Author Archive

    The underestimated resource for personalized learning (and how to get more of it)

    May 7, 2019 | by Julia Freeland Fisher

    When schools think about incorporating personalized learning, it may seem intuitive to consider resources like specific technologies or professional development plans. But there’s another critical resource that too often gets discounted but is hiding in plain sight: time. Although schools may manage to add more time on the margins with a “just do more” mindset, […]

    Read More

    Blended isn’t just about online learning—it’s making space for real-world relationships

    March 28, 2019 | by Julia Freeland Fisher

    Blended learning is helping to unshackle schools from the one-teacher one-classroom model and usher in more creative and diverse instructional approaches. Beyond just restructuring the classroom, blended-learning models are starting to open up new connections and diversify students’ networks. This has huge potential to address not just achievement gaps, but opportunity gaps. Over the years, […]

    Read More

    Defining personalized learning and blended learning: Is there a difference?

    January 15, 2019 | by Julia Freeland Fisher

    Recently, more than a few education headlines have focused on the concerns surrounding the shaky meaning of personalized learning, oftentimes highlighting the anxieties posed by critics that personalized means the use of technology at the expense of student’s social-emotional development or that personalization is the agenda of Silicon Valley titans. To understand the nuances of personalized learning—and […]

    Read More

    5 levers that can unlock smarter demand for educational technology

    April 3, 2018 | by Julia Freeland Fisher

    When Clayton Christensen and Michael Horn published Disrupting Class in 2008, the current wave of education technology was still finding its footing. The book posited two predictions. First, online learning would grow rapidly in K-12 schools. But scale was not the endgame. Second, and arguably more crucial, was the opportunity ahead: with the right incentives in place, […]

    Read More

    50 practitioners showcase noteworthy blended-learning tactics

    February 23, 2018 | by Julia Freeland Fisher

    Blended and personalized learning practices are often in flux in classrooms, schools, and districts. Practitioners aren’t just trying to learn the latest from peers, but to share and develop the tactics that can make learning more student-centered and equitable. Enter our annual Blended and Personalized Learning Conference in Providence, Rhode Island. This year’s conference offers […]

    Read More

    3 ways to harness digital for personalized learning success

    February 22, 2018 | by Julia Freeland Fisher

    If you’re leading your school through the transition to a digital learning environment, you know that creating the right vision for teaching and learning can be a juggling act. Today’s new challenges for school leaders inspired Mary Ann Wolf, PhD, director of digital learning programs for The Friday Institute; Elizabeth Bobst, a writer, editor, and […]

    Read More