Pilot Teachers: Your SWAY Implementation Timeline, Tools, Training & Collaboration Invitations

Calling All SWAY Pilot Teachers: Let's Connect, Collaborate & Celebrate!

If you're a teacher currently piloting the WAY Game, SMART Digital Lesson Planning (SDLP), or Entrepreneurial Project-Based Learning (EPBL) in your classroom — this post is for you. You're part of something special, and we want to make sure you have everything you need to succeed, connect with fellow pilot teachers, and share your students' incredible work.

Your Implementation Timeline: A Suggested Sequence

SWAY is designed to be introduced in stages so that teachers and students can build confidence and momentum. Here is a recommended timeline:

Term 1 (Months 1–2): Foundation — Introduce the WAY Game

• Download and review the WAY Game Intro PowerPoint from playway.ca

• Introduce WAY Cards and the Pathfinder to students

• Set up teams and assign roles (Judge, Scorekeeper, Team Captains)

• Distribute CAP Notebooks and explain the Capture-Apply-Present framework

• Play your first WAY Game using the 7 Game Templates

• Post your first Game Cards online for parent transparency

Term 2 (Months 3–4): Deepen — Integrate SMART Digital Lesson Planning

• Download SMART Notebook (free Basic Version) and explore the SDLP templates on playway.ca

• Dedicate one PD session to creating your first digital lesson plan

• Begin posting daily Board Notes (PDF or Notebook file) to your class website

• Use the 9-step CAP Notes lesson planning process to structure your lessons

• Share your lesson plans with fellow pilot teachers to begin building a shared Lesson Plan Bank

• Use AI prompts (ChatGPT, NotebookLM, etc.) to customize and differentiate lessons

Term 3 (Months 5–6): Expand — Launch an EPBL Project

• Choose a project type: Digital Art Show, Puppet Play, Class Business Simulation, or your own idea

• Use the TeacherPreneuring PowerPoint from playway.ca to plan the project

• Invite parents and other classes to a Show and Tell Week or virtual field trip

• Document and share student work on the class website and playway.ca blog

• Reflect with students using CAP Notes: What did we create? What did we learn? What will we do next?

Tools & Training Available to You Right Now

Everything you need is free and available at playway.ca:

• WAY Game Intro PowerPoint — a complete crash course for teachers and students

• WAY Cards, Pathfinder, CAP Notes, and Game Cards — downloadable PowerPoint files

• SMART Notebook Templates — for daily lessons, unit plans, and WAY Game activities

• 31 Micro-Lessons (Lessons 1–4 and beyond) — a complete training series for new SWAY teachers

• TeacherPreneuring PowerPoint — for setting up EPBL and class fundraising

• Support Materials 2025 — a comprehensive guide to all SWAY tools

• AI Podcast (NotebookLM) — an audio overview of the entire SWAY system, available on the WAY Game page

• SWAY Substack (swaycananda.substack.com) — ongoing updates, articles, and community posts

Invitation: Field Trip, Virtual Play & Collaboration

We are inviting all pilot teachers to participate in one or more of the following collaborative events:

Option A: Virtual WAY Game — Play Across Classrooms

Challenge another pilot class to a WAY Game played virtually! Use the Blank WAY Game Templates for Players (available on the SMART page) and connect via video call. This is a fantastic way for students to meet peers from other schools, compete on curriculum content, and experience the WAY Game at a larger scale.

To arrange a virtual game, contact Brian at bcmccarthyway@gmail.com or reply to this post.

Option B: Virtual Field Trip — View Student Creations

Invite another class to view your students' EPBL projects online — a Digital Art Show, a Puppet Play, or any other creation. This gives students a real audience for their work and builds pride and motivation. Use your class website or the playway.ca blog to host and share the showcase.

Option C: In-Person WAY Game Day

If you're in the Calgary area (or willing to travel!), organize a WAY Game Day where two or more pilot classes come together to play. This is a powerful community-building event that students remember for years.

How to Communicate with Other Pilot Teachers

We recommend the following communication channels for pilot teachers:

1. Email Brian at bcmccarthyway@gmail.com to be added to the pilot teacher network

2. Subscribe to the SWAY Substack at swaycananda.substack.com for updates and community posts

3. Follow @a_smart_way_to_learn on Instagram for inspiration and student showcases

4. Visit the playway.ca blog regularly — new posts for teachers, students, and parents are added throughout the year

5. Use the playway.ca Teams page to coordinate with your own classroom teams

Feedback: Help Us Improve SWAY

Your experience as a pilot teacher is invaluable. We are actively collecting feedback from teachers, students, and parents to improve the SWAY program. Please share:

• What is working well in your classroom?

• What challenges have you encountered?

• What additional resources or training would help you?

• What are your students saying about the WAY Game and EPBL projects?

Send your feedback to bcmccarthyway@gmail.com or leave a comment below. Your insights will directly shape the next version of SWAY resources.

Thank you for being a pioneer. What you're doing in your classroom matters — and we're here to support you every step of the way.

— Brian McCarthy, a SMART WAY to Learn | playway.ca

This content was generated by AI.

This content was generated by AI. And it continues to blow my mind. These posts were generated automatically by AI. I don't remember telling AI to write and post Blogs that supported the tasks I created for our Study Buddy. Graphics were also AI-generated, not from nothing, but what I have put into it over the years.