The concept of personalization in learning appeals to many K-12 teachers and students weary of regimented, one-size-fits-all instruction. The in-vogue term personalization is used to refer to many different learning strategies and structures--from personal learning plans to greater student voice. Differentiation expert Carol Ann Tomlinson is…

Discusses a "tri-dimensional approach" to individualized instruction that is based on determination of 1) the correct level of difficulty for every student, 2) the appropriate learning behavior in a deliberately arranged environment, and 3) the appropriate teacher behavior to facilitate achievement. (JG)

Creating higher, uniformly applied standards for students and teachers without creating clearly understood standards for schools or communities will simply result in another round of blaming the victim. The creation of standard-bearer schools, in partnership with the Center for Leadership in School Reform, attempts to assess the school…

Project 2061's first product, Science for All Americans, recommends the science, mathematics, and technology skills and knowledge that students should retain after high school graduation. Soon to appear are benchmarks for science literacy, and blocks, models, and blueprints for curriculum design. The project's basic premises: the ends come first,…

Peak Learning System's relationship-centered teaching framework focuses on fulfilling students' fundamental emotional needs to ensure learning willingness. Students are motivated when they believe that teachers treat them like people and care about them personally and educationally. The learning ambience must be safe, of value, successful,…

Dozens of Australian "laptop" schools are following the lead of Methodist Ladies' College (an independent pre-K-12 school) in personal computing and are using some of their pioneering professional development models, including in-classroom collaboration, "slumber parties," and build-a-book workshops. Guidelines for implementing…