Tapping the Power of Personalized Learning: A Roadmap for School Leaders

James Rickabaugh provides perhaps the most action-based book on personalized learning with his text Tapping the Power of Personalized Learning: A Roadmap for School Leaders. Although he does provide strong theory to reinforce his practical ideas, the book truly is a roadmap for administrators providing activities that could be utilized in professional development setting, reflection questions and specific action steps that can be taken to lead the school towards a culture of personalized learning. Chapter one focuses on assumptions and levels, which quickly rebukes some misconceptions about personalized learning, my favorite being where Rickabaugh challenges the educational norm of allowing students to fail within the system over and over until change is made. From there he reinforces five frameworks administrator can take advantage of to make change including structures, samples, standards, strategies, and self. Chapter two moves on to what he calls the Honeycomb model, where the core of the model consists of developing learning profiles, customizing each student’s learning path, and measuring growth on mastery. As the honeycomb expands out, Rickabaugh touches on other significant factors. The ones that stood most out to me was learner choice and multiple modes of culturally relevant pedagogy. As a teacher, I found learning most effective when students were given choice of content and demonstration of knowledge, and these are points Rickabaugh highlights in his honeycomb model. On the outskirts of the honeycomb, he uses the edge to symbolize the changing relationships and roles that come with personalized learning. Ideas such as collaboration and independent learning are essentially to successful personalized learning models. Chapter three focused on personalized learning from a student perspective where he focuses on 12 factors including: purposeful learning, learning efficacy, ownership of learning, flexible pacing, learner voice, learner choice, learners as resources, flexible learning spaces, focus on commitment, collaboration, technology as learning support, and growing learner independence. I particularly linked personalized learning with technology and as Rickabaugh says (particularly for 1-1 schools) technology now allows students to become more independent, move forward at a pace that matches their readiness, gain immediate feedback, and access a wide variety of resources” (pg. 941/1946 kindle edition). Chapter four transitions from a student perspective to an instructor perspective where he reduces his list to five essential practices: shifting instruction to content, competencies, and learning from the student perspective, shifting from learning on demand to instructing on demand, shifting learning towards a direct focus; build learning capacity (not content accumulation), and ensuring success rather access. For teachers and administrators alike, these are powerful keys! Chapters five and six focused on building educator capacity and sustaining transformation. The key to building educator capacity is providing a system (and space and time) to develop individual learning profiles and modeling to teachers how this practice is done, including making learning profiles for them and have teachers set their own learning goals. By modeling the practice for teachers, they can in turn teach their students. This is the easy, part however. As chapter six points, sustaining these efforts are difficult, although Rickabaugh provides a plethora of tips and strategies to make this happen - the most effective probably being building a culture of collaboration in the school. The key is to not key teachers to buy in, but for them to take ownership. As a first year administrator this text is invaluable to me. It provided me with professional development ideas I can carry throughout the year and provided me with tools to start the transformation in my school. Any school or parent interested in personalized learning should definitely not overlook this text!

This book is for any school leader who wants to truly transform the educational process and make it more meaningful and personal for every student.Jim Rickabaugh's thoughtful and very practical approach shows you how to use personalized learning to engage students, help them take ownership of their own learning and provides advice for teachers as co-designers of the learning process as well. is based on years of research at the Institute for Personalized Learning. This book provides the road map for the groundbreaking change our educational system desperately needs to keep students in school, and show them how to relate their learning to the future they want.As a former school administrator and teacher who has used personalized learning for years, I am certain that personalized learning is the vehicle to create the paradigm shift that our educational system needs to raise the bar and show all students that school and learning can be relevant to them today, and prepare them for any type of future that presents itself.Thank you Jim for such an extraordinarily practical and innovative book. It is one that is timeless and will benefit every educator, school leader and student!

Dense writing style that actually obscured his points rather than clarifying them. Useful but this one will be rapidly passed on and not become a staple on my shelf.

This is a must read if you plan to implement Personalized Learning in your classroom or school. The book outlines how to go about making the changes, with the understanding that teachers will have to feel comfortable "jumping in", as well! The definition of Personalized Learning is well-stated: "An approach to learning and instruction that is designed around individual learner readiness, strengths, needs, and interests. Learners are active participants in setting goals, planning learning paths, tracking progress, and determining how learning will be demonstrated. At any given time, learning objectives, content, methods, and pacing are likely to vary from learner to learner as they pursue proficiency aligned to established standards. A fully personalized environment moves beyond both differentiation and individualization."In order to make the switch, schools will have to evaluate the assumptions for the routines that have been established. Looking at current practices and deciding why those have been chosen and then deciding if they are the best strategies. Then, schools will have to employ the right "levers" which are: Structures, Samples, Standards, Strategies and Self (page 25). Self is the single most important lever for improving outcomes. It requires students and teachers changing their ideas of the learning roles.The Honeycomb model with help educators guide students along their personalized learning journey. This process requires a detailed learning profile of the learner, set and clear proficiencies each learner is progressing towards, an collaboration plan for the learning path.The rest of the book helps teachers set this personalized learning approach into action. This book is for the school leader to use to guide the school. However, a teacher could use the book as well for his or her own personalized learning transition.

A must read for anyone curious about personalized learning environments. Provides real world examples and real world data. It is applicable to any stakeholder in school communities. It is a new essential for all leaders looking to institute change.