- There will be no pre-registration of workshops. Workshops will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
- This schedule is a working document and is likely to change slightly as we receive input from workshop presenters.
- Workshops marked OUTDOOR WORKSHOPS will be entirely outdoors and will run rain or shine. Please bring a light jacket, sweater, boots, hat, sunscreen, water and a snack to outdoor workshops.
Friday, May 7, 2010
10:40 am - 12:00 pm
Firsthand voices: Teachers and students reflect on local outdoor environmental education projects
with Polly L. Knowlton Cockett, University of Calgary Faculty of Education
What are teachers and students saying about their engagements in outdoor environmental education projects? What are some benefits; what are some challenges? How do these involvements build community and a sense of place? How are local projects connected to global issues, and how might we learn about democracy by working collaboratively with our neighbours? Through ongoing research, study participants share reflections about place-based and curriculum-connected prairie conservation projects in northwest Calgary. Workshop attendees will also have an opportunity to respond and to share reflections on their won engagements in similar projects in their schools and/or communities.
Polly L. Knowlton Cockett is a doctoral candidate in Environmental Education in the Faculty of Education at the University of Calgary. She is also a teacher with the Calgary Board of Education and holds Masters degrees in both Science Education and Geology. For over a decade, Polly has voluntarily managed the award-winning outdoor environmental projects at Dr. E.W. Coffin School in northwest Calgary. One such project is Whispering Signs, a unique set of interpretive signage panels incorporating original art, poetry, and text by students and community members, celebrating our natural prairie and parkland heritage and our place within it.
Engaging in our Communities as Global Citizens
with Erin Couillard and Rita Poruchny, Global, Environmental and Outdoor Education Council (GEOEC) of Alberta
This workshop actively engages educators in environmental learning and global education. It encourages teachers to promote student personal responsibility for the environment and fosters a commitment to sustainable living. Solidarity, peace, democracy and the environment are explored in depth throughout the unit. Activities are inquiry based and interactive with teacher resources and student materials provided. The unit has possibilities of implementation in all subject areas. “Engaging in our Communities as Global Citizens” connects schools in Canada to national environmental education organizations. It is sponsored by Green Street, the Canadian Teachers’ Federation and the ATA’s Global, Environmental and Outdoor Education Specialist Council (GEOEC).
Erin Couillard is a grade 7 math/science teacher at the Calgary Science School. She is also the President of the GEOEC and has been involved in global and environmental education in the formal and non-formal education sectors in Alberta for over 10 years. She holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Calgary and a Bachelor of Education from Queen’s University.
Rita Poruchny is the past president of the GEOEC. She has been a part of the GEOEC for many years. A passion for environmental education and global education is a big part of her life. She has taught outdoor and environmental education in elementary and junior high.
Partners in Stewardship
with Jane Leeson, Adam Robb and James Bartram
Staff and students from the Palisades Stewardship Education Centre will take participants through an experiential learning session by replicating some events and activities they have been through at the Palisades Centre. The Centre is located in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Jasper National Park and provides youth with the opportunity to interact in a broad range of engaging activities presented in the context of nature and in collaboration with a broad range of community stakeholders and highly skilled environmental specialists to further their appreciation of their role as ambassadors of protected land in an globalizing world. Following the activities, a presentation and discussion will provide you with the answer to the question you will now be asking … “How do I get there? And can I share in these opportunities from where I am?”
Jane Leeson currently teaches Social Studies at Jasper Junior Senior High School and is Grande Yellowhead Public School Division’s liaison for the Palisades Centre. She has taught for 26 years and her expertise is in Outdoor Education and Global Education.
Adam Robb also teaches in Jasper and instructs Senior High English and Social. Adam produced the Stewardship of Protected Lands program for the Palisades Centre.
James Bartram has taught in three countries and two provinces and has spearheaded stewardship education for Jasper National Park over the past six years. He lead the development team of the Alberta Education locally developed courses Stewardship of Protected Lands. James' present assignment is leading a national signature program in reconnecting youth with nature for Parks Canada.
