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Now, it may seem contradictory to state that teachers should create a classroom learner toolkit.  All individuals in our class have their own profile. We can’t simply design on blanket profile for the class.  That is very true.  That’s why Bray and McClaskey take a different approach to what a classroom learning toolkit looks like.  It is a 3-step process Class Learning Snapshot Preferences and Needs Class Learning Toolkit Class Learning Snapshot In this model of designing tools for a whole classroom, the authors first recommend the teacher identify 4 learners who are diverse.  The Class Learning Snapshot records the specific strengths, talents, interests, and challenges of those four learners. If a teacher could meet the needs of these diverse learners through UDL, the needs of the other students in the class would probably be met. Student Strengths, Talents, and Interests Challenges 1 It's easier for me to understand con...

Barbara Bray and Kathleen McClaskey have done an amazing job of showing how to view the process of personalizing learning by using the lens of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). The UDL model looks at the process of learning in three distinct processes. Access - Learner is presented with new content or skill Engage - Learner works with new content or practices skill Express - Learner demonstrates mastery of content or skill By providing multiple methods/modes for each of these processes, students can allow students to design their own pathways to mastering content and skills. As students experiment with these different modes, they will discover who they are as a learner.  But, this is not simply a practice done through trial and error.  It needs to be done with intention. Bray and McClaskey present a framework through which learners can learn how they learn best and communicate it to others as well. This process of the learner knowing themselves has thr...

The new book How to Personalize Learning by Barbara Bray and Kathleen McClaskey is a rich book which builds on their previous work Make Learning Personal .  The book can serve as a great introduction to getting started with personalizing learning in the classroom in addition to being a work which will help educators dive deeper into empowering learners within the classroom. There is a lot I took away from the book. But to better guide my reflections, I would like to focus on these four topics in separate posts: The Elements of Learner Agency Learners Knowing How They Learn Knowing How a Classroom Learns Designing Lessons for all Learners This post will focus on Learner Agency Before we can begin the journey to create an environment in which passive students become learners who can take control of their own learning, we need to understand the facets of what a learner with agency looks like. We cannot begin the journey without knowing where we ar...