Central York School District
Mass Customized Learning . . . and
the Leadership to Make It Happen
July 9, 2013
Chuck Schwahn
chuckschwahn@yahoo.com
masscustomizedlearning.com
Today’s Intended Outcomes:
• Why Mass Customized Learning?
Becoming an ADVOCATE of MCL
• The MCL Vision. You feeling confident about
sharing the MCL vision with your people
• Total Leaders. The thinking and the
leadership to MCL vision a reality
• Getting Started. Action steps for the coming
school year
Inevitable TOO!
The Total Leader
Embraces the Inevitable
Mass Customized Learning
Chuck Schwahn and Bea McGarvey
Significant contributions: Pat Crawford, Duff Rearick, and Jay Scott
Inevitable TOO!
the meeting was . . . Inevitable
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Leadership 101
Strategic Design
Strategic Direction
•Beliefs/Values
•Mission
•Exit Outcomes
•Vision
Strategic Alignment
•People
•Practices
•Processes
•Structures
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STRATEGIC DESIGN
Requires
STRATEGIC DIRECTION
Requires
AUTHENTIC
LEADERS
Who
DEFINE
PURPOSE
+
VISIONARY
LEADERS
Who
FRAME
VISION
+
+
RELATIONAL
LEADERS
Who
DEVELOP
OWNERSHIP
STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT
Requires
+
QUALITY
LEADERS
Who
BUILD
CAPACITY
+
SERVICE
LEADERS
Who
ENSURE
SUPPORT
TOTAL LEADERS
Creating
PRODUCTIVE CHANGE
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Key Domains of Total Leaders
VISIONARY
Vision
SERVICE
AUTHENTIC
RELATIONAL
Support
Purpose
Ownership
QUALITY
Capacity
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• Purpose - “It has meaning for me!”
• Vision - “It’s clear and exciting!”
• Ownership - “I want to be part of it!”
• Capacity - “I can do it!”
• Support - “Our leader is really helping!”
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“I could have written that book!”
A vision hiding in plain sight.
Everything is obvious: once you know the answer
10
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• Your mental PICTURE of the
FUTURE YOU PREFER TO CREATE
• A detailed description of what your
organization will look like when
operating at its IDEAL BEST
12
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VISION COMES ALIVE when
everyone sees how his/her
contribution makes a
difference.
People need to see both the big picture and
their role in achieving that picture.
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Vision . . .
What we will look like, act like, feel like, and
be like when we are operating at our
IDEAL BEST.
What will we be like when we are . . .
Empowering All Learners to Succeed in
a Rapidly Changing World
•“The very essence of leadership is
. . . you have a VISION
•It’s got to be a vision you
articulate clearly and forcefully
on every occasion.
•You can’t blow
an uncertain trumpet.”
Theodore Hesburgh
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Can we skip some things . . . .
• Education must change . . .
significantly!
• Many things we used to do made
sense . . . they don’t any more!
• Technology is here to stay . . . it will
is revolutionizing our profession!
• Tinkering isn’t enough!
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And about
International Comparisons . . .
The USA is not a
“catch up” country.
We are a
“leapfrogging” country.
Face it, Singapore is better at being obsolete than we are!
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The “let’s get honest” question that we will ask all day:
Are we doing this/making this
decision based on . . .
LEARNING, or on CONTROL?
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For the Secondary Principal,
CONTROL is a good “MUST” thing!
So, the question I will ask:
“Can you implement the MCL Vision
and remain in control of your school?”
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Learner Focus—it should drive everything!
Who is it that is walking
through our doors?
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Just a thought . . . .
Who is walking through our school doors?
Many/Most kids who walk through our doors
are no longer “students.”
Instead, they are “learners.”
Learners who have ALWAYS lived in the
Age of Empowerment.
We must treat them as such . . .
or continue to bore the hell out of them.
I’m just sayin’ . . . .
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Talk a bit about this one:
Who is the kid walking through our doors?
How do they differ from when we were in school?
If nothing else in our world had changed, would the
“different kid” who walks through our door create a
powerful need for changing how we do school?
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TECHNOLOGY:
•Technology to TRANSFORM SCHOOLS
•Technology to TRANSFORM THE STRUCTURE OF SCHOOLS
•Not Technology to REPLACE TEACHERS
•We will not THROW THE BABY OUT WITH THE BATHWATER
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Cyber Schools . . .
“. . . throw the baby out
with the bathwater.”
The Industrial Age gave us
MASS PRODUCTION
The Information Age gave us
MASS CUSTOMIZATION
which in turn made
The Age of Empowerment
INEVITABLE
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Mass Customization . . .
• Who is doing this for you now?
Identify an organization/business
that is effectively meeting your
individual needs.
• How do they do it?