What do you want Alberta to be like in 100 years?
with Jennifer Janzen, Alberta Tomorrow
Need a relevant way to teach sustainable development to your students? Alberta Tomorrow – Teaching Sustainable Development in the Alberta Curriculum is an interactive web-based computer simulation that uses cutting edge technology and information to teach the long term effects of natural resource management on ecological and economic values right here in Alberta. The computer simulator allows students to design their own strategy for resource development and ecological protection, run it through the simulator, and see the consequences. Ready for implementation into the new science and social studies curriculum sciences, the simulation includes lesson plans and student activities for Bio 20, Science 20, Science 7, Social Studies 9 and 10 and Outdoor and Environmental Education.
Jennifer Janzen has taught high school in Alberta for the past eight years. Prior to her teaching career, she worked as an ecologist and environmental educator for various government and non-profit organizations. She is currently working as an environmental consultant, specializing in environmental education.
New High School Environmental Stewardship CTS Courses
with Paul Bohnert, Alberta Education
Beginning in September 2010, 57 new one-credit environmental stewardship CTS courses will be offered to all high school students in Alberta. The courses are intended to provide students with an introductory, intermediate and advanced experience in a variety of areas of environmental stewardship. Diverse course options will provide numerous opportunities for students to gain CTS credits connected to Science, Social Studies and English course content. The hands-on courses and projects will encourage students to engage in their communities and be part of and/or initiate environmental stewardship projects in their schools and communities.
Paul Bohnert is the Alberta Education Curriculum Manager for the Environmental Stewardship and Agricultural programs for the new CTS Natural Resources Curriculum. Working as an educator in the field of environmental stewardship and eco-friendly design and building for more than 15 years, Paul brings a passion and enthusiasm to his current position that focuses on ‘knowing your place’ and responsible citizenship.
Connecting Local to Global through a Child Rights Lens
with Lesley Stewart and Kelly Quinlan, UNICEF Alberta
This presentation will introduce teachers to some of the key issues relevant to global learning and education around children’s rights and global citizenship. They will learn about the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and how global education and the CRC may be integrated into their teaching practice. Teachers will interact with resources and materials designed to meet specific curriculum expectations in accordance with Alberta Learning’s program of study. Major themes that will be addressed are: social justice, global citizenship and multiculturalism.
Kelly Quinlan is one of UNICEF Canada's Education Managers for the Global Classroom programme. UNICEF Canada is committed to working with teachers, school districts and other education partners to encourage a sense of connection and understanding between our students here in Canada and young people around the world. UNICEF recently partnered with GreenLearning Canada to send four students from Canada to the Children's Climate Change Forum in Copenhagen this past December, at which over 150 students from around the world gathered to take real action on climate change. Kelly recently managed a UNICEF International initiative called Connecting Classrooms that brought students together in an online initiative with other young people from around the world to address climate change.
Lesley Stewart has recently joined the Global Classroom team with UNICEF Canada. Prior to working as the Global Education Manager in Alberta, Lesley taught in the Lower School Division of an International Baccalaureate( IB) school for seven years in Toronto, Ontario. During this time she was able to work with students to promote the attitudes and understandings which encourage international-mindedness and a global perspective. In addition to formal teaching, Lesley has been involved in curriculum development, teacher training programs and assessment. Lesley has also participated in international education projects and most recently she co-designed and delivered a teacher training program in Coimbatore, India. Lesley is excited about her role within UNICEF and is looking forward to working in partnership with educators and community organizations to bring additional awareness to global education and the inclusion of children's rights into educational practices.
Building Bridges and Making Connections
with Julia Medland, Alberta Council for Global Cooperation
This workshop will provide participants with an insight into the educational opportunities and initiatives available through the Alberta Council for Global Cooperation (ACGC) coalition of members. ACGC member organizations work daily towards human sustainable development, locally and globally, as well as create excellent educational materials with a focus on global citizenship. By engaging educators in activities that explore issues of human rights, environmental sustainability, peace education, and social justice, as created by our members, we hope to build a connection between educators and the valuable work our members are doing.
