Northeast Teachers Convention of the Alberta Teachers Association s1

Northeast Teachers’ Convention of the Alberta Teachers’ Association

Thursday February 16th, 2012

Education beyond the Classroom:

Teachers as Nation Builders!

Opening Keynote Speakers

Dr. Yong Zhao, Françoise Ruban

Father Tony Ricard

Feature Speakers

Barry Litun, Peter Lilijedahl

Special Musical Performance

HOJA

Closing Keynote Speaker

Murray Banks

Mayfield Inn - 16615 109 Avenue, Edmonton, AB

http://netca.teachers.ab.ca

Three Opening Keynote Presenters

9:00 a.m. to 10:10 a.m. - Group A

Aspen View, Fort Vermilion, Greater St. Paul

10:45 a.m. to 11:55 a.m. – Group B

Lakeland Catholic, Northland, Northern Lights

Dr. Yong Zhao

Catching up or Leading the Way:

Education in the Age of Globalization

At a time when globalization and technology are dramatically altering the world we live in, is test-driven education reform headed down the right path? Will standards and accountability bring significant improvement to our education systems? Are schools emphasizing the knowledge and skills that students need in a global society--or are they actually undermining their strengths by overemphasizing high-stakes testing and standardization? Are education systems in China and other countries really as superior as some people claim?

In this presentation, Dr. Yong Zhao addresses these and other questions based on his new book of the same title. Born and raised in China and now a professor at Michigan State University, Zhao bases many of his observations on extensive research and firsthand experience as a student in China and as a parent of children attending school in the United States. His unique perspective leads him to conclude that “American education is at a crossroads” and “we need to change course” to maintain leadership in a rapidly changing world.This Opening Keynote session repeats at 10:45.

Dr. Yong Zhao is currently Presidential Chair and Associate Dean for Global Education, College of Education at the University of Oregon. Zhao has extensive international experiences. He has consulted with government and educational agencies and spoken on educational issues in many countries on six continents. His current work focuses on designing 21st Century Schools in the context of globalization and the digital revolution. Zhao has published over 20 books and 100 articles

Speaker: Dr. Yong Zhao

Room: Robson/Rundle

1st Chairperson: April Koziol, Northern Lights Local

2nd Chairperson: Rachelle Allen, Lakeland Catholic Local

Father Tony Ricard

Have You Seen Him?

Each day, we are given the chance to encounter the Lord. But, I wonder how many times has Jesus Christ tried to visit us and we missed seeing Him for who He really was. As the teachers, preachers, staff and administrators in Catholic Schools, it is our common call to search for Christ in the least expected places.

This exciting and interactive presentation will focus on finding Christ in the great world of Academia! It will also discuss the purpose of Catholic Schools and our role as the recognized “Elders” of Catholic communities.

Fr. Tony is a native of New Orleans. He is a former New Orleans Public School teacher who holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Loyola University. He also has a master of Theology degree from Xavier University’s Institute for Black Catholic Studies and a Master of Divinity degree from Notre Dame Seminary.

This Opening Keynote session repeats at 10:45. Delegates may only attend this session once. Please let other delegates have a chance to attend!heir jobs." We need people who will pull together to get the job done." -Brenda Robinson

Speaker: Father Tony Richard

Room: Palisades

1st Chairperson: Kim Barrie, Lakeland Catholic Local

2nd Chairperson: Yvan Beaudoin, Greater St. Paul Local

Françoise Ruban

The World Has Enough Sheep!

From Mongolia to Malawi, from Ghana to Guyana, Alberta teachers have long served teaching colleagues across many parts of the globe. What we do overseas, where we do it, with whom and how you can become involved is the focus of this session. Specific attention will be focused on the 2011-2012 CTF Project Overseas initiative. This interactive presentation will focus on the current hopes and challenges facing the Alberta Teachers’ Association’s International Assistance Program. A current overview of new and ongoing initiatives will be given and participants will discover how their personal contribution of time and expertise can impact our work with teachers and students internationally.

This session will be presented in French for the first session and in English during the second session. This session will repeat at 10:45.

