When the learning environment functions like a machine, all of the students showing engagement in whatever they are working on, without any outside influences pressuring them to accomplish tasks... then the class is enveloped in personalized learning. The yearbook class I instruct has reached this climate. Even on days I am in the lab with the students there is little for me to do. Learning is truly a product of the environment.

I achieved this setting by utilizing kid leadership, a learning management system, and Google Slides.

Kid Leadership... The editor in chief of the yearbook fills many holes that I cannot due to proximity of the class. While I am instructing other classes she fills the void of the "person in charge." She meets with me during lunch and we go over the plan for the day. She then relays that information to the class. Students update the task board throughout the period (pictured below) and she uses this for attendance and to hold kids accountable during the hour. I also have access to the task board and can trouble shoot any questions or concerns students may have in real time from another room.

The learning management system (Schoology) is the glue that holds everything together. I create three weeks worth of material that is all available each week. This means kids can choose to work on photography, writing, or layout & design, then the next week work on the next level or switch topics and continue at a level that they were previously at. Some students are being balanced and alternating between the three while others are focusing on the one they are passionate about and developing more skills because the rigor of work increases with each level. I look over the work submitted and give feedback. The next level's first task is always fixing the mistakes from the previous level and resubmitting. This holds kids accountable and helps them improve.

Google Slides is used to construct all of the lessons that kids work on. I build slide decks that contain directions, tasks, and links to articles and videos for kids to explore. They self teach a skill and then practice it. By the end of the week they must submit their completed slide deck to me.

Kids are also responsible for completing one task per week for the actual yearbook. This ranges from acquiring quotes, laying out pages, and taking photos. They self score and provide evidence for what they accomplished and that is also turned in through Schoology.

Creating opportunities for students to learn while teaching in a separate room is a complex and ever changing task. I have put into place a few systems that are utilized everyday and some are trial and error.

The editor in chief of the yearbook eats lunch with me everyday. During that time we go over the agenda and bounce ideas off each other. She takes the Google Slides and projects them on the screen in the lab. She starts the class, sharing with kids the learning target, etc.

For instant communication I have one student (who is a classroom aide for me during another hour) who is allowed to come into the other room I am teaching in or text me. This is great for trouble shooting problems that cannot be completed by a student (login troubles, admin questions, etc.) and avoids having multiple students disrupt a lesson.

I utilize discussion posts in Schoology (LMS) for communicating with students throughout the class period. They share what their plan is for the day and how they intend to go about it. I can comment with feedback and provide links or other resources without having to be in the room. See the screenshots below.

The most sophisticated and efficient form of communication I use with the class is in the form of a Google Slides task board. Kids update what they are working on, where they are, and can post questions for me to respond to. The editor in chief uses this board to hold students accountable and take attendance. There are also spots for the editor in chief to leave feedback on the day.

There are three levels to Project Based Learning (PBL); project based assignment, mixed, and entrepreneurial. Each have a purpose and allow for different amounts of personalization for students.

Project based assignment is the safest for teachers. It is very tasked based with kids filling in the gaps with their own content. The teacher is in control of the pacing and which standards are addressed. This model is very much step one, step two, and so on.

How I have done project based assignment in my class: The Shark Tank unit is very teacher controlled. Each student could choose between building a housing community, non profit, or clothing line. As they moved farther along with the tasks I would drop in skills associated with the state standards. Although every kid got to decide their materials, location, etc, I was very much in control of what they were learning each day.

Mixed PBL is a style of teaching that lets students make their own choices within the standards presented to them by the teacher. The starting points for each kid are more or less the same but the end goals will naturally be different.

How I have done mixed PBL in my class: I have one essential question for the class (why do people take risks?) and then use that as the driving force for each kid. As the kids address standards they have the opportunity for higher level thinking by applying their skills to the class EQ. Every kid made a video or presentation that was evaluated by people from the community.

