Education Experts Outline How to Promote Personalized Learning within Professional Learning Communities (PLCs)

Bloomington, Ind. (May 5, 2018)— In Personalized Learning in a PLC at Work™: Student Agency Through the Four Critical Questions—published by Solution Tree—authors Timothy S. Stuart, Sascha Heckmann, Mike Mattos and Austin Buffum detail how to build highly effective learning-progressive schools.

The authors identify three clear elements that are common among the world’s most successful schools:

1. They have all the characteristics of a high-functioning professional learning community (PLC), which calls on staff to focus on learning, build a collaborative culture and create a results orientation.
2. They focus on essential disciplinary knowledge; incorporate transdisciplinary, future-ready skills; and cultivate student-agency behaviors.
3. They teach students how to personalize their learning process.

In the book’s introduction, the authors explain, “Our hope is that this book will be a useful tool for all PLC schools that are ready to deepen their understanding and implementation of PLCs by welcoming students into the PLC conversation and empowering them to truly own and personalize their learning.”

Personalized Learning in a PLC at Work™ is divided into four parts:

Part I: Making the Case for Change describes the changing educational paradigm, defines what it means to be highly effective and learning progressive and introduces the elements of these innovative schools.

Part II: Adapting the Four Critical Questions offers a structure for giving students responsibility for each PLC critical question: What do I want to know, understand and be able to do? How will I demonstrate that I have learned it? What will I do when I am not learning? What will I do when I have already learned it?

Part III: Putting Theory Into Practice gives examples of how elementary, middle and high schools around the world are putting theory into practice.

Part IV: Committing to Change introduces a successful change process in a school that has gone through the transformation to become highly effective and learning progressive.

At the end of each chapter are three short reflection sections: Rate Your Progression, Tips for Transformation and Questions to Consider. These are meant to communicate the key points of each chapter and start the reader on his or her own inquiry process concerning personalized learning within a PLC.

“This thought-provoking book challenges us to reconcile the tension between the personalization that students need and the consistency that collaborative teams require,” said Douglas Reeves, best-selling author and founder of Creative Leadership Solutions. “The authors offer a framework for educators and leaders who want to take the next step with their PLCs.”

Personalized Learning in a PLC at Work™: Student Agency Through the Four Critical Questions is now available to order at SolutionTree.com.

About the Authors
Timothy S. Stuart, EdD, is head of school for International Community School of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In his previous role as executive director of strategic programs at the Singapore American School, he served as the chief architect for research and development and supported strategic school reform.

Sascha Heckmann, EdD, is an innovative practitioner with broad experience in a variety of contexts. He is currently director at the American International School of Mozambique. Previously, he was the high school principal at Shanghai American School, where he leveraged the PLC at Work™ model as the foundation for innovative and progressive teaching and learning.

Mike Mattos, an internationally recognized author, presenter and practitioner, specializes in uniting teachers, administrators and support staff to transform schools. Mike is a former principal of Marjorie Veeh Elementary School and Pioneer Middle School in California, where he helped create cultures of success, improving learning for all students.

Austin Buffum, EdD, has 38 years of experience in public schools. His many roles include serving as former senior deputy superintendent of the Capistrano Unified School District in California. Dr. Buffum has delivered presentations and trainings on the RTI at Work™ model in over 500 schools and districts around the world.

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