# personalized learning (blogs) — RSS Amplifier Recent posts from the 3 feeds in the RSS Amplifier directory that cover personalized learning. Page: Feed: --- ## [How Empathy Interviews Transform Stakeholder Engagement into Shared Ownership](https://www.gettingsmart.com/2026/08/20/how-empathy-interviews-transform-stakeholder-engagement-into-shared-ownership/) _2026-08-20 · Guest Author · Getting Smart_ What if the most powerful tool in school improvement is a single, unhurried conversation? In this post, Jennifer Poon and Doannie Tran make the case for empathy interviews as the essential first step in genuine community co-creation, and explain why it matters deeply who conducts them. Drawing on their work with Burlington School District, they show how shifting the interviewer from consultant to… ## [Coming Full Circle: The Portrait Lives Through Students](https://www.gettingsmart.com/2026/08/17/coming-full-circle-the-portrait-lives-through-students/) _2026-08-17 · Abby Benedetto · Getting Smart_ The final installment in Norwalk's Portrait of a Graduate series asks the most important question of all: what do students say when you ask them to describe the Portrait? This post makes a compelling case that student co-design is not a nice-to-have but a core implementation lever, and it offers concrete strategies, from design sprints to feedback cycles to student-led reflection, for keeping… ## [Voiceless Collegiality: When Getting Along Gets in the Way of School Leadership](https://www.gettingsmart.com/2026/08/13/voiceless-collegiality-when-getting-along-gets-in-the-way-of-school-leadership/) _2026-08-13 · Guest Author · Getting Smart_ When a leadership team meeting ends with everyone offering to help but no one agreeing to lead, something important has gone wrong beneath the surface. In this sharp, diagnostic piece, education leadership professor Andy Szeto names a pattern hiding in plain sight: voiceless collegiality, the organizational silence that masquerades as team harmony. Szeto identifies three distinct types of silence… ## [Steward Stories: CommunityShare Proves That the Community Is the Curriculum](https://www.gettingsmart.com/2026/08/11/steward-stories-communityshare-proves-that-the-community-is-the-curriculum/) _2026-08-11 · Guest Author · Getting Smart_ What if every community member, from a landscape architect to a university researcher to a sitting senator, could become part of a student's education? CommunityShare has been quietly building that reality since 2015, connecting more than 85,000 students and their educators with community partners across 12 states through a model it calls a human library. This Steward Stories profile traces the… ## [Exploring Policy From the Ground Up: Illuminations from the Da Vinci Network](https://www.gettingsmart.com/2026/08/04/exploring-policy-from-the-ground-up-illuminations-from-the-da-vinci-network/) _2026-08-04 · Guest Author · Getting Smart_ What does it look like when a school is genuinely designed around the lives learners are living, not the regulations they must comply with? In this new piece from Sarah Bishop-Root and Lindsy Ogawa, the Da Vinci Schools network in California shows how policy can be a tool for possibility and a source of fragility at the same time. Through the story of Da Vinci RISE and its students, this piece… ## [The Microschool Mindset: Why Small Thinking Is the Biggest Shift in Education](https://www.gettingsmart.com/2026/08/03/the-microschool-mindset-why-small-thinking-is-the-biggest-shift-in-education/) _2026-08-03 · Guest Author · Getting Smart_ What if the most transformative idea in education right now has nothing to do with how big your school is? In this piece, George Philhower, superintendent at Eastern Hancock Schools and co-founder of the Indiana Microschool Collaborative, makes the case that the microschool mindset is a philosophy any school can adopt. From grading practices to flexible pathways to joy as a design principle, this… ## [Steward Stories: How the PAST Foundation Turned Real-World Problems Into a Learning Ecosystem](https://www.gettingsmart.com/2026/07/30/how-the-past-foundation-turned-real-world-problems-into-a-learning-ecosystem/) _2026-07-30 · Guest Author · Getting Smart_ What does it look like when a foundation built by a field scientist becomes the connective tissue of an entire regional learning ecosystem? The PAST Foundation's story, told through 25 years of timeline milestones and student voices, offers education leaders a concrete model for weaving together schools, industry, community, and out-of-school time into something greater than any single program.