Professional philosophy: The greatest good you can do for another is not to share your riches but to reveal to him his own. Benjamin Disraeli

Françoise Ruban is an Executive Staff Officer in the Professional Development Program Area within the Alberta Teachers’ Association. Her current dossiers include mentorship, French education and international assistance among others.

Françoise’s teaching and administrative career spans over 25 years within the elementary, secondary and post-secondary levels, urban and rural communities in Alberta as well as overseas where she has taught in Germany, Ghana and in China.

Recipient of a national Excellence in Teaching Award from the Canadian Association of Immersion Teachers (Association Canadienne des Professeurs en Éducation), Françoise is particularly interested in issues pertaining to second language education, social justice as well as issues in international development and teacher education, and women in leadership.

Speaker: Françoise Ruban

Room: Logan

1st Chairperson: Nancy Crosset, Lakeland Catholic Local

2nd Chairperson: Kimberly Pretty, Fort Vermilion Local

FIRST SMALL GROUP SESSIONS – Thursday morning

Pool B - Lakeland Catholic, Northland, Northern Lights

Pool A – Other delegates are in one of the opening keynote sessions

9:00 a.m. to 10:10 a.m.

SECOND SMALL GROUP SESSIONS – Thursday morning

Pool A – Aspen View, Fort Vermilion, Greater St. Paul

Pool B – Other delegates are in one of the opening keynote sessions

10:45 a.m. to 11:55 a.m.

Current Issues in Education - President of the ATA

The president of the Alberta Teachers’ Association, Carol Henderson, will present a review of current issues in education. Issues that are likely to affect teachers and schools as a result of government decisions and actions will be discussed. This session repeats at 10:45.

Speaker: Carol Henderson

Room Emerald

1st Chairperson: Randy Proskiw, District Representative NE

2nd Chairperson: Randy Proskiw, District Representative NE

Mental Toughness: A Concept for Our Times

Tough times require tough-minded people. Schools need to focus on turning out resilient, hardy and mentally tough students who are more likely to stay in school and perform under pressure. Schools in the United Kingdom train students to use the concept of mental toughness to help improve classroom performance and lower dropout rates. This concept has also been used as a bullying intervention because people who are trained to meet challenges and stay in control tend to have increased resistance to the effects of bullying. There is a clear link between positive behavior and a student’s level of mental toughness. This session will be an introduction and exploration of this concept and its usefulness as a construct in the classroom.

This session repeats at 10:45.

Speaker: Jay Hetherington

Room: Amethyst

1st Chairperson: Nav Attewel, Aspen View Local

2nd Chairperson: Stephanie McKay, Fort Vermilion Local

My Heroes Have Always Been Indians:

My Heroes Have Always Been Indians is unique book because it highlights the often overlooked contribution that Aboriginal people have made to Alberta society. It has two parts: the first is an historical, cultural and demographic synopsis of Aboriginal peoples in Alberta. The second part highlights the contributions of 100 role models in short biographies and photographs. They contributed to Arts, Literature, Commerce, Community Development, Cultural Identity, Economic Development, Education, Environment, Health, Justice/Law, Leadership, Military Service, Politics, Sports, Technology, Traditional Knowledge, Tourism, Volunteerism, and Women's Issues. This session repeats at 10:45.

Dr. Cora Voyageur is an associate professor in the sociology department at the University of Calgary. She earned a Ph.D. in sociology at the University of Alberta where her dissertation explored Aboriginal people and their involvement with the Employment Equity Act. Her research focuses on the Aboriginal experience in Canada and includes women’s issues, politics, employment, media, and economic development. She has conducted extensive community-initiated research with many First Nations and Aboriginal organization. Dr. Voyageur is a member of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation in Fort Chipewyan, Alberta.

Speaker: Dr. Cora Voyageur

Room Maligne

1st Chairperson: Karen Gamble, Fort Vermilion Local

2nd Chairperson: Christine Brown, Northland Local

Assessing What’s Hard to Measure

While educators are in agreement as to the importance of helping students acquire 21st century skills, there appears to be less agreement in regard to how such skills could be assessed. Since we are already well into the 21st century, coming to such an understanding takes on an increased measure of importance! Through a case study approach, participants will examine a variety of ways to assess skills that can’t easily be measured using traditional assessment techniques. Support materials available through the AAC website will be highlighted. This session repeats at 10:45.

