ShiftED Podcast

What happens when we take learning beyond the four walls? Scott Shepherd of Wildward Institute joins ShiftED to explore how connecting kids with nature can build independence, spark curiosity, and create meaningful learning opportunities. A conversation about outdoor learning, hope, and starting small.

https://www.wildwardinstitute.net

What is the real purpose of assessment? Is it to produce a grade, or to move learning forward?

In ShiftED Podcast #108, Chris Colley sits down with Tom Schimmer and Natalie Vardabasso of the Canadian Assessment Centre to explore how assessment can better support student learning. They challenge the reliance on percentages, unpack the difference between measuring what students learn and understanding how they learn, and explore how formative assessment can help students become more self-aware, independent learners.

The conversation comes back to a practical question for educators: What is one assessment decision you could change this year to better support learning?

Sometimes, improving assessment doesn't mean doing more. It means being more intentional about what we gather, why we gather it, and what we do with that information next.

What brings educators outside—and what do they take back with them? At the Let’s Lead Outdoor Learning Leadership Summit, I asked participants to reflect on why they came, what they discovered, and what they’re taking back to their schools. A collection of voices, ideas and practical inspiration from educators working to make outdoor learning a bigger part of school culture.

What if the biggest lesson in a video game isn’t the one you were supposed to learn? On this episode of ShiftED, Chris Colley sits down with Concordia professor and author David Waddington to explore the hidden curriculum of video games—and the ways games can shape how we think, learn and see the world. They unpack gamification, game-based learning, classroom practice and the surprising connection between video games, AI, efficiency, competition and control.

https://www.concordia.ca/faculty/david-i-waddington.html

What happens when we stop trying to control the math—and start trusting kids with it? In this episode, Zak Champagne gets into the messy, curious, wonderfully human side of mathematics: student thinking, math identity, productive struggle, routines, and the power of a teacher saying, “I trust you.” We talk about why speed and being right can get in the way, what genuine student voice looks like, and how small shifts in a math classroom can change how students see themselves as mathematicians. Expect fewer right answers—and a lot more good thinking.

https://www.zakchamp.com/

In this episode of ShiftED, Chris Colley sits down with Dan Fitzpatrick to look back at the Back to School AI Summit 2026. Across two days and 22 live sessions, educators explored some of the biggest questions facing schools: how to help students think with AI without outsourcing their thinking, what AI-rich classrooms actually look like, how assessment needs to change, student voice and AI policy, safeguarding, and the role of educators as AI builders. Chris and Dan unpack the ideas, tensions and conversations that stood out — and what they might mean for educators heading into the year ahead.

Checkout Recordings of 2 Days

https://theaieducator.io

In this episode of ShiftED, Chris Colley sits down with Amy Reyes-Hauff to rethink what young children really need to learn, grow, and thrive. They explore why play shouldn’t be treated as a break from learning, how movement and outdoor experiences support development and self-regulation, and what happens when screens become too central to early childhood. Amy brings decades of experience in early learning to a conversation about balancing technology with connection, curiosity, nature, and real-world experiences — and offers practical ideas for educators looking to make a meaningful shift.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-reyes-hauff-a1b15844/

Movement is the foundation for learning, not the reward for finishing it. On this episode of the ShiftED Podcast, we speak with Stephanie Lord-Darby, an early childhood educator and program coordinator at GymbaROO-KindyROO in Australia, about the neuroscience behind play. Stephanie unpacks "firing and wiring," why stillness is actually a form of balance built through movement, and how "provocations" let children choose their own path into a topic rather than following a scripted outcome. She also shares why connection, not routine, is the real starting point for a new school year. A grounded, practical listen for anyone setting up an early years classroom this fall.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-lord-darby-95180130a/

As Québec classrooms head back to school, we kick off a new season of ShiftED with Dr.Adam Dubé of McGill’s Technology, Learning & Cognition Lab. We talk about what technology actually changes about learning, how children experience AI, and what years of EdTech research can teach us about today’s AI moment. From educational games and apps to generative AI, Adam challenges us to look beyond the hype—and ask a better question: when does technology actually help someone learn?

https://www.mcgill.ca/education/adam-dube

What if the languages your students speak at home are actually your most powerful teaching tool? Erin Quirk, linguist and researcher at the Université de Sherbrooke, joins Chris to unpack what the research tells us about plurilingual children in Quebec's English-language classrooms. From cross-linguistic transfer to family engagement, Erin makes the case that multilingualism isn't a challenge to manage — it's a strength to build on. A must-listen for any educator navigating language in today's diverse classrooms.