The Alberta Council for Global Cooperation (ACGC) is a coalition of voluntary sector organizations located in Alberta, working locally and globally to achieve sustainable human development. We are committed to international cooperation that is people-centred, democratic, just, inclusive and respectful of the environment and indigenous cultures. We work towards ending poverty and achieving a peaceful and healthy world, with dignity and full participation for all. Members of the Council pursue these goals through supporting global citizenship programs and participatory projects with international partners.
UNESCO Associated Schools – Where do we go now?
with Robert Mazzotta, The Alberta Teachers’ Association
This workshop for UNESCO members will provide a brief history and overview of UNESCO in Canada along with the role of the Canadian Ad-Hoc Bureau. Members will be given an opportunity to share ideas, to make personal connections with other school representatives, strengthen the network and to initiate collaborative school2school projects. Participants will share what they feel the network requires to move forward.
Robert Mazzotta is the provincial coordinator in Alberta for the UNESCO Associated Schools Project Network. He is also an Executive Staff Officer in the Member Services Program Area of the Alberta Teachers’ Association. Robert has been working with the UNESCO Associated Schools since September 2008.
The Centre for Global Education: Creating Global Communities through Technology
with Terry Godwaldt, The Centre for Global Education, Queen Elizabeth High School
The Centre for Global Education (TCGE) facilitates programming for over 10,000 students from every corner of the planet, focusing on Peace and Global Education and Higher Level Learning and Research. Along with their partner organizations, TCGE connects classrooms around the world, in real time, to partner schools and organizations through the integration of online technologies. In addition to learning and programming opportunities, participants will be able to sign their classes and schools up for a number of the programs, creating accounts and learning how to navigate the various tools and learning opportunities available. Feel free to bring your laptop!
Terry Godwaldt has taught for over 10 years across Canada and Europe. He is also the founder/director of The Centre for Global Education which was established in early 2007 to facilitate regional, national and international programming, ranging from curriculum based enrichment opportunities to international educational and philanthropic programs. Each year, The Centre facilitates programming for over 10,000 kids from every corner of the planet.
Take It Outside – Conducting Hiking and Backpacking Programs with Students
with Jeff Reading, Community Energy Initiative, City of Calgary
Schools have a unique opportunity and perhaps a responsibility to connect students to the natural world, the basis for both our economy and our life long recreation habits. This outdoor session will present a few things to consider regarding pre-planning, risk management, preparatory activities, location selection, group management, leadership, integrated curriculum possibilities and parent volunteers as we go for a short hike in the Bow Valley. Come prepared with specific questions to discuss. Each participant will leave with a teacher-developed resource on hiking and backpacking.
Jeff Reading is a former environmental and outdoor education system leader with the Calgary Board of Education. He is a Past President of the ATA’s Environmental and Outdoor Education Council and current Chair of the Alberta Council for Environmental Education (www.abcee.org). He now leads The City of Calgary’s Community Energy Initiative project team (www.calgary.ca/footprint) which partners with a wide variety of communities on action intent on reducing our ecological footprint.
Relationship Building with Nature – a key piece of sustainable environmental action projects
with Roy Strum, Calgary Board of Education
CANCELLED
1:00 pm - 2:20 pm
Taking Action to Reduce Our EcoFootprint
with Jeff Reading, Community Energy Initiative, City of Calgary
This interactive session will provide an orientation to a variety of tools, activities and tactics that can be used with students to help them take action on reducing their EcoFootprint. We will play the state of the earth quiz, introduce you to a local EcoFootprint calculator and action tracker and provide an overview of the 12 abilities of an environmentally literate person. If time permits, we might also play the GEOpardy game.
