Checking in on personalized learning around Vermont

How are educators and students tackling PLPs around the state?

personalized learning in the middle grades vermontVermont’s Act 77, the Flexible Pathways Act, mandates that every student in grades 7-12 statewide have a Personal Learning Plan or PLP. And that’s about the extent of the instructions. As to how this can be accomplished?

The field is wide open.

Students share their experiences

At Hazen Union School in Hardwick, Vermont, 7th grader Abby DesGroseilliers shared her Personalized Learning Plan with the Hazen School Board. She also presented evidence of her learning from the first third of the year, and was gracious enough to allow her presentation to be recorded for an episode of the Hazen Union School podcast.

Elsewhere:

PLPs for students and teachers, side by side

At the Fayston School, 5th and 6th graders have spent the fall working on their PLPs alongside teachers and administrators, who are also putting together PLPs in the form of Google Sites. Check out this quick video summary made by Amy Jamieson, Fayston’s speech-language pathologist:

Resources for implementation

“Personalized Learning in the Middle Grades” January 9th @ UVM

personalized learning in the middle grades vermont

Saturday, January 9th, we’re excited to be partnering with the Middle Grades Collaborative group for a state-wide conference showcasing effective middle grades practice. We’re celebrating all the hard work done by Vermont educators around personalized learning in the middle grades, as begun at this past summer’s Middle Grades Institute in Randolph.

As a consequence, this year’s theme? You got it: Personalized Learning. There’s no fee to attend, and lunch will be provided. Registration is now open: register online to attend.

PLP Pathways webinars

The PLP Pathways monthly webinar series does what it says on the box: each month, Main Street Middle School’s Don Taylor hosts a Google Hangout for educators interested in resources for implementing PLPs. The next webinar takes place Wednesday, Dec 19th at 3:30pm EST. They’ll be looking at how teachers are collaborating with colleagues to problem-solve PLP issues, and how students are finding and reflecting on evidence. To RSVP, visit the Google+ event page here.

Check out this recording of November’s webinar, covering end of trimester checklists, parent conferences, and linking goal-setting to evidence:

What is your school doing around personalized learning? What would you like it to be doing?

Audrey Homan

Audrey Homan is a Vermont-based digital media producer, and producer of The 21st Century Classroom podcast. She's worked in non-profit communications for more than a decade, and in her spare time writes tiny video games and mucks about with augmented reality and arduinos, ably assisted by five dogs. Interviewing students and yelling in PHP are the best parts of her job.

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