalized Learning
- Project-Based Learning: A Learner-Centered Approach to Personalized Learning
- 21st Century Learning: A Framework for Successful Personalized Learning
- Technology Integration: Leveraging Resources for Personalized Learning
- Cognitive Rigor: Ensuring Depth & Complexity with Personalized Learning
Contact us to learn more about these opportunities and your next steps.
Personalized learning is just that – personalized! By engaging national experts to share established models, your district team leaders can explore varied successful approaches to personalized learning, establish a common knowledge base, and build a plan to meet the needs of your own district and schools. And backed by the strong background and support of your district team leaders, your teachers will be poised for success.
No! Personalized learning can certainly start as a district-wide initiative, or it can start small and grow. In fact, we see the greatest successes in districts where the first implementers are educators who volunteer to take part! You may choose to begin with “early adopters,” a subject- or grade-level team, or even a whole building … then let enthusiasm and knowledge grow as others see the success and your vision expands. With the support of your district/building administrative team, your personalized learning program can pilot with just a few teachers, launch building-wide … or something in between.
The IU13 Personalized Learning Academy incorporates several components, tailored to meet your needs:
- Needs assessment and action planning
- Building of a common knowledge base for your leadership team to guide your path
- Synchronous and asynchronous learning opportunities
- Facilitated networking/cohort meetings to share ideas, learning, and progress
- Ongoing facilitation, guidance, and coaching from our Personalized Learning experts
The IU13 Personalized Learning Academy overall is structured in three phases; where you begin, how long you continue in each phase, and your path and focus within any phase is driven by your district’s goals, needs, and progress.
Phase 1 – “Initiate” – This phase focuses on district-level leadership, knowledge, and “buy-in,” knowing that ultimate success is based on understanding and exploring key questions:
- What is personalized learning?
- What is our vision? (Why implement personalized learning in our district? What is personalized learning for our district?)
- What is our overall plan to achieve our vision for personalized learning?
Phase 2 – Implement – This phase focuses on building capacity of district leaders and key personnel to support the implementation of personalized learning in your district. Selected team members participate in Train-the-Trainer coursework to grow internal knowledge and capacity to support your district vision and action plan.
Phase 3 – Institutionalize – This phase focuses on building capacity of all participating staff through professional learning around the guiding principles and components of personalized learning as implementation of your district’s vision and action plan continues to spread and grow!
Personalized learning takes an investment of time, resources, and energy – and your investment will reap benefits in both the short- and long-term! Your leaders will build capacity to launch and sustain instructional changes that will help ALL learners meet high expectations. Your teachers will learn research-based instructional strategies proven to accelerate learning – and they can use them right away. The IU13 Personalized Learning Academy approach is a journey at your own pace. Each step of this journey brings growth and continuous improvement so your learners will reap the benefits at the beginning and well into the future.
Our program includes both in-person and online synchronous and asynchronous courses, sessions, and supports. Plus, a key component of our program is building capacity. Your district decides who (and how many) may participate, and we’ll tailor your path to meet your needs.
Yes! All of our sessions are eligible for Act 48 credits. Plus, administrators have the opportunity to enroll in our “Leading Personalized Learning” approved Act 45 program to dive deeper into our “Phase 1” program for leadership teams.
Let’s talk. Please give us a call (717-947-1742) or drop us an email to discuss your ideas, your district’s needs, and how we can join your journey toward personalized learning.
Let IU13 guide your personalized learning journey, and we’ll equip and support your team on its successful path to meeting your school’s goals.