Entrepreneurial PBL is the glorified version of teaching that many strive for. This model tends to last months at a time and every student learns what they want at their own pace. The educator has to be willing to give up control and be okay with every student in the room working on different tasks.

How I have done entrepreneurial PBL in my class: Each student vetted an essential question. Then they used that EQ as their backbone for their learning. When appropriate, students demonstrated the state standards in relation to their EQs. An example from one student was the EQ: Why do people rely on the Internet? She made a map on poster paper to analyze Internet use around the globe. From there she could make connections to the standards within the constraints of her EQ.

Having each student develop an essential question (EQ), or thesis statement in higher education, is an excellent way to frame personalized learning.

The first model is to have a class EQ. Every student is using the same one and reflecting and applying learning to it when appropriate. Doing this gives students an opportunity to go beyond grade level standards and apply learning to something new.

The second model requires more freedom from the teacher. It allows each student to have their own EQ. Then as kids are learning they are applying their new skills to their personal EQ. An EQ is important for grounding work and thinking. It gives a larger purpose to the skills being practiced and eventually mastered.

A good EQ is one that is not content specific and can be answered and applied in a multitude of ways.

Examples of strong essential questions: Why do people move? Why do people take risks? How do people pursue happiness? Why do people rely on the Internet? Why do people make bad choices? How can people be agents of change?

There are many ways to personalize rubrics. The teacher can do it or the students can.

A subtle shift is to leave the highest scoring opportunity on the rubric for an assignment blank. When the students know what to do to score a four or A, then that is all they are going to do. But if rubrics are made with the expectations set for grade level and exceeding that is left blank, then the student is forced to take a risk and try something in a much more creative way. High achieving students tend to struggle with this. They fear not knowing what to do.

A personalized rubric is more challenging, for the students and teacher. The one above is an example of how students can create their own lessons. It is called a Zero Point Rubric. It works well with the Depth of Knowledge wheel. Students plug in a standard, choose a rigor from the DOK wheel and then get peer feedback before meeting with the teacher. This allows for students to create their own lessons within the constraints of a larger project or to simply demonstrate a skill and receive feedback on it.

How it works in my class: I found that about five kids per class period utilized the Zero Point Rubric a couple times a week. I had the state standards available for them in sixth grade language and many printed them out and put in their journals. As they demonstrated mastery on each standard they would cross them off. I discovered that students challenged themselves more than I would have if I stuck to the traditional model.

A comfortable shift from traditional teaching to a more personalized approach is changing the way students are paced throughout a class. The teacher is still in control of the daily lessons, with kids more or less all working on the same tasks, but the kids can choose when and how to complete each one. This can be done regardless of technology. Imagine the lessons in playlist or menu form.

A learning management system (LMS) makes this shift easier, but is not essential. A teacher can print off four assignments and kids can only move on to the next one as each is completed. Another way to do it is to have five or six options and tell students they need to complete four of them by the end of the week. The teacher is still planning all of the tasks, aligned with state standards, but the kids feel slightly empowered because they can work on whichever ones they want. Sticking with deadlines will make this style of educating work well for teachers who want to dabble in personalizing learning.

If a teacher is fortunate enough to be in a building with a LMS then assignments can be digitally created and locked, requiring students to complete one task before moving on to the next. This automated process is great in large class sizes with students of many different needs and abilities.

Letting students control the pace of how they learn is not fully integrating personalized learning. What often happens is teachers will get stuck in this realm, thinking they are giving students tons of ways to learn when in reality is giving kids tons of prescribed options. It is a great starting point, but try not to get stuck here.

What is looks like in my classroom: The LMS I use is Schoology. It has an excellent folder system for grouping different tasks. A folder is created with five or six tasks and students need to complete three of them, score high enough on those tasks, then the next folder will unlock. This style goes well with project based assignment.

