Reclaiming Personalized Learning

Paul Emerich France is a National Board Certified Teacher, adjunct professor, and education consultant who is dedicated to helping every student feel valued in the classroom. Having taught in various roles from transitional kindergarten to fifth grade, in both public and independent schools, Paul's experience extends to working in Silicon Valley for an edtech company, founding three microschools, and building personalized learning software for classrooms. This experience cemented his understanding of human-centered pedagogy that prioritizes humanity over technology. As an accomplished author, he has written articles for prestigious publications and authored the book "Humanizing Distance Learning: Centering Equity and Humanity in Times of Crisis." Paul is sought after as a writer, speaker, keynote presenter, workshop facilitator, and he even partners with schools nationwide. His teaching and thought leadership have been acknowledged in notable platforms like the Atlantic, WIRED, SXSW EDU, and the New Yorker. Above all, Paul thrives on fostering connections with students and fellow educators, urging everyone to engage in courageous conversations about identity in order to make learning more personal for all.

Section One: Foundations Chapter 1: Personalization Myths Chapter 2: Teaching in Three Dimensions Section Two: Pedagogy Chapter 3 Centering Humanity Through Learner Agency Chapter 4: Curriculum and Assessment as a Flexible Frame Chapter 5: Humanizing Teaching to Personalize Learning Section Three: Equity Chapter 6: A Sense of Belonging Chapter 7: Justice

If you want to truly understand what personalized learning is and isn't, and how to implement it in your classroom, Reclaiming Personalized Learning: A Pedagogy for Restoring Equity and Humanity in Our Classrooms is the book for you! The focus on the whole child and the importance of their social, emotional, and academic development, is helped by the quality of students' relationships and the context in which they live and learn. As I know well as an NBCT, relationships cannot be disentangled from how learning occurs. -- Peggy Brookings, President & CEO, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards "A compelling and critically important book for our time. Many schools are rushing to offer "personalized learning", usually assuming that means individualized learning,with limited evidence for its impact. In this wise book Paul Emerich France considers the nature of powerful personalization. With rich stories of teaching and learning he considers ways to create the most positive learning experiences possible." -- Jo Boaler, Professor, Stanford University "In this brilliant book by a dedicated practitioner, Paul France makes a powerful case for humanizing the process of personalized learning and shows us how to do it. He describes how real personalization requires a carefully constructed classroom culture, regular dialogue and social interaction, and individual reflection. This book is a major contribution to the reimagination of learning and teaching for the 21st century and should be essential reading for new and experienced teachers alike." -- Tony Wagner, Senior Research Fellow and Best-Selling Author "In these troubled times, this book is more than a breath of fresh air, it is a call to action. Paul gives us an accessible and sophisticated book that explains how and why we should celebrate the humanity of every single student." -- Jim Knight "Personalized learning does not mean simply assigning students piles of independent work. Reclaiming Personalized Learning provides the path for authentic and relevant personalized learning that delivers on the promise of equity. Simply said, students in classrooms where these are implemented will thrive." -- Douglas Fisher, Professor "Reclaiming Personalized Learning: A Pedagogy for Restoring Equity and Humanity in our Classrooms is both wise and smart, both visionary and sane. It is both poetic and approachable, both challenging and affirming. Its author is deeply knowledgeable about technology and deeply skeptical of the likelihood that technology-centered pedagogy will better teaching and learning in today's schools. He is wary of adopting "personalization" as the next new thing, and yet offers a vision of personalization that is restorative. "It has been a long, long time since I have read a book that has challenged me as often or energized me as deeply as this book has. I wish that same experience for legions of other educators who care to create schools and classrooms that make us all more fully human." -- Carol Ann Tomlinson, Professor "Beginning 20 years ago, many of us began advocating for personalized learning only to be disappointed by the digital dullness of online worksheets that replaced the printed version. Video playlists were only slightly better. The backlash of interest-based learning created the opposite problem of unstructured unchallenging play. In his new book, Reclaiming Personalized Learning, Paul France shows us how to create agency and autonomy in the middle ground between authoritarianism and anarchy, both of which act in opposition to personalizing learning. His advice is conceptually sound and practical for all of us still searching for the promise of personalized learning." -- Tom Vander Ark, CEO Reading this book has been a game changer for me and the staff at Portland Elementary. It continues to challenge our thinking and pushes us closer to our vision that all learners will receive experiences that are tailored to their specific academic, social, and cultural needs. This book is always close by, and I reference it often for inspiration and strategy. This is a must read for anyone looking to deepen rigor and engage EVERY student. -- Michelle Perkins, Principal, Portland Elementary School, Louisville, KY