When They Already Know It

This practical guide is designed to help collaborative teams at all grade levels address the critical question "How will we extend the learning for students who are already proficient?" Mark Weichel, Blane McCann, and Tami Williams identify five elements of personalized learning, along with five instructional strategies for extended, differentiated instruction, that give all students the opportunity to reach their personal best.

Rethink how to respond to proficient students in a competency-based curriculum: Realize the importance of addressing the fourth critical question of Professional Learning Communities at Work(TM). Learn the five elements of personalized learning: knowing your learners, allowing student voice and choice, implementing flexibility, using data, and integrating technology. Explore five differentiated instruction strategies for extending the learning for high-ability and high-potential students: curriculum compacting, flexible grouping, product choices, tiered assignments, and multilevel learning stations. Understand how collaborative teams in a professional learning community (PLC) can maximize student engagement, motivating students to learn beyond the essential standards. Utilize individual and collaborative team reflection tools, and read stories based on real-life teachers' experiences implementing the elements of personalized learning in classrooms.

Contents:

Introduction

Chapter 1: Reframing

Chapter 2: Personalized Learning

Chapter 3: Instructional Strategies That Support Question 4 Students

Chapter 4: Knowing Your Learners

Chapter 5: Allowing Voice and Choice

Chapter 6: Implementing Flexibility

Chapter 7: Using Data

Chapter 8: Integrating Technology

Chapter 9: Bringing It All Together