The environment of a classroom is an element that can be most drastically changed without having to make a great shift in ones own teaching practice. Regardless of content, room layout, and technology options, there are many ways to be creative within the room before kids even enter it.

One step is removing the teacher desk from the room. It will create more space. It will also force the educator to prioritize what materials are important to them and which ones are important for kids. Try it.

The rest of the room can shift from traditional tables and chairs to flexible seating. Do not confuse this with comfortable seating. Every seat and surface must have a purpose. Simply trading out old furniture for big couches does not create flexible seating. Students like hard surfaces to work on and areas that can create natural groups. Lighting and outlets should also be taken into consideration.

The seating around the room should never be placed against a wall, unless the student will be facing the wall. Being able to circulate the room and view student work should always be a priority. Also keep in mind where outlets are. It is the 21st c. Having charging stations or access to outlets is a great way to naturally group kids.

Wherever students will be working, they tend to gravitate toward areas that can have clusters of five or six of them. Whether they are doing individual work or not, they enjoy sitting with someone else who is also working. It appears to create an intrinsic feeling geared toward focussing. If possible, use large tables over three individual ones. A great hack is to take the legs off of a table, put slide stoppers on the legs, and stack the table on another table. Instant bar style table for kids to stand at and put supplies on the original table.

Natural lighting is the best, but not always available. A suggestion is to have the lighting set before students enter the room. Playing a video; then have the lights off and the clip playing before students find their seats. Want music, have the volume set to a coffee shop style so that kids can only hear it when no one is talking. Amazon Echo Alexa Volume Four works great for a standard sized classroom.

It is important to know that flexible seating does not always have to be furniture based. Use what is available to you and involve student choice around it. The shift does not need to occur overnight. As new pieces are acquired replace traditional ones.

A little about my room: The walls are painted blue, orange, red, and green. This is to distinguish between the four state standards around social studies. The corresponding folders in the school learning management system use the same colors. One eight foot long bar table (built by the tech class and wood purchased for about $200 from Home Depot) splits the room in half. There is a smart television screen on either side of the long table. Two more bar tables can be moved around, but at at different heights. This lets eight or so students sit by each other but creates two separate groups. The music is always on, regardless of silent time or a video clip being played. Students can only hear it when no one is talking. Think Starbucks. The lights are off and a multitude of lamps create different types of options for kids. There are USB charging stations at various tables and outlets that kids can plug into. Most of these materials were required though a flexible seating grant.

The shift from traditional education, where the teacher is front and center, to a personalized learning environment is transcending the way students learn. No longer is the teacher the keeper of knowledge. But as educators make this change, it is not so sudden of a leap that many fear.

Change in the way educators instruct students can be described through the levels of the "river crossing" metaphor. Using this a a great way to gauge how personalized the classroom is. Not necessarily meaning one is better than the others. Every group of students is unique and each task should be handled in a different manner.

Level One

Level one has students tasked with crossing a river by making a bridge out of wood. The objective is predetermined by the instructor. Every person will make a bridge, more or less the same way.

Level Two

Level two has students crossing a river with a multitude of options. The instructor may allow for people to choose between making a bridge, raft, or dam. Educators tend to get stuck in this realm of choice. Often thinking that the more options there are the more student centered the class is.

Level Three

Level three simply tasks students with crossing the river. The method and tools used to achieve this is entirely up to them. Entrepreneurial project based learning thrives in this environment. With the instructor providing an overarching essential question and allowing students to work though it at their own pace.

Level Four

Level four uses no river. The question students address might be "why do people cross divides?" This opens the door for students to engage in the work however they want. Having an overarching question allows students to demonstrate their skills in a way that will give them the highest chance of success.

Level 4.1

This level is pure personalized learning. Each student chooses his own driving question, demonstrates their understanding of the state standards in their own unique way, and works at a pace dictated by them.

No level is better than any other. They are all useful in their own right. Asking students which works best for them is already more personalized than assuming, as the educator, we know best.