A course designed specifically for educators based on international pedagogical research by Charles Darwin University and Lewis Deep Democracy on how knowledge, skills, attitudes and values are imparted in an educational environment.
It begins with a dream.
Myrna Lewis, CEO and Co-founder of Lewis Deep Democracy, dreams of giving all children a voice, the ability to hear different views and the know-how to resolve tension. We need you to achieve this dream and spread the word.
The ShiftED course for teachers.
Phase 1 - LDD Foundations.
The ShiftED course is designed specifically for educators based on the international pedagogical research by Charles Darwin University and Lewis Deep Democracy on how knowledge, skills, attitudes and values are imparted in an educational environment.
Acquire critical 21st-century skills implicit in Lewis Deep Democracy to support your students to become successful lifelong learners who are confident, creative, active & informed members of their community.
The Conscious & Unconscious
Understand interrelationship dynamics and manage difficult behaviours.
4 x 90-minute sessions in a small group (max 12 people).
Prior to each session, there will be 15 minutes of self-learning.
This course has been designed to be practical and pragmatic.
AUS$200 per person
10% discount for groups of 4 (or more) people. Request a coupon code from us: support@lewisdeepdemocracy.com
Role Theory
Discover a new way of looking at classroom dynamics.
The LDD Debate
Teachers will review the course content, explore its relevance in the classroom and have the opportunity to practice and reinforce the tools. Phase 1 will enable you to use the Conscious & Unconscious, Resistance Line and The LDD Debate with confidence.
On completion of Phase 1, you will receive a Lewis Deep Democracy ShiftED certificate of attendance and an invitation to deepen learning with Phase 2 & 3 (optional).
Phase 2 - Continued learning (optional)
6 x weekly online sessions @ AUS$50 per session
After Phase 2, you will be able to add the Check-in, Soft Shoe Shuffle and Role Theory to your tool kit and have a deeper understanding of classroom dynamics.
General Capabilities Developed Include:
Personal and Social capability: Understanding group dynamics
Intercultural Understanding capability: Listening deeply and safely expressing all views
Ethical Understanding capability: Gaining new perspectives on challenging issues
Critical and Creative Thinking capability: Working through and with tension arising from differences of opinion and diversity
The Resistance Line
Tools to develop safe, supportive, inclusive and connected classrooms.
A tool to surface different viewpoints, promote critical thinking and resolve tension.
Phase 3 - Accreditation
This phase will train you to teach the methodology to other teachers. Please email us for more information: support@lewisdeepdemocracy.com
Testimonials.
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"I really love this class. I am so enjoying learning about the process and opening my eyes to the many ways this can be used to give every single child a voice and ensure every child is heard and valued." - Teacher, AU
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"What seems to stand out for parents is deeper listening, openness to other views, resting into having a voice-their student trusting that that will be listened to, shifting the protocols of being heard and having a voice, not being stuck stridently in a pre-adolescent view." - Teacher, AU
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"Very practical, so it makes you feel confident to do it. And the fact that it is 90 minutes is great in that it is not time-consuming." - Teacher, SA
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"ShiftED has enhanced my teaching and my student's learning, it's been a win for me." - Teacher, SA
The affiliate program.
We passionately believe in giving children a voice and teaching them to hear different views. We need your help to achieve this dream and spread the word. And we want to reward you for helping us to grow ShiftED.
An affiliate partner is an individual or business that partners with LDD to promote ShiftED. In return, you earn a commission for each sale you send our way.
The Research.
The research and development project encompassed international participants, teachers working with primary and secondary aged children and young people, and a global pandemic. Please watch the video below for the full research presentation and discussion with Dr. Georgie Nutton, Susan Kilgour, Karen Cieri and Myrna Lewis.
Summary of Key Findings:
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Teachers’ come to ShiftED largely expecting to improve classroom dynamics. They have concerns for external influences and classroom climate as factors impacting on student behaviours.
Teachers come with strong growth mindsets and mostly a high sense of self-efficacy
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Teachers have high levels of confidence in using the tools and strategies immediately after training.
“I really love this class. I am so enjoying learning about the process and opening my eyes to the many ways this can be used to give every single child a voice and ensure every child is heard and valued.”
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Student behavioural and attitudinal changes are reflected in:
academic engagement and performance;
an ability to navigate sabotaging behaviours to improve classroom wellbeing and dynamics, role fluidity.
