(Chicago, IL) January 16, 2018 — Zia Learning, a leading provider of professional development for teaching in the personalized classroom, today released the newest version of its Blueprint for Building a Personalized Learning Program. The blueprint, along with Zia Learning’s Framework for Facilitated Personalized Learning, has been piloted and refined in selected districts and is now broadly available to the education market to support schools in implementing personalized learning.
“Personalized learning is a pedagogy, not a product,” said Robin Gonzales, the founder of Zia Learning. “It is critical that districts begin with a clear framework and implementation plan that takes into account the fundamental changes in teaching and learning in the personalized classroom. This includes teachers moving from direct instruction to a more facilitated approach, and students taking on a more autonomous role in the classroom.”
To help teachers develop a highly engaging learning environment that allows for individualized instruction and a deep application of knowledge, the blueprint codifies the role of teacher as facilitator in a user-friendly framework that breaks down the art of facilitation into four clear domains that guide teachers to:
1) Coach the mentoring aspects of teaching and supporting students’ social-emotional learning;
2) Direct the use of data, including analyzing and interpreting data as well as the development of personalized learning plans based on that information;
3) Design the actual layout of the physical classroom as well as grouping for instruction; and
4) Apply critical thinking skills and project-based learning options, and transfer knowledge into real-world contexts.
Zia Learning is working to ensure that teachers are ready to make this shift in districts across the U.S., including Chicago Public Schools, Charlotte-Mecklenberg Schools, and charter schools across the state of Ohio. “What I'm most excited about is to see the meaningful and measurable results of our work,” Gonzales said. Newly released results demonstrate that schools who participated in Zia's programs saw increased student retention, increased pass rates, and increased teacher retention rates.
“These are all gains that matter in terms of increasing student achievement,” Gonzales added. “Students have individual needs, and technology empowers teachers to address them in ways we never could before. However, teachers and students are still at the heart of the learning environment, and we need to make certain they are prepared for this new approach. We are committed to preparing schools, teachers, and students to fully harness the potential of personalized learning."You can learn more about Zia Learning and download a copy of the blueprint and framework at Zia Learning.
About Zia Learning:
Zia Learning is a leading provider of PD, consulting, and implementation services for personalized learning programs across the nation. They offer a full suite of online and blended PD options based on the iNACOL Standards for Teaching in a Blended and Personalized Classroom and the ISTE Teacher Standards. To learn more, please visit ZiaLearning.com.
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Learning Counsel Media
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doug@learningcounsel.com