… ## [Beyond the Classroom Walls: What Research Says About Virtual Field Trips](https://www.gettingsmart.com/2026/07/28/beyond-the-classroom-walls-what-research-says-about-virtual-field-trips/) _2026-07-28 · Guest Author · Getting Smart_ Field trips have always been more than a day away from desks. They are the moments students remember, the experiences that build empathy and ignite curiosity. A new Getting Smart post examines what the research says about virtual field trips and offers a classroom-ready framework that helps educators design experiences worthy of that same legacy. For leaders looking to expand access and deepen… ## [How Student Feedback Shaped New Features for English Language Learners in Math](https://www.gettingsmart.com/2026/07/27/how-student-feedback-shaped-new-features-for-english-language-learners-in-math/) _2026-07-27 · Guest Author · Getting Smart_ What happens when you build EdTech features by actually listening to students? Kyron Learning partnered with the AIMS Collaboratory and the Gates Foundation to study motivation and engagement among English language learners in middle school math, and the findings drove real product changes. This piece traces how closed captioning, highlighted transcripts, and clickable definitions emerged from… ## [Schools Are Testing the Past: How Assessment Must Evolve for Writing, Speaking, and Listening in the AI Age](https://www.gettingsmart.com/2026/07/24/schools-are-testing-the-past-how-assessment-must-evolve-for-writing-speaking-and-listening-in-the-ai-age/) _2026-07-24 · Eric Tucker · Getting Smart_ When a student completes a writing test in a locked browser, we learn what they can do alone. But the world asks something harder: can they use AI without being used by it? In this sharp and timely essay, Eric Tucker argues that assessment for writing, speaking, and listening has not kept pace with how communication actually works, and maps a practical path forward. Education leaders navigating AI… ## [AI QA that opens fix PRs (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/fK7MAn2W5Ndq) _2026-07-24 · **Sponsored**_ Run a browser QA from plain-English instructions; get GitHub issues and optional fix PRs. ## [But…When Do I Actually Teach? Addressing One of The Most Common Questions About Mastery Learning](https://teachbetter.com/blog/when-do-i-actually-teach-in-mastery-learning/) _2026-07-13 · Chad Ostrowski · Teach Better_ Article Summary One of the biggest misconceptions about The Grid Method is that teachers stop teaching whole-group lessons. This post explains how whole-group instruction fits into mastery learning, why self-paced learning does not mean self-taught learning, and what teachers actually do during Grid time. You’ll see how The Grid Method creates more opportunities for targeted instruction while… ## [The Biggest Misunderstanding About Mastery Learning](https://teachbetter.com/blog/the-biggest-misunderstanding-about-mastery-learning/) _2026-04-14 · Chad Ostrowski · Teach Better_ Article Summary Mastery learning isn’t about endless retakes. It’s about clarity. This post breaks down the biggest misconception about mastery learning and explains what it actually requires to work. By focusing on clear expectations, visible learning progression, and aligned systems, teachers can move beyond confusion and create classrooms where students take ownership and learning becomes the… ## [Creating a Fear-Free Classroom: 3 Strategies to Empower Your Students](https://teachbetter.com/blog/creating-a-fear-free-classroom-3-strategies-to-empower-your-students/) _2026-03-19 · Chad Ostrowski · Teach Better_ Article Summary Fear is one of the biggest barriers to student learning. This post explores how fear of failure, judgment, and inadequacy shows up in classrooms and offers three practical strategies teachers can use to create a fear-free learning environment. By using self-paced learning, multiple opportunities for mastery, and increased student ownership, educators can empower students to engage… ## [Not Everything Needs to Be Aligned. But These Things Do.](https://teachbetter.com/blog/not-everything-needs-to-be-aligned-but-these-things-do/) _2026-03-17 · Chad Ostrowski · Teach Better_ Article Summary Instructional alignment doesn’t mean every classroom has to look the same. This post explains the difference between alignment and uniformity and outlines the key elements schools should align, such as