Jeff Reading is a former environmental and outdoor education system leader with the Calgary Board of Education. He is a Past President of the ATA’s Environmental and Outdoor Education Council and current Chair of the Alberta Council for Environmental Education (www.abcee.org). He now leads The City of Calgary’s Community Energy Initiative project team (www.calgary.ca/footprint) which partners with a wide variety of communities on action intent on reducing our ecological footprint.
Teaching about Climate Change – The How
with Kathy Worobec, GreenLearning Canada and Gareth Thomson, Alberta Council for Environmental Education
The keynote presentations will provide information on climate change. As educators, what do you do with all of the information? What are some appropriate strategies for teaching about climate change? What do students need to know and when? How do you engage students in age appropriate and meaningful action projects? What education resources are available on climate change? This session will provide the answers to these questions for all grade levels and you will know what to do in your classroom to educate about climate change.
Kathy Worobec is the Alberta Director of GreenLearning Canada (formerly the education program of the Pembina Institute). Kathy has over 20 years of experience in developing, implementing, delivering and managing environmental education programs for youth and teachers. Kathy has taught in the classroom, worked in the energy efficiency field with the Alberta Department of Energy and worked as a consultant before joining the non-profit environmental education sector. She received her education degree from the University of Alberta and joined Pembina Institute’s education team in 2003.
Gareth Thomson is Executive Director of the Alberta Council for Environmental Education. He has twenty years experience in delivering environmental education programs and supporting teacher professional learning, working for the government of Alberta and then as the first Education Director of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS).
Initiating and Assessing Actively Engaged Citizenship in the Junior High Social Studies Classroom
with David Scott and Rachelle Savoie, Calgary Science School and Sonja Howatt and Rhonda Krasnodemski, Canadian Rockies Public Schools
In this interactive workshop we will explore the involvement of Canadian Rockies School Division in a citizenship project that is attempting to move citizenship education towards a more active, critical and socially conscious form of engagement for students. We will begin with an outline of the core ideas that have guided this project, including what it means to be a social justice oriented citizen at the junior high level. Through a Grade 7 work in progress and a set of exemplars from Calgary Science School, participants will be given the opportunity to reflect on the quality of the learning activities and the assessment strategies used to evaluate student learning. The focus here will be on how best to incorporate and assess actively engaged citizenship along with the challenges and opportunities that were encountered along the way. This session will underscore the importance of honouring the diversity of school-community contexts in global education pedagogy while being mindful of the need for coherent assessment practices across Alberta’s programs of study.
David Scott is a Great 8 Humanities teacher at Calgary Science School. He recently completed his Master’s of Education at the University of Alberta where he had an opportunity to teach within the pre-service social studies education program. He has also been actively involved in writing and editing critical and historical thinking curriculum resource guides and presenting workshops for the Critical Thinking Consortium (TC2).
Sonja Howatt is a curriculum leader for Canmore Public Schools who has been greatly involved in the Inspiring Hearts and Minds: CRPS Futures Planning process which, with extensive consultation with the local community, has mapped out future directions for public education in the Bow Valley. Both Sonja and David have helped facilitate at ATA and University of Alberta funded citizenship projects supporting teachers in making connections between outcomes in the social studies curriculum while supporting students to actively engage in issues of concern in their community.
Ronda Krasnodemski has been teaching junior/senior high students for 20 years, predominantly in the humanities area. She is currently a grade 7 generalist at Lawrence Grassi Middle School in Canmore.
Global Citizenship in Action
with Carrie Malloy and Renee Vaugeois, John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights
Teach students how to do volunteer work, support charities, or take action in their community, school or the world. The John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights has developed a resource and unit plan which will walk students through a process for exploring possibilities for action – from initial brainstorming to a final event or product. This session looks at how to use the ten-lesson unit plan and accompanying DVD. Receive a free copy of the resource. This workshop would be of particular interest to Junior and Senior High Social Studies teachers.
Carrie Malloy has her Masters Degree in International/Global Education from the University of Alberta. She has spent many years teaching and traveling overseas. Prior to taking on the position of Education Programs Coordinator at the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights, Carrie was teaching “Global Issues” at an international university in southern Japan.
