Professional development for educators cannot be ‘one size fits all’. The work that we do is a varied as our students and so is the learning we need. One interesting opportunity that has arisen more recently is personalized professional development for educators.

State, District and School leaders need to move in this direction in order for teachers to have the knowledge and skills needed to support 21st Century learners, according to Superintendent Don Haddad in this U.S. Office of Technology Education video on Personalized Professional Learning. 

The concept of personalized professional learning may seem daunting and complicated and as a professional development provider, we would want to know that there is a strong rationale for its use. We certainly don't need to follow another fad in education or pursue change just for the sake of change.

There seem to be two common defintions for personalized professional development, one from the U.S. Deparment of Education and the second compiled by the American Society for Curriculum Development (ASCD) as shared in the Hanover Report (2013). Key ideas in the U.S. Department of Education definition include: moving away from 'seat time', flexibility, multiple pathways, use of technology and mastery of learning. 

The ASCD defintion agreed upon in a 2010 symposium provides five 'essential elements' of personalized learning. 

1. Flexible, anytime/everywhere learning
2. Redefine teacher role and expand 'teacher'
3. Project-based, authentic learning
4. Student-driven learning path
5. Mastery/competency-based progression/pace

There seems to be quite a bit of overlap in the two definitions but it is interesting to see the contrast as well. Here is a link to the Hanover Report from 2013. 

Professional Development for Personalized Learning (2013)

In searching for more information about how personalized professional development might look in a district, I found this example from a preK-12 district in Illinois, Kaneland Community Unit School District #302. In this pdf of a slide presentation that they shared, you see some of the essential elements from the ASCD definition. Here is their guiding question for adopting this approach. 

How do we meet the unique professional learning needs of almost 300 teachers in an Early Childhood-12th grade unit district in a way that fosters a common foundational understanding of district initiatives, motivates and inspires teachers to provide personalized learning opportunities for their students and capitalizes on teacher interests and passions? 

(Kaneland District #302)

Presentation: Personalized Professional Learning Structures. Kaneland Community Unit School District #203

References: 

 Hanover Research. 2013. Professional development for personalized learning practices. 

Kaneland Community Unit School District #302. (ND) Personalized professional learning sructures. District presentation. Maple Park, Illinois. 

United States Department of Educational Technology. (2015, September 14). Personalized professional learning for future ready leaders. [Video].