• How might we transfer what they
do to education?
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Industrial Age
Structures and Practices
• A graded k-12 assembly line . . . everyone moves at the
same pace
• When there is a problem on the assembly line . . .
students are moved to “rework”
• A,B,C grades . . . some lemons come off of the line and
we give them “Cs”
• Time is the constant . . . quality learning is the variable
• Our profession/industry is heavily unionized
• School Districts are more “managed” than “led”
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Information Age
Structures and Practices
•
•
•
•
Transformational technology
Learning rate tailored to the individual learner
Learning style tailored to the individual learner
Learning interest/content tailored to the individual
learner
• Standard for mastery . . . the learner has mastered the
outcome or “they are not finished yet”
• Leaders create innovative future-focused
organizational visions and manage toward their
implementation
HERE’S THE DIFFERENCE!
INDUSTRIAL AGE Paradigm
of “SCHOOL”
INFORMATION AGE Paradigm
of “LEARNING SYSTEMS”
Specific Students
Anyone
can learn
can learn
Specific Subjects
Anything
in
from
Specific Classrooms
Anywhere
on a
at
Specific Schedule
Any time
in a
in
Specific Way
Any way
from a
from
Specific Teacher
World Wide Experts
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And now, in this Digital World,
ANYONE can learn ANYTHING
from
ANYWHERE at ANY TIME
from
WORLD-CLASS EXPERTS
using the most
TRANSFORMATIONAL
TECHNOLOGIES and RESOURCES available
to ENHANCE
their PERSONAL INTERESTS and
LIFE FULFILLMENT.
BUT….in their “Reform-Driven” Schools……
SPECIFIC STUDENTS of a
SPECIFIC AGE
must learn
SPECIFIC THINGS on a
SPECIFIC SCHEDULE in a
SPECIFIC CLASSROOM from a
SPECIFIC TEACHER using
SPECIFIC MATERIALS and METHODS
so that they can pass
SPECIFIC TESTS on
SPECIFIC DATES
……and only then will
THE SYSTEM
call them
“OK.”
Cross-Industry Borrowing for the
Empowerment Age Delivery System
 GOOGLE / BING / WIKIPEDIA ...…for the Content
 BLACKBOARD …………………..….for Curriculum, Instruction, Coordination
 iTUNES ……………………….............for Accessing Online Learning
 NETBOOKS or iPADS ……...….…....for Accessing the World’s Information
 ATT / VERIZON………………….…..for Recordkeeping and Reporting
 MICROSOFT CALENDAR……....…for Scheduling and Coordination
 YOUTUBE…………………….…........for Electronic Portfolios
 WALMART BAR CODE……….....….for Tracking Students
 AMAZON.COM………………..……..for Profiling Learning Styles and Interests
 FACEBOOK……………….…….……for Student and Teacher Networking
 APPLE / DROID APPS………..…..…for ALMOST ANYTHING
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“Inevitable: Mass Customized Learning”
The title states the challenge and the opportunity.
The world IS
customizing services
and products for the
individual.
Education WILL BE
customized to
individual learners . . .
it IS INEVITABLE
The question is:
Will educators customize learning or
will Apple Folks do it?
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Let’s talk technology . . .
What scares you/us most about
technology’s heavy influence on
schools and learning?
What major contributions will technology
make to learners and schools?
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The Inevitable: MCL Vision is
“AN INSIDE JOB!”
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The BIG
QUESTION -Do you think that
education is going to get
better if we continue in
our old Industrial Age
paradigm?
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About Learner Motivation:
(from: Getting
Smart: How Digital Learning is Changing the World)
Tom Vander Ark
•When you visit high schools, it’s striking to note the
difference in affect and energy between hallways and
classrooms.
•Boredom may be the greatest challenge we face.
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We have not served the
“fast runners” well . .
.
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Many people who
are intelligent
believe that they
are not.
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Intrinsic Learner Motivators:
•I find the content interesting.
(better if “I chose it because it is very interesting.”)
•It fits the way I learn.
(better if “I was given alternative ways to learn . . . I learn best through video.”)
•It hits my learning level.
(better if “It will be a challenge, but I think I can learn it.”)
Mass Customized Learning can do ALL THREE.
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Students are not engaged in their learning and
are misbehaving; teachers feel they are losing
control . . . you are the Principal.
 What mindset do you bring to the
analysis of this problem?
 Is it, “How can we create policies, rules,
and practices that will help teachers
control their classrooms?”
 Or, is it “What can we do to create the
conditions that will motivate students to
want to learn?”
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If you’re thinking “what would motivate
students” . . . THINK:
• Meeting readiness level . . . That is, the learner has
the prerequisite learnings.
• Letting students determine the content . . . That is,
students are interested.
