The power of SIMPLE: Transform your school by conquering standards, individualizing learning and creating a community of innovators Paperback – April 15, 2016

Kyle Wagner, who helped to pioneer the Futures Academy at the International School of Beijing, describes the how and why of creating a new kind of schooling. The FA model is one that works especially well for middle school and works well for schools and communities with resources. How well it would translate to a rural or urban school would be interesting to see. Wagner gives some useful and practical suggestions. However, I would like to have seen him make some stronger connections to other work in the field. There is a great deal borrowed from UbD and from GATE and connecting to those robust areas of educational research would have buoyed his arguments beyond his personal perspective.

This is a must read for all innovative teachers and administrators wanting to shake up their schools with great teaching and learning! The Power of Simple is equal parts great pedagogy mixed with detailed strategies for forward thinking 21st Century schools. The book profiles Kyle's journey toward seeing his dream of an individualized, project based, passion and experienced driven program take shape through the Futures Academy at the International School of Beijing. Some of my greatest take aways from the book are Kyle's unique use of personalized scheduling, student centered learning spaces, and amazing integrated projects!

Whether you are a teacher in a traditional school setting facing many constraints or a school leader with the latitude to make big changes, Wagner offers practical, useful strategies to create a more meaningful learning environment for your all of your students. If we were all to take even just one step as described in The Power of Simple, so many students would benefit. I’m looking forward to using Wagner’s guidance to create simple, yet powerful changes to my classroom setting, to finding partners in my school and community to make our curriculum more integrated and more connected to the real-world, and to finding ways to use existing technology to create a more individualized learning experience for all of my students… in short, to “transform” education in my school.

Every school leader NEEDS to read this book. There are few people I know who can write and speak with the experience and expertise that Kyle Wagner has had. Wagner has taught and led in some of the most innovative and progressive schools (High Tech High) in the world (Futures Academy in Beijing) and shares his practical experience on HOW to move that change with three simple, yet transformational areas. As a self-proclaimed education book addict, this is by far my favourite read.

This book makes transforming schools into an achievable process. Other books on the topic are messy and unclear. Wagner breaks it down into simple tasks/modifications that educators can make immediately. As an administrator of a small international high school program, after reading this book, I feel I have to tools necessary to lead my faculty and students into the future of education. From scheduling, planning physical space, integrating curriculum, individualizing learning, to supporting teachers, I now have learned what is necessary for us to make education what it needs to be, for this next generation. Thank you Kyle Wagner for empowering me to make change immediately, and giving me the knowledge and confidence to transform my school.

This author has such a depth of international experience in education, I find the read worth it alone to hear from such an inspired experience. Add to that the practical takeaways for bringing it back to your own classroom or school, and the book is a must read. I've seen so many books where the message never gets clearly articulated from the theoretical to the application, but Wagner's book is different. It provides action items that put theory into practice, and I'm excited to see them in action.

In this book, you get a real sense of how a transformative education can look, especially at the middle level. The book is full of examples, optimism, and encouragement. It is good for those who already have started formulating their own vision for transformative education and would like some inspiration and ideas.

Great Ideas...So inspiring

I stumbled across this book by chance as middle leader looking for some inspiration. My goodness I found it with this book. This is an author who has a deep understanding of teaching and learning and so much of what he says rings true to my own teaching philosophies. A MUST read for all forward thinking educators.

It about time someone reevaluate the education system ! To have personalized schedules, I think is the key to unlocking all of each student's full potentials, this book is a step by step to implement in your current classroom. Everyone has uqiune talents and as teachers we play a key roles to unlocking, this book has inspired me as an educator to reevaluate our schools methods and education system! Bravo Kyle, keep thinking outside the box !! I look forward to more of your innovative work !

Very inspirational, Kyle knows how to tell you really interesting things about the education through his interesting life. Really worthy!