Download a PDF of the Key Takeaways
Education Week offers you a big-picture look at how states, districts, schools, and education companies can better serve students through personalized learning.
In this virtual event, Education Week journalists and guests will staff online “discussion” rooms on a host of topics, including the research arguments against personalized learning, how self-paced learning can go awry, low-tech personalized learning strategies, principals’ views on personalized learning, how to train teachers for a radical change, and 5 big mistakes education companies are making in trying to serve schools’ personalized learning needs. Join them on Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018, from 1 to 3 p.m. ET for a deep dive into PL education in your schools. This Online Summit provides you with a unique opportunity to interact directly with reporters and PL practitioners and experts and to watch a livestreamed series of interviews with the reporters after they’ve “broken it down” for you.
Event Video
Personalized Learning: In Conversation With Education Week
Agenda
1:00–2:30 p.m. ET | #PersonalizedLearningSummit Discussions Open
1:00–2:30 p.m. ET
The Research Arguments for (and Against) Personalized Learning
Join Education Week’s educational technology reporter Benjamin Herold for a hard look at 6 key research insights about the benefits and drawbacks of personalized learning. Benjamin will examine how the research behind this approach to learning is very weak, why people are still confused about what exactly personalized learning is, what practical constraints educators face in making this work, why there are reasons to be encouraged about the movement, how the worst fears about this approach are not frequently realized, and why teachers need to play a major role in any personalized learning initiative.
Benjamin Herold was a contributing writer who covered learning environments and ed-tech issues for Education Week.
Elizabeth D. Steiner
Associate Policy Researcher,
RAND Corporation
John F. Pane
Senior Scientist,
RAND Corporation
Laura Hamilton
Senior Behavioral Scientist and Distinguished Chair in Learning and Assessment,
RAND Education
1:00–2:30 p.m. ET
How Self-Paced Learning Can Go Awry and What to Do About It
Join Education Week Contributing Writer Michelle R. Davis and Michele Eaton, the director of virtual and blended learning for Indiana’s MSD of Wayne Township, to learn more about the implementation of online and blended-learning programs to foster a successful personalized educational environment for students. Find out how to execute such an initiative without expensive software and digital tools, and craft a winning professional development program for teachers taking on blended-learning instruction. Avoid problems before they arise, including a lack of follow-through by students in self-paced or competency-based versions of such programs. Eaton and Davis will share important lessons to allow ed-tech leaders to sidestep problems as they implement blended-learning initiatives.
1:00–2:30 p.m. ET
It's Not All About Technology!
For many school districts, personalized learning is a strategy rooted in technology. But the Henry County, Ga., school system is taking a different approach. The 42,000-student district instead gives students customized support in academic areas where they struggle, and carves out time each week for them to explore their passions through structured projects. The personalized strategies vary, school by school, and technology is only one piece of those efforts—not the center of them. Join Education Week Assistant Editor Sarah D. Sparks and a pair of principals from Henry County as they talk about the district’s approach, and what other K-12 systems around the country can learn from it.
Mary Carol Stanley
Principal,
Luella Middle School, Locust Grove, Henry County Schools, Ga.
Anthony Townsend
Principal,
Locust Grove High School, Henry County Schools, Locust Grove, Ga.
Sarah D. Sparks covers education research, data, and the science of learning for Education Week.
1:00–2:30 p.m. ET
What Do Principals Believe? Exclusive Survey Offers Answers
Join Education Week Assistant Managing Editor Kevin Bushweller to talk about the newspaper’s exclusive, nationally representative survey of principals’ views on personalized learning. Principals across the country are embracing the idea of personalized learning, but not always putting it front and center in their schools. They think the idea—and the technology that supports it—holds promise for engaging students and allowing teachers to focus on what’s important. But they remain concerned about the negative impact that ed tech, in the guise of personalized learning, can have on students’ ability to think deeply and connect with peers. What do you think?
Kevin Bushweller oversees coverage of educational technology and learning environments for Education Week.
Arzinia Gill
Principal,
DelSesto Middle School, Providence, R.I., School District
1:00–2:30 p.m. ET
Training Teachers for a Radical Change
Join Education Week Staff Writer Sarah Schwartz to discuss what it takes to re-train teachers to work in personalized learning environments. To close big achievement gaps between its students, one elementary school in Chicago decided to boost its personalized learning practices. It put in place a 6-month professional development regimen to prepare teachers to make it work. But even with such a prolonged, intensive, and intentional agenda, the school found that training teachers to put in place personalized-learning models remained a big challenge. Hear about what the school learned and the adjustments it made.
Sarah Schwartz is a reporter for Education Week who covers curriculum and instruction.
Stacy Stewart
Principal,
Belmont-Cragin Elementary School, Chicago, Ill.