Speaker: Pat Lore

Room: Morraine

1st Chairperson: TBA

2nd Chairperson: Lenore Lamouche, Aspen View Local

The Senses and the Mind

This session is pertinent for anyone interested in constructing a more accurate world view, creating a better world. Imagine an astronomer receiving data from an orbiting telescope. To make sense of the data and thus the universe she/he should understand how it was collected, processed and transmitted. Similarly to understand the universe we need to understand our senses and our mind. This presentation deals with selectivity, biases, heuristics, assumption and working principles. This session repeats at 10:45.

Speaker: Greg Hunter

Room Banff

1st Chairperson: Timothy Crabbe, Northern Lights Local

2nd Chairperson: TBA

Teaching Students who Live in Poverty

Educators who teach children from poverty know these students have different needs when coming to school. Understanding the culture they live in and knowing strategies that work best for these students is critical to teaching and learning. Many years of experience, reading and looking at the research have given me important knowledge to help these children be more successful at school. I would like to share this knowledge so you can empower and enable these students to be the best they can be. This session repeats at 10:45.

Speaker: Anthony Kernaghan

Room Jasper

1st Chairperson: Christine Yurko, Great St. Paul Local

2nd Chairperson: Karie Becker, Fort Vermilion Local

Numeracy Tasks (Grades 7-9) 9:00 until 10:10

With the latest curriculum revisions numeracy has taken on a more prominent role within the grades 7 to 9 curriculum. But exactly what is this thing that we call numeracy? In this workshop we will examine this notion of numeracy and how it is different than mathematics. Participants will engage in, and leave with, a number of grades 7-9 numeracy tasks for use in meeting the curriculum's demand for attainment of this elusive, yet important, learning outcome. This session does not repeat! Any delegate may attend this session at this time!

Dr. Peter Liljedahl is an Associate Professor of Mathematics Education in the Faculty of Education and an associate member in the Department of Mathematics at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada. His research interests are focused on the professional growth of mathematics teachers in general, and the role that beliefs play in this growth in particular. He is also interested in creativity, insight, and discovery in mathematics teaching and learning; mathematical problem solving; and numeracy.

Speaker: Dr. Peter Liljedahl

Room: 2201/2203

Chairperson: Marj Farris, Fort Vermilion Local

Numeracy Tasks (Grades 10-12) 10:45 until 11:55

With the latest curriculum revisions numeracy has taken on a more prominent role within the grades 10 to 12 curriculum. But exactly what is this thing that we call numeracy? In this workshop we will examine this notion of numeracy and how it is different than mathematics. Participants will engage in, and leave with, a number of grades 10-12 numeracy tasks for use in meeting the curriculum's demand for attainment of this elusive, yet important, learning outcome. This session does not repeat! Any delegate may attend this session at this time!

Speaker: Dr. Peter Liljedahl

Room: 2201/2203

Chairperson: Terry Lyn McLeod, Northland Local

Domino Math Games - Connecting the Dots (K- Gr. 3)

Come prepared to play domino games that help teach patterning, counting, place value, the operations and more. Reproducible game boards provided. These activities are great for regular and Special Education centers. ALL NEW games and strategies will be introduced in this session. This session repeats at 10:45.

Speaker: John Felling

Room: 2204/2206

1st Chairperson: TBA

2nd Chairperson: Adam Cook, Greater St. Paul Local

Cross Curricular Literacy - Secondary

Secondary teachers of Math, Science, and Social Studies face the same literacy challenges as their colleagues in the English department. Using the current research on literacy development J.A. Williams School is implementing a school wide `Word-Learning Initiative'. This session provides an overview of the literacy challenges secondary teachers face; some research based practices and instructional strategies, as well as our school-wide implementation plan. This initiative embraces literacy as a responsibility for all subject area teachers.

Speaker: Conal Donovan

Room: 2205

1st Chairperson: Julie Chorney, Lakeland Catholic Local