mastery definitions, learning progression, feedback language, and instructional structures, while still protecting teacher autonomy and creativity. Alignment often causes anxiety… ## [Sustained Silent Reading (SSR): A Clear, Research-Driven Guide for Teachers](https://teachbetter.com/blog/sustained-silent-reading-ssr-a-clear-research-driven-guide-for-teachers/) _2026-03-13 · Suzanne Rogers · Teach Better_ Article Summary Sustained Silent Reading (SSR) remains a powerful literacy practice when implemented intentionally.This research-driven guide explains what SSR is, why it works, and how teachers can structure it effectively through student choice, consistent routines, teacher modeling, and balanced instruction. When supported by strong literacy practices, SSR builds vocabulary, fluency,… ## [What Instructional Alignment Requires From Teachers and School Leaders](https://teachbetter.com/blog/what-instructional-alignment-requires-from-teachers-and-school-leaders/) _2026-03-03 · Chad Ostrowski · Teach Better_ Article Summary Instructional alignment isn’t a leadership rollout or a teacher-only responsibility. It’s shared work. This post explores what instructional alignment actually requires from both teachers and school leaders. It outlines the distinct but connected roles each group plays, why alignment breaks down, and how co-designed systems create clarity without sacrificing autonomy. Instructional… ## [Guiding Teachers Toward Effective Research-Based Practices: Why District Support Matters More Than Ever](https://teachbetter.com/blog/guiding-teachers-toward-effective-research-based-practices-why-district-support-matters-more-than-ever/) _2026-02-27 · Suzanne Rogers · Teach Better_ Article Summary Research-based practices don’t implement themselves—district systems make or break them.This post explores why guiding teachers toward effective research-based practices requires more than access to research. It examines the research-to-practice gap, the systemic barriers teachers face, and the district-level structures—like coaching, PLCs, aligned standards, and embedded… ## [What Instructional Coherence Actually Looks Like in the Classroom](https://teachbetter.com/blog/what-instructional-coherence-actually-looks-like-in-the-classroom/) _2026-02-24 · Chad Ostrowski · Teach Better_ Article Summary Instructional coherence isn’t about control. It’s about clarity teachers shouldn’t have to invent on their own.This post explains what instructional coherence actually looks like from a teacher’s perspective, why misalignment leads to exhaustion, and how shared frameworks and leadership design reduce decision fatigue and make teaching feel lighter instead of heavier. Teachers feel… ## [The Thing Most People Get Wrong About The Grid Method](https://teachbetter.com/blog/the-thing-most-people-get-wrong-about-the-grid-method/) _2026-02-20 · Chad Ostrowski · Teach Better_ TL;DR (Too Long, Didn’t Read The Grid Method is often misunderstood as a curriculum when it’s actually a mastery-based framework.This post explains what The Grid Method is and what it is not, why it was created, and how it helps teachers organize existing curriculum to support mastery learning, differentiation, and student ownership without adding more work or burning out. The ... Read More The… ## [What Students Experience When Instruction Lacks Coherence](https://teachbetter.com/blog/what-students-experience-when-instruction-lacks-coherence/) _2026-02-17 · Chad Ostrowski · Teach Better_ Article Summary Instructional misalignment is most deeply felt by students, not adults. This post explores what school feels like to students when instruction lacks coherence across classrooms. It explains why inconsistent expectations create cognitive overload, how fragmentation gets mistaken for personalization, and why leadership-driven instructional frameworks are essential for creating… ## [Crush Every Threat in Real Time (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/Li3tf2o8umei) _2026-02-17 · **Sponsored**_ One agent for real-time detection, exposure tracking, and active defense. ## [Divestment](https://ianeslick.com/2025/01/20/divestment/) _2025-01-20 · Ian Eslick · Frumious Abstractions_ It s been an age since I last updated this blog. The changing nature of my work and the increased opportunities for adventures with my family have taken the time I used to spend on writing articles and posts. With our kids heading off to college in the Fall, I would like to return to communicating Continue reading Divestment