Renee Vaugeois has her Masters Degree in Political Science from the University of Alberta. She is executive Director of the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights as well as being President and Founder of Ainembabazi Children’s Project, a non-profit organization working to improve educational opportunities for AIDS affected orphans and vulnerable children in Uganada.
Building Bridges to Global Education One Student at a Time
with C. Garth Brooks, CODE
Project Love provides an opportunity for students in elementary and secondary schools to learn more about the developing world and its challenges and to make a concrete difference in the life of another in the form of Project Love Kit. The kits, containing a notebook, pencil, eraser and ruler, are destined this year to go to Malawi and/or Haiti. Participants in this fun, interactive session will be engaged in relevant literature and small group activities about “the global village”. All participants will leave with a Project Love Participant Pack containing a DVD and a plan to organize a simple, global education project in their classrooms.
C. Garth Brooks is the Senior Program Manager for Canadian Engagement at CODE, located in Ottawa. He oversees a program geared to youth called Project Love in which schools assemble Project Love kits to send overseas (this year being Haiti and Malawi) while studying about the countries of destination. Garth has worked at CODE for 7½ years. Prior to that, he was an elementary school teacher for 34 years. He is also a strong advocate for quality children’s literature particularly in the areas of global education and social justice.
How Sustainable and Equitable is my iPod?
with Ken Symington and Jodi Anderson, Canmore Collegiate High School
Learn how students from the Canmore Collegiate High School’s ASCENT integrated program investigated the lifecycle of common and meaningful products. The students tracked and rated the sustainability and equitability of their products from the extraction of product materials to the disposal of the manufactured, purchased items. Through hands-on activities, they became aware of the various elements of global citizenship, climate change, and social justice based on the learner outcomes of the Grade 10 Social Studies and Science curricula. The final goal of their journey was to become responsibly active citizens by developing and promoting alternatives to the shortcomings of their products.
Ken Symington has been a teacher, guide and naturalist for over twenty years. He has been teaching Science, Outdoor Education, Health and Digital Technology at CCHS for the last six years. His background is in experiential learning with an avid interested in student engagement.
Jodi Anderson is a secondary humanities teacher. She has an education degree in History and English and an Arts degree in Geography and Environmental Studies from McGill University. She has taught at CCHS for ten years. Her most current adventures include taking on the ASCENT program, a most rewarding experience.
Beyond Good Intentions: Partnering with Schools in Developing Countries
with Sandra Ryan
The emphasis on global citizenship in Alberta schools has opened the eyes of students to global inequity and many feel compelled to help those in developing countries. It is not uncommon for Alberta classrooms or schools to sponsor a child, fundraise to build a water well, or to send educational supplies to under-resourced schools abroad.
Beyond Good Intentions is a workshop for educators who are engaged in or are interested in initiating a partnership or project with a school or community in the developing world. It encourages participants to reflect upon their assumptions of developing countries and consider how these assumptions shape international partnerships and projects. The workshop highlights principles that, when applied, can maximize the positive impact of international partnerships and projects. It also gives teachers time to consider how they can move partnerships or projects beyond acts of charity to transformative, curriculum-based learning experiences.
Sandra Ryan consults as an educational writer and trainer, facilitates professional development workshops for the Alberta Teachers’ Association, and coordinates an international children’s exchange program (ChildSpeak). Sandra taught in the Calgary Board of Education for over twenty years and has mentored eleven Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) interns in Africa. She specializes in reading and numeracy skills development and has completed integrated Essential Skills curriculum packages for a variety of contexts both nationally and internationally. Sandra’s passionate interest in global education has earned her international recognition, including a United Nations award.
