Advertise on podcast: Re: thinking education

“How do we bring that courage to the surface in challenging moments?” In her back-to-school message, TC² Executive Director Usha James reflects on the courage we bring to teaching and learning, and what that might mean for the year ahead.  A new school year can feel like a fresh start. But none of us arrives as a blank slate. We bring with us our experiences, our learning, our relationships, our hopes and fears, and everything else happening in our lives. Usha reminds us that courageous inquiry can help us bring our whole selves to teaching and learning.  What does it take to listen when something challenges what we thought we knew? To examine our own leadership and teaching practices with humility? To seriously consider student voice and create meaningful opportunities for agency? To invite learners into complex questions when we may not already know the “answers”? Download the transcript of this episode. Visit our website at tc2.ca for more information about professional learning with TC². Follow us on LinkedIn.

For the seventh episode of Creating Thinking Systems, our OPSOA (Ontario Public Supervisory Officers’ Association) sponsored series, TC² Executive Director, Usha James speaks with CEO Kristen Niemi and Superintendent of Education Jenny Smith from Renfrew County District School Board about the importance of deep data analysis, consistent guidance frameworks, and maintaining system-level commitment to support student success. Credits: Host: Usha James Guests:  Kristen Niemi (CEO, Renfrew County District School Board) and Jenny Smith (Superintendent of Education, Renfrew County District School Board) Producer: Neil Bateman Podcast administrator: Kara Zutz Download a transcript of this podcast. Visit our website at tc2.ca for more information about professional learning with TC². Follow us on LinkedIn.

In part two of our sixth Creating Thinking Systems episode, sponsored by OPSOA (Ontario Public Supervisory Officers’ Association), TC² Executive Director, Usha James, continues the conversation with Superintendents Tina Jones, Jay MacJanet, and Vida Collis, about taking the lessons and revelations from part one, and creating effective school visits through purpose, intention, and trust. Credits: Host: Usha James Guests:  Jay MacJanet (Formerly Superintendent of Education with Trillium Lakelands District School Board, now Director of Education with Near North District School Board); Tina Jones (Superintendent of Education for Innovation and Inclusion for Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board); and Vida Collis (Superintendent of Student Achievement and Well-Being with the Waterloo Region District School Board, now retired) Audio production: Neil Bateman Podcast administrator: Kara Zutz Download a transcript of this podcast. Visit our website at tc2.ca for more information about professional learning with TC². Follow us on LinkedIn.

In our sixth Creating Thinking Systems episode, sponsored by OPSOA (Ontario Public Supervisory Officers’ Association), TC² Executive Director, Usha James, begins the first of a two-part conversation on school visits with three Ontario superintendents, each in a different phase of their careers. In this episode we meet Superintendents Jay MacJanet, Tina Jones, and Vida Collis, and reflect with them on how they learned that school visits may not be what they seem on the surface, setting the stage for our follow-on episode where we explore how impactful school visits can be as part of an intentional process and plan. Credits: Host: Usha James Guests:  Jay MacJanet (Formerly Superintendent of Education with Trillium Lakelands District School Board, now Director of Education with Near North District School Board); Tina Jones (Superintendent of Education for Innovation and Inclusion for Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board); and Vida Collis (Superintendent of Student Achievement and Well-Being with the Waterloo Region District School Board, now retired) Audio production: Neil Bateman Podcast administrator: Kara Zutz Download a transcript of this podcast. Visit our website at tc2.ca for more information about professional learning with TC². Follow us on LinkedIn.

For our fifth episode of Creating Thinking Systems, our OPSOA (Ontario Public Supervisory Officers’ Association) sponsored series, TC² Executive Director, Usha James, joins Toronto DSB Executive Superintendent, Nandy Palmer, and Hastings and Prince Edward DSB Superintendent, Ken Dostaler, in examining strategies and challenges in building and ensuring the capacity to not only support students with special education needs, but improve outcomes for all students. Credits: Host: Usha James Guests:  Nandy Palmer (Executive Superintendent, Special Education Programs and Equitable Outcomes for Toronto District School Board) and Ken Dostaler (Superintendent, Student Services for Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board)  Producer: Neil Bateman Podcast administrator: Kara Zutz Download a transcript of this podcast. Visit our website at tc2.ca for more information about professional learning with TC². Follow us on LinkedIn.

In our fourth instalment of our OPSOA (Ontario Public Supervisory Officers’ Association) sponsored series, Creating Thinking Systems, TC² Executive Director, Usha James, welcomes Director of Education, Wes Hahn, from the Trillium Lakelands District School Board. Usha and Wes explore how TLDSB drives alignment — using inventive ways to spark authentic student feedback, and ensuring everyone from the director, to coaches and consultants, to I/T staff, spend time out in the schools, where real change happens. Credits: Host: Usha James Guest: Wes Hahn, Director of Education (Trillium Lakelands District School Board) Producer: Neil Bateman Podcast administrator: Kara Zutz Download a transcript of this podcast. Visit our website at tc2.ca for more information about professional learning with TC². Follow us on LinkedIn.

