Process
Here are some resources that may help you identify practices that align with your instructional goals and support you as you try something new.
Prepare
Set goals for yourself, your team, and your learners to realize everyone’s potential to create learning-focused, student-empowered educational environments.
- Look at your data - Understanding your current reality will help you set a realistic and impactful goal. Use this tool to gather information needed, start a conversation, or individually reflect on it.
- Individual Action Plan - If you are focused on making a change for yourself, use this plan, or something like it, to focus on one or two areas to get started and monitor your progress toward meeting your goals.
- Team Collective Action Plan - If you are implementing a new practice as a team, this protocol may help you identify the actions needed to reach your goal. Teams are encouraged to meet regularly to monitor team progress, align goals and outcomes, and ensure that the work is leading toward a desired impact. Your team may use this form, or something like it, to do something similar.
Train
Find the information you need.
Alt+Shift provides training in four formats:
- Quick wins - Short, self-directed modules that focus on one practice and let you get started immediately.
- Online courses - Series of self-directed modules that provide comprehensive information on a broader topic that also let you get started immediately.
- Statewide live courses - Multi-day training offered in person, virtually, or both. Be in a room with certified trainers and educators with similar goals. Receive content, reflect, and begin to experience the potential impact of the new practices that could be used in your setting.
- ISD Partnerships - Partnerships give ISDs access to a co-constructed planning, training, and implementation process that they can use to support their local districts and programs. For more information, see Implementation Partnerships.
Explore the topic areas below to find training that fits with your learning plan.
Implement
Learners cannot benefit from instructional practices they do not experience. Implementation after learning is critical, yet it can be difficult without support and feedback.
The Alt+Shift Technical Assistance form connects you to specialists who can provide assistance in the early stages of implementation.
The Alt+Shift Lending Library connects you to tools that you can trial. Learners may require technology to benefit from the new practice you are implementing. Learners may need assistive technology, in general, and to fully participate in their education.
Sustain
Sustaining effective new practices ensures that learners will continue to benefit from them. Sustaining also allows educators to implement practices at greater levels of mastery as they gain experience and knowledge.
Alt+Shift supports sustainability through communities. Listservs allow educators to ask questions and share resources. Alt+Shift also uses listservs to share information about community events such as work groups, related training, and statewide meetings.