PDTCA 2025: Full Schedule

The PDTCA Board hopes you have an amazing Convention 2025!
Emergency Procedures Calgary Telus Convention Centre
Emergency Procedures Hyatt
Human Rights Statement
Land Acknowledgement

CALGARY TELUS CONVENTION CENTRE (CTCC) and HYATT - address

Pre-Registration will OPEN February 1, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. and CLOSE February 16, 2025 AT 8:00 p.m.

For Pre-Registered sessions please use the pre-registration link on the pre-registration page at pdtca.org. Adding the session to your Sched schedule does not mean you are pre-registered.

Reason to Create a Profile in Sched
You do not need to create a profile and log in to see sessions in Sched. However, if you want to add yourself to a session to create a schedule or evaluate a session you must be logged in.

Convention at a Glance Link will be available here in Mid-February
Off-Site Addresses are included.

Professional Responsibility
“On the two school days of your assigned teachers’ convention, you have a legal and professional responsibility to attend convention. If you are not able to make it safely to your assigned convention, however, your collective agreement may include impassable roads or inclement weather clauses that you can access. If your collective agreement does not include language specific to road conditions or weather, you may make use of the personal leave clauses of your agreement in most cases. Please be aware that using any of these types of leave may require you to pay substitute costs, forego a portion of your salary and benefits, or report to your school or another work location in your district. Refer to your collective agreement for more information. Should you require any additional information or if you need assistance interpreting your collective agreement, please contact Teacher Employment Services at 1-800-232-7208 or 780-447-9400.”
This information is also found on the Frequently Asked Questions page on the www.ataconventions.ca website. If you have any further questions regarding this, please contact Daniel.Maas@ata.ab.ca.

09:00 MST

(Pre-Reg MAX 30) Electronic Music - an accessible avenue for building musicality & creative expression

Thursday February 20, 2025 09:00 - 10:00 MST

Co-Lab 111 - CTCC

The digital age has fundamentally changed what it means to be a musician. Educators can capitalize on these evolutions by offering opportunities for students to engage with technology as a tool for creation. In this session, we will explore BandLab: a free platform where teachers can create classes and students can make music. We will create our own electronic tracks, share them, and write artist statements. Bring a device and some headphones and come and see how meaningful electronic music can be to you and your students.
Pre-Registration Link

Speakers

Matthew Bassett

Matthew is an Elementary Music Teacher in Okotoks, AB. He completed his Undergraduate studies in Music Cognition at McMaster and his B.Ed at Trent. At his school he has served as the Faith Lead and the Indigenous Lead. He is currently the Divisional Elementary Music Lead for CTR... Read More →

Thursday February 20, 2025 09:00 - 10:00 MST
Co-Lab 111 - CTCC

Music & Band (TQS 3), Div1 (Gr 1-3), Div2 (Gr 4-6), Div3 (Gr 7-9)

Session has participant fee No
Level of content General overview for novice learners
Presentation Language English
Is Pre-registration required Yes

10:20 MST

(Pre-Reg MAX 30) Sticks & Pads - a cheap and awesome way to teach rhythm & percussion

Thursday February 20, 2025 10:20 - 11:20 MST

Co-Lab 111 - CTCC

Resources can be expensive. Some of the cheapest things in my music room are also some of the things I use most often and things that students gravitate to. Most people love to bang on stuff, so...channel that. With snare practice pads and a pair of drum sticks students get a real sense of what it means to be a drummer. Come by for a rhythm lesson and drum circle to see how accessible, how fun, and how effective sticks & pads can be.
Pre-Registration Link

Speakers

Matthew Bassett

Thursday February 20, 2025 10:20 - 11:20 MST
Co-Lab 111 - CTCC

Music & Band (TQS 3), Div1 (Gr 1-3), Div2 (Gr 4-6), Div3 (Gr 7-9)

Session has participant fee No
Level of content General overview for novice learners
Presentation Language English
Is Pre-registration required Yes

11:40 MST

When you give a kid a Pickaxe: Digging Into Minecraft Education Edition (11:40-14:00)

Thursday February 20, 2025 11:40 - 14:00 MST

Co-Lab 111 - CTCC

In this double session Rita and Kari will start by introducing you to the world of Minecraft Education Edition. Even if you have taken a look at this resource in the past, the updates to the lesson library and pre-built worlds are worth taking a second look.

The first half of the presentation aims to introduce educators to MEE, a powerful tool for enhancing student engagement and learning across various subjects. Attendees will be given an overview of the platform’s features, benefits, and pre-built resources.

For the second half, participants will be encouraged to have installed the Minecraft Education software so that they can follow along with Rita and Kari as they explore and demonstrate specific lessons and how to integrate them into their classroom.

Speakers

Rita Kruger

Teacher, Golden Hills School Division

As a student with ADHD, mental health difficulties and behavioral issues, Rita experienced the impact a dedicated professional could make. She obtained a BSc/BEd with a Special Education Specialization, and now teaches at a Junior High Behavioral Outreach program. Rita’s passion... Read More →

Kari Carriere

Teacher, Golden Hills School Division

Kari Carriere has been working as a teacher for more than 30 years. While her training and passion is in teaching Art,she has been working in Strathmore for the last 12 years as an Outreach and Online instructor through the LearningAcademy. Kari has spent multiple years promoting... Read More →

Thursday February 20, 2025 11:40 - 14:00 MST
Co-Lab 111 - CTCC

Learning Commons & Makerspaces (TQS 3), Div2 (Gr 4-6), Div3 (Gr 7-9), Div4 (Gr 10-12)

Session has participant fee No
Level of content Intermediate content
Presentation Language English
Is Pre-registration required No

14:20 MST

(Pre-Reg MAX 20) It's the little things in Life. Painting miniatures for Role-playing games.