1:00–2:30 p.m. ET
5 Big Mistakes Education Companies Are Making
Join EdWeek Market Brief Senior Editor Sean Cavanagh for a discussion of how scores of education companies are pinning their hopes on schools buying their personalized learning products and services. But all too often, companies are making rookie mistakes in not assessing the market properly, failing to understand that the definition of personalized learning ranges widely from one school to another, and promising more than they can deliver. Learn how to avoid those mistakes and better serve the needs of schools.
Sean Cavanagh is the managing editor of EdWeek Market Brief.
Chris Liang-Vergara
Chief of Learning Innovation,
LEAP Innovations
1:00–2:30 p.m. ET
Microsoft Education: Unlock Limitless Learning
Content provided by Microsoft Education
Every student is unique and deserves an education that unlocks their limitless potential. Empowering educational practice to achieve this goal means providing students tools that personalize learning and give curious minds the independence they need to learn the way they want—the way that best suits their needs, abilities, and unique potential. It also means not only preparing students for the real world, but also equipping them for the future. In this discussion room, find out how your schools can give students the kind of tools and immersive experiences that truly spark creativity and offer students the opportunity to see that there is nothing standing between who they are and who they can be.
‣ Guests: Representatives from Microsoft Education will include: Jami Bezy, Ben Dylla, Michelle Peterson, and Kathy Ross
Every student is unique and deserves an education that unlocks their limitless potential. Empowering educational practice to achieve this goal means providing students tools that personalize learning and give curious minds the independence they need to learn the way they want—the way that best suits their needs, abilities, and unique potential. It also means not only preparing students for the real world, but also equipping them for the future. In this discussion room, find out how your schools can give students the kind of tools and immersive experiences that truly spark creativity and offer students the opportunity to see that there is nothing standing between who they are and who they can be.
‣ Guests: Representatives from Microsoft Education will include: Jami Bezy, Ben Dylla, Michelle Peterson, and Kathy Ross
1:00–2:30 p.m. ET
Texthelp: Enabling Students to Personalize Their Own Learning
Content provided by Texthelp
There is a major shift happening in education today—one that is geared towards personalizing the learning experience for each and every student. Davis, a full-time teacher and EdTech influencer, joins Colburn to discuss the current trends and best practices for implementing personalized learning. They’ll also be discussing how differentiated instruction and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) fit into the personalized learning framework, as well as how ed tech can provide students with choice and voice in their learning. To wrap up the discussion, Davis will share some of her favorite ed-tech tools during a “super share.” We want to hear your favorites as well!
There is a major shift happening in education today—one that is geared towards personalizing the learning experience for each and every student. Davis, a full-time teacher and EdTech influencer, joins Colburn to discuss the current trends and best practices for implementing personalized learning. They’ll also be discussing how differentiated instruction and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) fit into the personalized learning framework, as well as how ed tech can provide students with choice and voice in their learning. To wrap up the discussion, Davis will share some of her favorite ed-tech tools during a “super share.” We want to hear your favorites as well!
Kathleen Colburn
Product Manager,
Texthelp
Vicki Davis
Author,
Cool Cat Teacher Blog @coolcatteacher
1:00–2:30 p.m. ET
Education Elements: Strategies for a Personalized Approach to Professional Development
Content provided by Education Elements
Join Education Elements’ guests Keith Koehne and Heidi Zollman to hear why Lakota Local School District and Rochester Public Schools feel passionately about personalized professional development, what obstacles they’ve encountered, and what lessons they’ve learned along the way. Education Elements believes that teachers across the country are evolving their teaching and learning, increasingly shifting towards a more student-centered, personalized approach. In turn, school districts are reflecting on their own approach to professional learning. They feel that educators—like students—need personalized professional learning. Education Elements is partnering with several districts to support their efforts to shift both classroom instruction and professional development.
Join Education Elements’ guests Keith Koehne and Heidi Zollman to hear why Lakota Local School District and Rochester Public Schools feel passionately about personalized professional development, what obstacles they’ve encountered, and what lessons they’ve learned along the way. Education Elements believes that teachers across the country are evolving their teaching and learning, increasingly shifting towards a more student-centered, personalized approach. In turn, school districts are reflecting on their own approach to professional learning. They feel that educators—like students—need personalized professional learning. Education Elements is partnering with several districts to support their efforts to shift both classroom instruction and professional development.
Jill Thompson
Associate Partner,
Education Elements
Kelly Freiheit
Associate Partner,
Education Elements
Keith Koehne
Executive Director,
Curriculum & Instruction, Lakota Local School District, Liberty Township, Ohio
Heidi Zollman
Curriculum Administrator,
Rochester Public Schools, Rochester, N.H.
2:30–3:00 p.m. ET
Final Reporter Wrap-up
Personalized Learning: In Conversation With Education Week
Led by the reporters, the Education Week newsroom will close out the day with insights from the discussions they’ve had with you, the readers.
Led by the reporters, the Education Week newsroom will close out the day with insights from the discussions they’ve had with you, the readers.