Maine Richardson's Blog: 5 Ways to Make Learning Personal

with Barbara Bray and Kathleen McClaskey

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

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Barbara Bray and Kathleen McClaskey share five very important concepts in today’s show. In their book, Make Learning Personal, they talk about how you enlist the support of learners beneath their own process of learning.

5 Ways to Make Learning Personal

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They argue that student should assemble a “personal backpack.” This is not a physical backpack, necessarily but includes tools and strategies that help them learn according to their own style of learning.

I think this is a fantastic evolution in our thinking, not only about technology but also about learning. Their approach empowers meta-cognition, something we know helps learners progress.

Perhaps the most important thing they argue is the use of the word “learner” instead of the word “student.” They believe that the word student is a much more passive word and the word learner requires more active thinking.

I highly recommend Make Learning Personal, it is an excellent book for your summer reading. It is a new way of thinking and a much more empowering approach teaching, that starts with a teacher’s relationship with students. The relationship is first. Great book and two amazing ladies.

Bios of the Authors of Make Learning Personal

Barbara Bray,@bbray27 co-founder of Personalized Learning, LLC, co-author of Make Learning Personal and founder/owner of My eCoach, is a creative learning strategist and futurist who is a writer, speaker, presenter, instructional designer, coach, and keynote speaker.

Kathleen McClaskey@khmmc is Co-founder of Personalize Learning, LLC, a futurist, education technologist, keynote speaker, professional developer, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) consultant with over 30 years experience in creating learner-centered environments.

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