Thursday February 20, 2025 14:20 - 15:20 MST

Co-Lab 111 - CTCC

Come, sit down and strain your eyes with your peers as we learn basic painting techniques on 18 mm miniatures. These miniatures can be used in a plethora of board games and role playing games and are yours to take home afterwards.
This session has a participant fee of $5.25. Pre-Registration Link

Speakers

Duane Sovyn

Teacher, Rocky View Schools

In 1991 just before paper was invented, my high-school English class was paired up with a grade four elementary class. I was partnered up with a young man who chose not to talk, in fact, he hadn’t since Kindergarten. After three hours with me, he was talking more than I was. The... Read More →

Thursday February 20, 2025 14:20 - 15:20 MST
Co-Lab 111 - CTCC

Art (TQS 3), Div2 (Gr 4-6), Div3 (Gr 7-9), Div4 (Gr 10-12)

Session has participant fee Yes
Level of content Intermediate content
Presentation Language English
Is Pre-registration required Yes

10:20 MST

Art-maker Lab (10:20-12:40)

Friday February 21, 2025 10:20 - 12:40 MST

Co-Lab 111 - CTCC

Mike will be hosting an open Art Lab with five independent projects. Each project will be set up to take 20-30 minutes and the whole lab will span two session lengths.
You and a friend or two should grab a beverage and drop in to the lab anytime up to 20-minutes before the session ends. Complete a project, complete two or complete all five for the coveted Gold Star. You might just want to drop in and chat about teaching Art or teaching in a multiple activity lab. Maybe you just want to watch a busy multiple activity lab in progress. Whatever you need to take away to enhance your professional practice, come and join us for a fun, hands-on celebration of creativity and you can leave with a folder full of Art projects, ideas and prompts selected from Mike’s extensive lesson library.

Speakers

Michael Shain

Teacher, Palliser School Division

Mike has over 30 years of creativity teaching experience. He is an artist, speaker, adult creativity coach, art workshop leader and teacher. Currently Mike’s day-job is programing Art lessons for secondary students for Palliser School Division. If there’s an Art Lesson Mike... Read More →

Friday February 21, 2025 10:20 - 12:40 MST
Co-Lab 111 - CTCC

Art (TQS 3), Div2 (Gr 4-6), Div3 (Gr 7-9), Div4 (Gr 10-12)

Session has participant fee No
Level of content General overview for novice learners
Presentation Language English
Is Pre-registration required No

13:00 MST

(Pre-Reg MAX 25) Uke Jam Session (Teacher Wellness)

Friday February 21, 2025 13:00 - 14:00 MST

Co-Lab 111 - CTCC

Science has proven that making music is good for your mental health! Come join a FUN jam session using the happiest instrument in the world... the 'ukulele. No experience is necessary, just a willingness to come sing some familiar popular songs and learn some super easy chords to strum. You do NOT have to be a music teacher to participate. Please pre-register to ensure you'll be able to use one of the 25 ukuleles on site.
Pre-Registration Link

Speakers

Christina O'Brien

Music Teacher and Book Author, Ukulele for Children

Christina O'Brien is an elementary school music teacher and clinician from Calgary, Alberta. When she's not teaching at school or in her studio, she enjoys building community through music and teaching others how to jam together! Christina has led clinics and workshops in Western... Read More →

Friday February 21, 2025 13:00 - 14:00 MST
Co-Lab 111 - CTCC

Health & Wellness (TQS 3), ECE (Pre K-K), Div1 (Gr 1-3), Div2 (Gr 4-6), Div3 (Gr 7-9), Div4 (Gr 10-12)

Session has participant fee No
Level of content General overview for novice learners
Presentation Language English
Is Pre-registration required Yes

14:20 MST

(Pre-Reg MAX 25) Pop...goes the 'ukulele!

Friday February 21, 2025 14:20 - 15:20 MST

Co-Lab 111 - CTCC

If you’ve been wanting to use some catchy popular songs in your classes, but don’t have the time to arrange all the songs yourself, then this is the workshop for you! All the hard work has been done for you. Simply show up, learn, and then teach the songs right away. During this fun and interactive session, participants will be introduced to some easy ‘ukulele arrangements for well known popular songs that your students already know and love to sing. There are easy single note accompaniments, modified chord options provided, and even some fun riffs to play. You will walk away with the skills to teach these songs on your own, no videos or YouTube required! Join "Ukulele for Children" author Christina O'Brien as she walks you through some classroom tested pop arrangements that can be taught as young as second grade but enjoyed by your middle school students too!

Pre-Registration Link

Speakers

Christina O'Brien

Music Teacher and Book Author, Ukulele for Children

Friday February 21, 2025 14:20 - 15:20 MST
Co-Lab 111 - CTCC

Music & Band (TQS 3), Div1 (Gr 1-3), Div2 (Gr 4-6), Div3 (Gr 7-9)

Session has participant fee No
Level of content General overview for novice learners
Presentation Language English
Is Pre-registration required Yes