Make Learning Personal

The What, Who, WOW, Where, and Why

"Barbara and Kathleen do an outstanding job of really capturing what personalized learning can look like in your classroom. They take you step by step through a journey of how you can turn your classroom into an environment where all learners have a voice and choice."

"This is a book that should be read by every educator and should be a part of every teacher preparation program. Weaving learning theory, research, and practical strategies together to create a deep understanding of what it means to personalize learning, Bray and McClaskey are masterful in guiding educators as they create learner-centered environments. Sharing success stories and practical examples, this book provides exactly what is needed to help teachers create learning environments that motivate and engage ALL learners."

"This book is on my mandatory reading list for educators who want to transform schools into learner-centered environments. Bray and McClaskey clear away the hype and buzzwords to focus on the crucial aspects of personalized learning. They provide a clear, research-supported rationale for why personalized learning is imperative, outline practical steps for implementation, and share examples of where personalized learning is already working. The book is simultaneously visionary, motivational, and practical. It is an excellent resource and I highly recommend it."

"In this book, Kathleen and Barbara have performed a wonderful service to the future of personalized learning design – grounded in research, supported by real-world examples and centered on the learner."

"If every educator could articulate what true 'personalized' learning looks like, our schools and classrooms would be much better places for students. It's time for us to stop talking about getting away from the factory model of schools and actually start doing it. This book is critically important reading for anyone who cares about empowering kids as learners."

"Bray and McClaskey have clarified what it means to truly personalize learning. They not only explain why this is such a powerful way to help learners of all ages learn, but they guide educators through the process of creating powerful personalize learning environments that work."

"This is a must read for those embarking on a teaching career, those who are just starting out, and those experienced teachers who want to reflect on why they went into to teaching and how they can improve the experience for themselves and their students. This book is my cup of tea: it is very well researched, replete with fabulous examples and great advice on how to give students a voice in their own learning. In this book every story matters because every student matters."

"Barbara and Kathleen have done an amazing job writing about Personalized Learning. I totally connected with both authors from the start of the book, where they openly share their own stories with deep emotion and raw honesty. Barbara and Kathleen both write from the heart and I found their stories inspirational and touching. 

This book has given me a deeper insight into personalized learning in all areas, from the 5 W's—what, who, wow, where, and why—to 'me', as the reader, and how I can personalize learning. 

There is a good balance between research, stories from teachers, leaders, and learners, and practical ideas that teachers can use in our own context. It is a comprehensive well of information and I would highly recommend this book to any educator who wants a great starting point in personalized learning and wants to give their learners the best possible learning for the rest of their lives.

Thank you for writing this much needed book!"

"The core or central theme of this book is having the leaner at the center of learning. This differs from the current educational paradigm and many educational publications in that often curriculum and instruction are the focus of the discussions rather the learner. The book is nicely and strategically divided into who, what, wow, where, and why. Ideas are well supported by educational research, theories, and psychology with case studies that reinforce and exemplify the theoretical concepts covered. This is a great addition to the literature for this generation of learners and learning theory."

"Bray and McClaskey are pioneers in the field of personal learning communities, and their new book provides an overview of personalized learning: what it is and what it is not, scenarios from schools and districts who are already engaged in personalized learning, professional development to support changes in teaching to achieve effective personalized learning, and much more! Most importantly, perhaps, is the chapter on why personalized learning is a good idea, including its effects on student engagement, keeping students in school, and increasing the graduation rate. This book encourages educators to consider a variety of ways learning can be personalized for students from a variety of perspectives. Many thoughtful images suggest “what is” compared to “what could be” so that educators can reflect on their own practice and begin to move towards providing an environment for more student voice and choice so that students take responsibility for their own learning and delve more deeply into subject matter, making it their own."