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Overview
Overview
Personalized Learning tailors instruction, pace, supports, and pathways to the unique strengths, needs, and interests of each learner. It empowers students to take ownership of their learning while ensuring they are mastering key outcomes in ways that work best for them.
🎯 Why It Matters
🎯 Why It Matters
Increases engagement by making learning relevant and student-centered
Supports equity by providing what each learner needs to succeed
Encourages independence, ownership, and metacognition
Aligns with Portrait of a Graduate competencies and deeper learning outcomes
Promotes inclusion by recognizing that one size does not fit all
Personalized learning isn’t about giving students whatever they want — it’s about giving them what they need to learn deeply and thrive.
🧠 Strategy Checklist
🧠 Strategy Checklist
🔹 BEFORE THE LESSON
☐ Use formative or diagnostic data to identify individual student needs
☐ Design choice options for process, content, or product
☐ Set up flexible groups, pacing, or stations
☐ Include interest-based examples or relevant content
☐ Prepare tools for student goal-setting and reflection
🔹 DURING THE LESSON
☐ Provide choices that align with learning goals
☐ Conference with students to monitor progress and adjust paths
☐ Allow time and space for students to work at their own pace when appropriate
☐ Use technology or tools to support differentiated paths
☐ Offer scaffolds and enrichment based on readiness levels
🔹 AFTER THE LESSON
☐ Review progress toward individual goals
☐ Reflect with students: What worked for you? What do you need next?
☐ Adjust groupings or pathways based on formative data
☐ Celebrate student growth, not just performance
☐ Share strategies that worked with colleagues to build collective practice
👀 Look-Fors
👀 Look-Fors
Students are working on tasks that meet their current needs or interests
Learning paths, products, or pacing are flexible and responsive
Students can explain why they’re working on something and what they’re aiming for
Teachers use a range of formats: 1:1 conferencing, choice boards, playlists, etc.
Classrooms show evidence of student voice, self-direction, and growth
📈Continuum of Practice
📈Continuum of Practice
FOUNDATIONAL
Teacher:
Teacher provides the same task to all students with limited flexibility or relevance.
EMERGING
Teacher:
Teacher introduces some choice or flexible grouping but inconsistently.
PROFICIENT
Teacher:
Teacher uses data to plan options that reflect readiness, interest, and learning preferences.
TRANSFORMING
Teacher:
Teacher co-designs learning pathways with students, flexibly adapts support, and fosters ownership.
Student:
Students complete work that may not match their readiness or interests.
Student:
Students have some control but may not understand their learning path.
Student:
Students work at appropriate challenge levels, reflect, and make some choices.
Student:
Students make informed decisions, reflect on progress, and direct aspects of their learning journey.
🗃️ Structures
🗃️ Structures
LEARNING PROFILE
Gather and use information about how each student learns best.
Learner Profiles: Create digital or paper profiles with info on strengths, needs, interests, and goals
Learning Style/Modality Inventories: Help students reflect on how they learn best (visual, kinesthetic, auditory, etc.)
Student Voice Surveys: Ask students about preferred types of tasks, collaboration, environment, etc.
“My Learning Snapshot” Boards: Display quick facts about each learner to inform planning
FLEXIBLE PATH & PACE
Allow students to move through content based on mastery, interest, and readiness — not rigid pacing.
Choice Boards or Learning Menus: Students select tasks aligned to learning goals and their preferences
Tiered Assignments: Provide multiple entry points into a skill or concept
Self-Paced Modules: Students progress through digital or offline tasks at their own speed
Must-Do/May-Do Lists: Prioritize key tasks while offering flexible extension or support choices
GOAL-SETTING & REFLECTION
Support student ownership by helping learners set meaningful goals and reflect on their progress.
Weekly Learning Conferences: Touch base 1:1 on goals, progress, and needs
Personal Goal Cards: Students select and track their goals based on current areas of focus
Reflection Journals or Voice Memos: Students document how their learning path is working for them
Student-Centered Data Chats: Use assessment or tracker data to discuss next steps
ENVIRONMENT & SUPPORT
Create a classroom culture and physical space that promotes personalization.
Flexible Seating & Zones: Allow for collaboration, quiet work, tech integration, and creative space
Learning Path Displays: Show how learners may progress through units with different options
Tech Tools for Personalization: Use platforms like Khan Academy or Google Classroom to adapt content
Student Agency Stations: Dedicated spots for students to select tasks, check in, or reflect independently
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