The SHIFT Blog

 In this episode of the Shift Show EDU, the Shift Team sits down with Muhammad Zia , acting program lead of Science at the Virtual Secondary School in the Halton District School Board to talk about experimenting with new methods of teaching and learning in a virtual class.  Muhammad worked with Shift Coach Rachel Johnson to experiment with the implementation of the Thinking Classroom, a classroom learning model developed by Dr. Peter Liljedahl , professor of education at Simon Fraser University.  Incidentally, Liljedahl has recently released a book on Building Thinking Classrooms and Nicole Jarvis , Instructional Program Lead for Mathematics in HDSB is leading educators through the implementation of this model of teaching. Continuing our #thinkingclassroom journey with @pgliljedahl and @MsBriggsHDSB . Manipulative, white boards and lots of thinking! @HDSBSecProgram @HaltonDSB @HDSBMath @irhs1 pic.twitter.com/CjDpDNBBxo — Nicole Jarvis (@NicoleJarvis18) Novembe...

  Hello Shifters!  The Shift has launched a new podcast, called "The Shift Show EDU"!  We will use this podcast aims to stretch our edges as we try, fail, learn and SHIFT together.  We will explore and highlight innovative practice in education, as well as look outside the bubble of education, seeking outside voices to get a nuanced perspective of what school could be.  We hope to have a little fun along the way doing so. In this intro episode, we introduce ourselves as coaches on the Shift team and explore a little about what we aim to do with this podcast series. Have a listen, and don't forget to subscribe! Listen to "Meet the Shift Disturbers" on Spreaker.

  SHIFT Coaching Have you ever learned to play a musical instrument, or a sport, or a new dance step, or a new pedagogical approach?   Did you learn it alone? How long did that take? Do you think it would have been slower and more difficult, or easier and faster, if you had had someone to learn it with? Someone to plan with, someone to bounce ideas back and forth with, someone to try with, celebrate with, fail with, reflect with, and move forward with?  As SHIFT coaches, one of our main goals is to collaborate with people who would like the opportunity to SHIFT their practice, and innovate.   Innovation, as we define it here in Halton, is “an improvement to a product, process or understanding.”  So whether it is innovating a learning process - like flipped lessons or writers’ workshop, an understanding of something - like inquiry-based learning or mastery-based assessment, or a product - such as a communication tool used to better connect us with the ...

Some days, don’t you just wish you could clone yourself ? Most days, probably.  Wouldn’t that be nice?! It feels like we spend so much time repeating ourselves, and teaching the same concept over and over, that we never have enough time to spend actually working with our students . Having a clone would certainly make things easier! The strategies of the self paced classroom help to address that need!  (not the cloning, but, the time for sure.) We first got excited by the ideas of the self paced classroom when Kareem Farah appeared on Jennifer Gonzalez’ Cult of Pedagogy Podcast.  It is there we learned about Modern Classrooms Project FREE Self Paced Classroom essential training (which is...of course also self-paced!) We realized that many of the things that educators are striving for in their students and classes (truly getting to know their students as learners and humans, responsible and autonomous learners in charge of their own progress, having a solid understandi...

  It is well established at this point in 2020 that these are complicated, trying times.  The days blur together, work/life balance is totally out of whack, we worry about our health and the health of our loved ones, our families and friends are reeling from the economic implications from a shut down economy, not to mention the incredible challenges in engaging our students in learning, it takes determination, resiliency...and LAUGHTER to get us through.  Laughter and fun are antidotes that build our resiliency.  How might we find opportunities for fun, laughter and play in these times?   As Bryan Robinson, PhD notes in his article , ‘Too many of us take daily challenges with grim, crippling seriousness and humourless determination, thinking our lives have to be all work and no play, which can straitjacket us. If you’re like many people, you believe you must toil and sweat before earning the right to have fun. You might even feel guilty laughing and smiling...

  “Put On Your Own Oxygen Mask First.” You have probably heard that line before. The idea is simple: you are better able to help other people if you take the time to make sure you stay alive first! As we have all experienced a dramatic impact on our daily lives, this serves as an important time to reflect on this lesson. If you are interested in helping out other people, it is crucial that you are well enough yourself to do so. This week we are reflecting on the importance of building resilience at this time - with a keen interest of making sure we focus on our own well-being first and foremost. Many of us are facing daily challenges of our own while also wanting to help our families, communities, and students. There has never been a greater time to put the importance of well-being into perspective in its role in education.  There is a good listen just released this week on the NPR radio show “How I Built This” featuring a conversation with Christina Tosi - owner of Milk Bar ....