One with the Biosphere
with Chris Coppinger, Munroe Junior High School, Winnipeg
Munroe’s (a UNESCO Associated School) “One with the Biosphere” initiative gets students outside, connecting them to the curriculum and offers a positive influence on the community. Involving the students in the naturalization of an urban green space has a profound impact on their understanding of the community and the natural world. This workshop will showcase how Munroe is creating a mini model Biosphere by following the guidelines set out by UNESCO’s Canadian Biosphere Reserve Association. Go beyond the virtual world and enter the real natural world. Create outdoor laboratories where students learning will being a part of an ecosystem.
Chris Coppinger has been at Munroe Junior High for the past five years in the late French Immersion stream, teaching grades 8 and 9 Math and Science. He has a solid background in assessment, working on divisional teams in areas of assessment, middle years report card, technology integration and math directions. Munroe Junior High is a member of the UNESCO Associated Schools Network. Chris is currently working to establish a national committee linking Associated Schools Network with a Biosphere Reserve, or to model a Biosphere Reserve while re-naturalizing an urban green space.
Exploring Refugee Issues Through Drama: A Day in the Life
with Vanessa MacKinnon, St. Joseph Elementary/Junior High School
Want to educate students on global issues? Actively engage students in an exploration of human rights, focusing on refugee issues. Develop knowledge and showcase learning for the school community by presenting a simulation refugee camp. Learn strategies to guide students throughout the project. Build personal connection for students, meet local agencies, provide research opportunities, and explore options for the refugee camp itself. See students’ work and reflections on all stages of the project. Through this amazing learning opportunity, make students aware of human rights. Give students an understanding of the power they have to enact positive change in their world.
Vanessa MacKinnon currently teaches grade 5 in Calgary Catholic. She is very involved in introducing human rights issues into the school. Last year she carried out many projects within her own classroom. This year, she has started to organize a school-wide focus on human rights, in particular refugee issues. The weekly program includes speakers and activities for junior high students. There are also leadership opportunities for students to work and share with elementary students. Vanessa's personal learning is focused on ESL issues, through PD and readings. She has worked to implement many new practices into her classroom.
The Wonder of Water: Digital Literacies and Environmental Change
with Helen Moise, JBT Elementary
CANCELLED
2:40 pm - 4:00 pm
Spirit Within
with Walter MacDonald White Bear, Aboriginal Futures Treaty 7
Walter’s workshop comes from a place of spirit channeled through heartfelt music, personal stories and traditional teachings that have been passed on by sweat lodge holders and pipe carriers. Walter also speaks about the power of choice, compassion for all worldviews and the “special gift” that all humans were born with.
Walter MacDonald White Bear is a Cree singer-songwriter originally from James Bay of the Cree First Nation of Moose Factory, Ontario. Walter has been performing acoustic and flute music for several years. Performance highlights include the Edmonton Folk Festival, The Chiefs Summit with Tom Jackson and The Dream Speakers Festival. He has also performed as part of events such as The Mountain Song Native Teacher, Awo Tan Native Fundraiser, the World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education and more. Walter’s music is a reflection of his personal journey as a First Nations person in Canada. He has shared his cultural knowledge with various audiences that range from correctional services to principals, teachers and students.
Social Studies, Social Justice and Students 4 Change (S4C): A sustainable approach to active, engaged citizenship
with Glyn Hughes, George McDougall High School
Glyn Hughes and dynamic members of S4C will provide participants with a sustainable approach for developing, and sustaining active, and engaged global citizens in their schools. Glyn and his students will demonstrate how an initiative (that started in 2001) can inspire, motivate and sustain itself through a variety of global awareness campaigns, partnerships with not for profit groups, non-governmental organizations, memberships in the UNESCO ASPnet schools network and social justice initiatives work in a high school setting.
Glyn Hughes is currently the Social Studies Department Head at George McDougal High School and the founder/director of Students 4 Change (S4C) in Airdrie. He is inspired by his current students and alumni of S4C. The students that are with him are articulate, passionate and accomplished young people.