How will you start the school year in a good way?  In her back-to-school message, Usha James invites us to reflect on our shared purpose and reminds us that academic achievement and well-being are deeply connected. She highlights our revitalized framework, dedicated to nurturing quality thinking that inspires action for a flourishing world, and focuses on one dimension that feels especially important at this time of year: growing communities of quality thinkers.  In this message, Usha shares key elements for fostering this work and leaves us with three simple, powerful activities you can use right away to listen to learner voices, build trust, and create a positive environment that supports flourishing from the very first days of school. Download the transcript of this episode. Visit our website at tc2.ca for more information about professional learning with TC². Follow us on LinkedIn.

In the third episode of our OPSOA (Ontario Public Supervisory Officers’ Association) sponsored series, Creating Thinking Systems, TC² Executive Director, Usha James, welcomes Director of Education, Vicki Houston, and Superintendent of Education, Kari Bryant, from the Greater Essex County District School Board in Ontario.   Having both recently embarked on new leadership roles, Vicki and Kari reflect on their experiences of intentionality while navigating significant system-wide change, all while improving data literacy, reconstituting the leadership team through fostering alignment and cohesion, and ultimately reuniting the district to a student achievement-driven footing.  Finally, Vicki, Kari, and Usha take a look forward to carrying on the work into to the upcoming school year.  Download the transcript of this episode. Credits  Host: Usha James Guests: Vicki Houston (Director of Education, Greater Essex County District School Board) and Kari Bryant (Superintendent of Education - Elementary Staffing, Greater Essex County District School Board)  Producer: Neil Bateman Podcast administrator: Kara Zutz Visit our website at tc2.ca for more information about professional learning with TC². Follow us on LinkedIn.

In this second episode of our series Creating Thinking Systems, sponsored by OPSOA (Ontario Public Supervisory Officers’ Association), Usha James, TC² Executive Director, welcomes two guests from the Bluewater District School Board in Ontario. Lori Wilder, Director of Education, and Wendy Louwerse, Superintendent of Education, describe their journeys in creating a district-wide thinking system and how the use of a critical inquiry question ("How can we continuously identify, plan for, and effectively respond to support the learners for whom our current practices are not working?") has led to increased alignment and a common language. They highlight the need for data literacy, instructional leadership, and a focus on student needs. Download the transcript of this episode. Credits Host: Usha James Guests: Lori Wilder (Director of Education, Bluewater District School Board) and Wendy Louwerse (Superintendent of Education, Bluewater District School Board) Producer: Neil Bateman Podcast administrator: Kara Zutz Visit our website at tc2.ca for more information about professional learning with TC². Follow us on LinkedIn.

This is the first episode of Creating Thinking Systems, our OPSOA (Ontario Public Supervisory Officers’ Association) sponsored series. Usha James, TC² Executive Director, welcomes two guests from the Limestone District School Board in eastern Ontario. Krishna Burra, Director of Education, and Jess Silver, Superintendent of K-12 Curriculum and Program Services describe the district’s journey to think critically and collaboratively in a number of different ways. Three inquiry questions were developed that used data to guide system-wide planning with a focus on student achievement and professional learning. Download the transcript of this episode. Visit our website for more information about professional learning with TC². Credits Host: Usha James Guests: Krishna Burra (Director of Education, Limestone District School Board) and Jessica Silver (Superintendent of Education, Limestone District School Board) Producer: Neil Bateman Podcast administrator: Kara Zutz Visit our website at tc2.ca for more information about professional learning with TC². Follow us on LinkedIn.

As we begin the 2024-2025 school year, Usha James, Executive Director of TC², reflects on recent challenges in education, from mental health strains to the impacts of remote learning. She acknowledges that, while we are doing many good things, we may not be reaching everyone as effectively as we wish. Usha encourages educators to focus on one or two impactful practices that can make a significant difference, particularly for those learners hardest to reach. She highlights the importance of slowing down, truly getting to know our learners, and fostering meaningful, compassionate, and collaborative learning. Visit our website at tc2.ca for more information about professional learning with TC². Follow us on LinkedIn.

What are the environments in school and outside of school that we hope to foster, and how might high-quality thinking help us advance our goals? What are the relationships between thinking, learning, and living a beautiful, fulfilling, and good life? Visit our website at tc2.ca for more information about professional learning with TC². Follow us on LinkedIn.

In this  back to school message,  Usha James, Executive Director of The Critical Thinking Consortium, asks  the question, "How will we start the year in a good way?"  Visit our website at tc2.ca for more information about professional learning with TC². Follow us on LinkedIn.

Season's Greetings from The Critical Thinking Consortium! Visit our website at tc2.ca for more information about professional learning with TC². Follow us on LinkedIn.

In this episode, Warren Woytuck, TC² Director, interviews Usha James, TC² Executive Director, and poses the question, “What really matters when teaching for deep learning?” In the first part of their conversation, Usha provides practical ideas for teachers about how they might identify and distinguish deep learning from other forms of learning. Then, Warren and Usha explore aspects of practice that support deep learning, and identify three principles that could be applied in any learning situation. Credits Host: Warren Woytuck Guest: Usha James Podcast administrator: Kara Zutz Producer: Kaye Banez Visit our website at tc2.ca for more information about professional learning with TC². Follow us on LinkedIn.