BTC 2024 - Calgary: Full Schedule

WELCOME TO THE 2024 CALGARY BEGINNING TEACHERS’ CONFERENCE!

Teachers new to the profession are invited to attend the 2024 Beginning Teachers’ Conference, October 4-5, Best Western Premier Calgary Plaza Hotel & Conference Centre, Calgary. There is no registration fee. Space is limited; apply early.

School principals, school jurisdictions and local associations work together to provide substitute teacher coverage as per the collective agreement to facilitate the attendance of beginning teachers at the conference. Substitute teacher coverage must be organized and approved in advance. Please ensure you meet with your school principal to discuss release time and obtain the appropriate absence code to attend this conference.

Teachers in charter, federal and private schools must be associate members of the Association to be eligible to attend the Beginning Teachers Conference.

12:30pm MDT

Oreo Cookies and the Scientific Method (4–9)

Friday October 4, 2024 12:30pm - 1:45pm MDT

Plaza 5

With the advent of a new science curriculum, there are new units. There are various ways to teach the organizing ideas and incorporate higher levels of thinking in Bloom’s taxonomy. One could teach them each as separate units or a teacher could incorporate the scientific method into any of the other organizing ideas. How? Science Inquiry. Can you let go of sage on the stage and help guide your students through an engaging investigation? How can one incorporate the knowledge from the unit with the organizing idea of “Scientific Method”? Let me show you how with this highly engaging investigation. We will then explore ways that scientific inquiry can be incorporated into other organizing ideas for various grade levels.

Speakers

Michelle Savoie

Secretary, ATA Science Council

Michelle is a passionate science teacher of grade 6-9 students at Eleanor Hall School in Clyde for the last 18 years. She is also in her second term as secretary on the ATA Science Council.

Friday October 4, 2024 12:30pm - 1:45pm MDT
Plaza 5

Ed Tech, Division II and III | Curriculum Pedagogy, Division II and III

9:00am MDT

Engaging Students with Student-Centered Digital Activities (K–12)

Saturday October 5, 2024 9:00am - 10:15am MDT

Plaza 4

Your students already use Google Docs, Slides, Drawings, and more, but did you know there are hundreds of templates at your fingertips to take their publications to the next level? There are also several apps and sites that will help make student demonstrations of learning more engaging. Join this session where we will look at some fun, engaging, and powerful ways students can demonstrate their understanding through images, audio, and video, and the best ways they can share that work with you! Together, we can turn learning experiences into something creative, memorable, and meaningful for students.

Speakers

Darren Maltais

Educational Technology Council

Saturday October 5, 2024 9:00am - 10:15am MDT
Plaza 4

Ed Tech, Division I, II, III and IV | Curriculum Pedagogy, Division I, II, III and IV

10:30am MDT

Elementary Science—Computer Science and Computational Thinking in the Elementary Curriculum (K–6)

Saturday October 5, 2024 10:30am - 11:45am MDT

Plaza 4

Are you an elementary teacher wondering how to teach those new computer science outcomes? There are so many fun ways to incorporate coding and robotics into your science classes, as well as ways to make computational thinking an everyday habit for your students. Let's make computer science something to look forward to! We'll look at the big picture ideas behind computer science in an easy to digest progression, then we'll play with robots and Micro:bits and look at a few tools like Scratch Jr, Code.org, and CS First that will make your computer science class awesome!

Speakers

Darren Maltais

Educational Technology Council

Saturday October 5, 2024 10:30am - 11:45am MDT
Plaza 4

Ed Tech, Division I and II | Science, Division I and II