Educating Global Citizens as a UNESCO Associated School
with Bev Toews and Gayleen Roelfsema, Olds High School
UNESCO Associated Schools is a global network of schools that are recognized by UNESCO as actively promoting a culture of peace. Olds High School has been part of this network for the past seven years and their participation has been instrumental in helping to educated their students and staff in realistic ways to become informed, active, responsible local and global citizens. Bev and Gayleen will share concrete examples of how their school has injected global education in classroom curriculum and school wide activities, engaging all sectors of their school. They will also talk about how they have networked with schools and organizations on a national and international level, culminating this year in three of their students attending a youth summit on climate change in Copenhagen, Demark.
Bev Toews is an educational assistant who is also the coordinator of the UNESCO Associated schools project that takes place in the school.
Gayleen Roelfsema is an English teacher and Vice-Principal at Olds High School.
New Conservation Education Programs and Resources from the Canadian Wildlife Federation
with Brian Briggs on behalf of the Canadian Wildlife Federation
Through a fun, hands-on mini-workshop, you will try out a sampler of teacher friendly learning activities from Fish Ways and Below Zero, two new conservation education programs from the Canadian Wildlife Federation to supplement Project WILD. You will receive free posters and sample instructional materials for your classroom. Downloadable resource materials from the new CWF website, such as cross-references to the Alberta science curriculum and the Fish Ways activities, will be featured. You will find out how to get the free 198-page Grade 1-12 Below Zero Activity Guide through an upcoming workshop.
Brian Briggs is the Science Consultant for the Calgary Catholic School District and works directly with science teachers at the elementary and junior high level by providing extensive professional development in the area of inquiry-based learning. Brian strongly believes that for science to be meaningful for children it cannot come out of a book – it has to be activity oriented and based in sound educational methodology. In addition to working with teachers and administrators, Brian works directly with numerous governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations and national and international corporations, assisting them with the development of curriculum-based materials to enhance science education in Alberta.
Nurturing Global Citizens through Language Arts
with Shelley Gosse, S. Bruce Smith School
Through a project based approach, students are engaged in a variety of engaging activities including blogging, creating videos, web quests, writing and mailing advocacy letters, researching global citizens, creating awareness posters, and debating. Throughout the project, lessons implement a variety of activities and approaches which promote self reflection, goal setting, research, communication and group work skills. Examples of student work and strategies for maximizing student’s motivation and success through differentiation and assessment for learning will be shared.
Shelley Gosse has been a teacher for nineteen years with Edmonton Public Schools. During this time, Shelley has taught Language Arts to elementary and junior high students. At the junior high level, Shelley has taught Language Arts in the City Centre Education Project at McCauley School and was the leader for a students-at-risk reading project made up of staff from eight inner-city schools. Currently, Shelley teaches language arts at S. Bruce Smith Junior High and through her presentations, she shares her practical, student-centered approach to literacy and creating success for all learners in the Language Arts classroom.
Building Global Awareness through Documentary Film Making
with Simon Clarke, Emily Beth Walton and Todd Welsh, Jennie Elliott School
This session focuses on how teachers can work with their students to create documentary films that bring global and environmental issues to life in classrooms ranging from grades 1-12. We will focus on the process of creating student documentaries from the planning stage, to rough-cut editing, to the final screening. A focus on how to arrange and incorporate guest speakers into your students’ work will also be part of this discussion. Examples of student documentaries from the past three years will be showcased to highlight different techniques that can be used and to show what is possible.
Grade six teachers Emily Beth Walton, Simon Clarke and Todd Welsh have been team teaching at Jennie Elliott School in Calgary for five years. For the past three years, a professional documentary filmmaker has helped them bring this project to life. Their passion for bringing global and environmental issues to the forefront is reflected in their work with students to create amazing documentaries and to bring influential speakers and experts to their school. In the past three years, more than 40 experts have spoken with students including the likes of Craig Kielburger, Ryan Kreljac, George Roter and Justin Trudeau.