• Letting students select the learning mode . . . That is,
it fits the student’s learning style.
MCL does all of these . . . our present structure
does none of these.
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The case for INTRINSIC MOTIVATORS. . .
(find them at your nearest MCL system)
EXTRINSIC
MOTIVATORS
INTRINSIC
MOTIVATORS
come from the outside….
and foster compliance
come from the inside….
and foster commitment
come in the form of rewards
and punishments
come in the form of freedom
and personal fulfillment
cause learners to do what we
want them to do
allow learners to do what is
meaningful and purposeful
Learners tend to stop doing
things when the Extrinsic
Motivators are stopped
Intrinsically motivated
learners tend to become
Life-Long Learners
Let me think now . . . does this have implications for us??
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The Inevitable: MCL Vision
from a Teacher’s Perspective
(Today, Teacher
Learning Facilitator)
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Role of the Learning Facilitator (teacher)
 Facilitates the learning of 12-15 learners.
 Engages and inspires each learner.
 Guides the progress and development of each learner.
 Develops, monitors, and supervises learner activities.
 Ensures that all learners can effectively use the system’s learning
tools to accomplish their outcomes.
 Creates and delivers seminars that allow learners to accomplish
complex learner outcomes.
 With other Learning Facilitators, continuously improves
the learner experience and the success of the learning community.
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Role of the Learning Coach
 Advises and mentors12-15 learners.
 Examines options and expectations for each learner.
 Creates, monitors, and revises a learning plan for each learner
connected to the learner’s needs, style of learning, interests, and
vision for his/her future.
 Analyzes the learner’s progress on his/her learning plan.
 Communicates among the learner, parents, and the learning
community (school).
 With other Learning Coaches, adjusts the programs and procedures
in the Learning Community to meet the ever-changing needs of
their learners.
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The Inevitable: MCL Vision
from a Learner’s Perspective
(Lori’s Dad plays a “bit part.”)
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How is this specific learner outcome
best learned . . . some options
•Online
•Interactive seminar
•Lecture with Q & A
•Reading/Viewing
•Project
•Lab
•Mentor/Shadowing
•Etc.
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Creating a 60-day Customized
Learning schedule for Lori
• A conversation between Lori, a 14-year-old learner, and
her father/mother
• Assuming that the Learning Community has created the
Information Age infrastructure . . . e.g., curriculum as
outcomes, learning opportunities online, etc.
• Lori is a rather responsible, self-directed learner . . . but
a teenager!
• Lori has a Learning Coach who is employed by the
Learning Community
• What if Lori were not a responsible, self-directed learner
• What if Lori did not have access to a computer at home
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Lori does her schedule
A conversation between Lori, a 14-year-old learner and her father
 Likes pop music, athletics, math, technology…and Christopher.
 Is a rather responsible, self-directed learner….but a teenager!
 Attends a Learning Community (formerly called a school) that has
created the Information Age infrastructure for Mass Customized
Learning.
 Her “Personal Learning Interests/Essential Questions” (generated
with her Learning Coach) are:
- Economics in the Music World
- How Does the Stock Market Work?
- Basic Psychology: Why do we say and do what we do?
- Politics: What do Conservatives believe and how do they tend to
behave? What do Liberals believe and how do they tend to behave?
MCL
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The “to do” list to pull it off . . .
The School System has:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Derived a Strategic Design
Written curriculum as Learner Outcomes
Categorized Learner Outcomes by Learning Format
Created and placed Online Learning Outcomes online
Created Seminars for those Learner Outcomes requiring
an interactive Seminar format
6. Designed and implemented Scheduling Technology for
Individual Learners
7. Designed and implemented ePortfolio Technology for
Individual Learners
8. Designed and implemented Accountability Technology
for Administration
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Learner Portfolios as
MCL Management System
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
iTunes is to Apple . . . as eLearner Portfolios are to MCL
Did Apple know what they had when they created iTunes
ePortfolios(ePs) as documentation of individual LO mastery
But also, ePs as real-time communication with parents
ePs as real-time grouping of learners with similar needs
In aggregate, ePs as data for continuous improvement/TQM
In aggregate, ePs as organizational accountability (goals,
data, reports)
• Allows for access to data at any time and from any place for
those “with a need to know”
Example SEMINARS
• Interpersonal Communications
• Interpersonal Relationships
• Career Options that Fit Me
• My Beliefs and Values: Identification and Evaluation
• Diversity: The Problems and the Potential
• Creating and Defending Your Business Plan
• Budgeting . . . Time and $$$$
• Branding, Marketing, and Propaganda
• Economic Systems: Capitalism, Socialism, & Communism
• Democracy and the History of the United States
• Lewis and Clark and Westward Expansion
(Designed from your Strategic Direction and your Learner Outcomes.