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Teachers reported transformational changes in both their personal and professional dispositions and capacity for Meta Skills of compassion and neutrality.
“What seems to stand out for parents is deeper listening, openness to other views, resting into having a voice-their student trusting that that will be listened to, shifting the protocols of being heard and having a voice, not being stuck stridently in a pre-adolescent view.“
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Teachers’ pedagogical practices changed to:
achieve more inclusive and respectful classroom climates
reflect greater openness to energy fields and role fluidity
being deliberate and conscious of democratic versus autocratic approaches
incorporate a supportive community of practice
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Teachers face structural challenges in schools such as time and space to do professional learning.
Some barriers to fully implementing ShiftED were described as and related to:
resistance or being stuck
limited explicit use of LDD language with students
not consistently using the processes
limited time for embedding implementation
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Flexible options for face-to-face and online delivery of the ShiftED tools and strategies can achieve pedagogical change.
The Partnership.
Lewis Deep Democracy (LDD) and Charles Darwin University (CDU) have had a research and development partnership since November 2019 to explore the impact of a specifically designed suite of LDD tools and strategies on the day-to-day democratic pedagogical practices of teachers so that they can enable children and young people to have a voice, share their views, listen to others, and resolve tension.
The People.
Dr. Georgie Nutton has over 25 years’ experience in early childhood education, applied research and policy development and delivery of curriculum, pedagogy and assessment projects including professional development for teachers. She has successfully managed and led major early childhood education and care and school system research projects for the Northern Territory Government and Menzies’ Centre for Child Development and Education including analyses of national and international evidence-based interventions across health, child protection, community services and education disciplines to support compelling change agendas. Georgie now works in the initial teacher education program at Charles Darwin University and enjoys the privilege of working with community and organisation lead research projects.
Susan Kilgour lives in Darwin, Australia-the land of the Larakia people. Susan has a BA, Diploma of Teaching, BA (Humanistic Education), is a qualified Lewis Deep Democracy Instructor & Elder, Growth Coaching International-Coach and Nationally (AUST) Accredited Mediator. Susan has had a life time focus on peacemaking as practical conflict transformation, focused on establishing equitable power relationships robust enough to be interventions in future conflict. As big sister to a brother and sole parent, mothering a son, hearing all the views and voices, especially those different from her own are some of her earliest sistering and mothering memories. She believes that all voices count in ethical decision making within a community, or among parties, that had previously engaged in inappropriate responses to difference and conflict. This work can encompass a diversity of emergencies from climate emergency to the emergency of white supremacy, colonisation and racism; from workplace emergencies to family and local community conflicts.
Karen Cieri is currently a senior policy officer in the NT Department of Education in the Northern Territories of Australia. She was the Backbone Facilitator of the Sanderson Alliance, a collective of non-government service providers and schools to improve the lives of vulnerable children in her local area. As the Assistant Director of the Centre for School Leadership, Learning and Development, (a joint venture by the Northern Territory Department of Education and Charles Darwin University) she managed the delivery of coaching programs and facilitated whole-school dialogues and decision-making. She has worked in strategic planning and policy roles within the Department since 2000. Her previous work includes the development of whole-system change agendas in Indigenous education and initiatives to enhance data-informed decision making. Karen has a bachelor degree in psychology from the University of Queensland and is currently undertaking doctoral research into ethical organisational leadership and collaboration at Charles Darwin University.
Myrna Lewis is a psychologist, special needs teacher, thought leader and practitioner in transformative leadership. She is internationally known and respected for making critical soft skills accessible to individuals, teams, corporates, public sector organisations, and educational institutions, enabling them to work more efficiently and effectively. Myrna is a TEDx speaker, the recipient of international humanitarian awards, and the author of Inside the No. Myrna co-founded Lewis Deep Democracy, a method born out of South Africa’s transition from apartheid to democracy in 1993. Myrna has a B.A. degree in Social Science, B.A. Honours degree in Psychology and an M.A. degree in Clinical Psychology. She is responsible for the professional services and development of the Lewis Deep Democracy method. Myrna consults internationally and facilitates large-scale transformation processes. She is also the author of 'Inside the No’ (2008) Recipient of several international awards.
Read the full research report
The ShiftED designers and invited research team have conjointly compiled this report on the development and pilot of ShiftED to share progress with the wider LDD Education Group