Imagineaction - a student-driven social action program
with Pauline Théoret, Coordinator, Green Street Program
Imagineaction will launch on September 1, 2010 as a teacher-directed program being developed by the Canadian Teachers' Federation. Imagineaction is being designed to support individual responsibility necessary for the development of socially just citizenship through engagement with community. The program will offer space and support for critical thinking, dialogue, collaboration, engagement, and action. Whether you're a teacher or representative of a community organization, come and find out how you can become part of the soon-to-be student-driven social action movement called Imagineaction!
Endangered Species of Alberta
with Greg Neil, Calgary Science School
Learn how to take students on a journey through Alberta's natural regions through the eyes of Alberta's Endangered Species. This interdisciplinary, inquiry based project covers numerous strands of the grade 4 Social Studies and Language Arts curriculum, while providing a naturally differentiated, technologically rich learning experience. This presentation will emphasize the use of the "Inquiry Rubric", as a starting place for both planning and evaluating the quality of any inquiry based project.
Greg Neil is a Grade 5 Math/Science teacher at the Calgary Science School. Greg is in his fourth year of teaching, prior to which he spent many years working in the outdoor recreation industry, including a number years employed with Mountain Equipment Co-op where he was involved with numerous environmental and socially responsible initiatives. Greg has an Environmental Studies degree from Carleton University and an Education Degree from the University of Calgary.
Recommendations for Engaging Youth in the Environment
with Emmy Stuebing, Executive Director, Alberta Emerald Foundation
The Alberta Emerald Foundation (AEF) works to recognize, celebrate and inspire environmental excellence in our province. To this end, the AEF wanted to determine the most effective role it could play in recognizing, supporting and encouraging youth involvement in environmental excellence. The AEF wanted to identify what it means to engage youth in the fields of environment and sustainability, and in understanding this context, develop a youth engagement program. In 2008, the AEF selected the Alberta Council for Environmental Education (ACEE) and Acton Consulting to conduct research and make recommendations for AEF’s role in engaging Alberta youth in environmental excellence. The resulting report provides insights and recommendations, which will be discussed during this workshop.
Emmy Stuebing has built her entire professional career working in the nonprofit sector. Working for large institutions such as the University of Alberta and the Alberta Cancer Foundation as well as smaller organizations such as the Valley Zoo Development Society and the Fort Edmonton Foundation, Emmy has experience and expertise relating to fund development, communications and nonprofit management. Presently, Emmy works as the Executive Director of the Alberta Emerald Foundation, working to celebrate and inspire environmental excellence in Alberta. Additionally, she volunteers as a citizen-at-large member of the City of Edmonton Animal Control Advisory Board as well as a director on the board of AFP Edmonton and Area.
Outdoor workshops – 180 minutes, Friday afternoon
GPS Basics – Unit Operation, Field Trip Planning and Geocaching
with Don McLaughlin, Msgr. E.L. Doyle School
This workshop will give participants a hands-on opportunity to learn the basic operations of a GPS unit, using a GPS for planning field trips, and geocaching. Participants will meet at the conference centre for a brief session in the operation of a GPS and discussion of strategies for use in the field. The geocaching portion of the workshop will take place at the Canmore Nordic Centre where a number of geocaches exist. Appropriate outdoor gear is required for this workshop.
Don McLaughlin is currently a teacher with the Calgary Separate School District and outdoor education advocate. He has extensive experience using GPS technology for planning and conducting outdoor education opportunities.
Mountain Biking for Fun and Access
with Nancy and Guy Pollard, Lawrence Grassi Middle School
We will be reviewing basic mountain bike skills such as how to fix a puncture and what to have in your “kit”. We will go over how to teach basic and intermediate mountain bike skills using a “home-made skills park”. Then, we will go hit some trails, hit the bike park and demonstrate how mountain biking can be used for access to many diverse environmental and educational activities.
Nancy and Guy Pollard are teachers here in the Bow Valley. They are both avid mountain bikers and coach with the RMCC youth groups. Nancy is also a competitive mountain bike racer. They also began Canmore’s walking school bus program at Elizabeth Rummel School.
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Last updated: May 4, 2010