Scheduled very much like our best universities now schedule classes)
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Lori’s Scheduling Sequence:
From the least flexible to the most flexible.
1. Team Sports/Music (e.g., Gymnastics/Band)
2.
Seminars (e.g., Interpersonal Communications)
3. Coop Learning Online (e.g., Math online learning with three friends)
4. Laboratories (e.g., Science)
5. Personal Learning Interests (e.g., Economics of the music world)
6. Personal Online Learning Outcomes
(e.g., Math/US History)
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Lori’s Seminars for the next two months……..
(About 15 hours/week)
Interpersonal Communication
Career Options That Fit Me
My Beliefs and Values: Identification and Evaluation
Diversity: The Problems and the Potential
Creating and Defending Your Business Plan
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But what if a learner (Johnny)
is continually “sloughing off” you say:
1. MCL advocates have high expectations but are not naive
….boys will be boys and girls will be girls.
2. Learners also differ in the degree of structure required for
maximum learning ….and MCL treats each accordingly.
3. Those needing more structure will have it ….MCL allows
for near total freedom ….or near total control.
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4. But the goal that each learner become a Life-Long Learner
(LLL) never changes . . . learners are continually
encouraged to take control of their learning lives and given
all of the freedom they can responsibly handle.
5. If our goal is to graduate LLLs, then we should be
intentional about it . . . beginning when the learner first
walks through our doors.
6. No surprise, nearly every school system has the goal to
graduate LLLs.
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ACTIVITY
LORI DOES HER SCHEDULE
•
Listen/watch for the practicality and the relative
simplicity of creating an individual learning plan for
each learner.
• Think what this process might do for student motivation.
• What happens when Lori completes her schedule and hits
“send?”
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So what about Lori . . .
Is that DESIRABLE?
Is it DOABLE?
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Industrial
Age
Words
Information
Age
Words
Schools
Learning Systems
Classrooms Learning Environments
Students
Learners
Instruction
Learning
Teachers
Learning Opportunities
Curriculum
Learning Outcomes
Tests
Performance Assessments
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Your organization is
perfectly designed to
get the results that
you are getting.
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The Industrial Age gave us Book Stores
The Information Age gave us Kindle
The Industrial Age gave us Encyclopedia Britannica
The Information Age gave us Wikipedia
The Industrial Age gave us garage sales
The Information Age gave us eBay
The Industrial Age gave us film and movies
The Information Age gave us digits and YouTube
The Industrial Age gave us graded, time-based-learning schools
The Information Age gave us graded, time-based-learning schools
Or . . . The Information Age gave us Apple Apps and MCL.
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Someday a company is
going to come along
and put us out of
business.
It might as well be us!
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The Industrial Age gave us
Book Stores
The Information Age gave us
Kindle
65
The Industrial Age gave us
Encyclopedia Britannica
The Information Age gave us
Wikipedia
66
The Industrial Age gave us
Garage Sales
The Information Age gave us
eBay
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The Industrial Age gave us
Film and Movies
The Information Age gave us
Digits and YouTube
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The Industrial Age gave us
Graded, Time-Based-Learning Schools
The Information Age gave us
Graded, Time-Based-Learning Schools
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Or . . .
The Industrial Age gave us
Graded, Time-Based-Learning Schools
The Information Age gave us
Apple Apps and MCL.
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Education’s 10 WBW’s have been…
* Institutionalized by educators
* Legalized by policy makers
* Endorsed in teacher contracts
* Internalized by parents & the public
* Legitimized through “reforms”
* Reinforced by the media
…for so long…that people think
GOD invented them…and so revere them!
The
Change
TheTOTAL
TOTALLEADER
LEADERfor
forProductive
the MCL Vision
The
Authentic
Leader
The
Visionary
Leader
The
Cultural
Leader
The
Quality
Leader
The
Service
Leader
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The TOTAL LEADER for the MCL Vision
The
Authentic
Leader
DEFINES the
REASON
for MCL
The
Visionary
Leader
FRAMES the
PICTURE
of MCL
The
Cultural
Leader
The
Quality
Leader
The
Service
Leader
DEVELOPS
OWNERSHIP
for MCL
BUILDS
CAPACITY
for MCL
ENSURES
SUPPORT
for MCL
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The TOTAL LEADER for Productive Change
Authentic
Leadership
“MCL has
meaning
for me!”
Visionary
Leadership
“MCL is clear,
exciting, doable,
INEVITABLE!”
Cultural
Leadership
“I want to be
part of making
MCL a reality!”
Quality
Leadership
Service
Leadership
“I (we) can
Make MCL a
reality!”
“Our leaders
are really
helping!”
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Leadership
INTEGRITY
COURAGE
VISION
OPENNESS
HONESTY
TRUSTWORTHINESS