EP#73 | How to Create Personalized Learning Environments Where Students Are Architects of Their Learning

How can we move away from a one-size-fits-all paradigm and toward one in which learners have the agency to design their own learning experiences? Today I visit the Davis School District to meet Robert Kinghorn and Amy Thompson.   Amy has been a teacher for the past 18 years. Amy was formally recognised as a "Exemplary Teacher" in the Salt Lake City School District based on student progress and competency outcomes while teaching in the Salt Lake City School District. She has also worked as a teacher's aide and an assistant principal. Amy is presently teaching coding and digital skills to upper elementary pupils.   During Robert's five-year time as principal of a Title 1 school in Clearfield, Utah, he worked with teachers to change the atmosphere and improve academic achievements, virtually doubling student competence rates on end-of-level state testing.   The section of Amy and Rob's book, Out of the Dugout, that has stayed with me the most is when they discuss how they foster a mentality in learners based on growth, belonging, and agency. It's one of the things that, as adults, many of us did not have exposure to in school, and as a result, it's one of the reasons why so many of us struggle with change.   0:00 Introduction 1:29 Introducing Robert Kinghorn and Amy Thompson and how they came together to publish their book 10:53 What should leaders focus on to build trust across an educational team 13:12 Tools for identifying someone's strengths and the level of psychological safety 14:54 Rob and Amy's take on what 'personalized learning' means 19:40 Challenges faced when desigining experiences of agency and autonomy for learners 24:49 Talking about 'Out of the Dugout' and its proposed framework 32:45 How to approach teachers when implementing changes in schools 35:33 How to help teachers develop a sense of self-efficacy 40:51 Talking about teacher collaboration and how it looks like in Rob and Amy's framework 43:47 Some hurdles that Rob and Amy faced while implementing their framework 48:09 Rob and Amy's views on design thinking for creating change in schools 52:02 Defining motivation and how to develop it while implementing changes   Connect with Rob and Amy:   Website: https://outofthedugout.com/ Rob's Twitter: https://twitter.com/rwkinghorn Amy's Twitter: https://twitter.com/AmyT_555   Connect with me, Dr. Sabba Quidwai:   Website: https://designingschools.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabba-quidwai/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/askMsQ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designing_schools/