PDTCA 2025: Full Schedule

THE PDTCA BOARD HOPES YOU HAVE AN AMAZING CONVENTION!
EMERGENCY PROCEDURES CTCC
EMERGENCY PROCEDURES HYATT
HUMAN RIGHTS STATEMENT
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

CALGARY TELUS CONVENTION CENTRE(CTCC) and HYATT - address and driving directions

PRE-REGISTRATION WILL OPEN ON JANUARY 11, 2024 AT 8:00P.M. and CLOSE FEBRUARY 11 AT 8:00 P.M.
We have decided to start pre-registration on January 11th to make sure everyone is informed of the start time and has time to check out the sessions as the first week back to school can be quite hectic.
FOR PRE-REGISTERED SESSIONS PLEASE USE THE PRE-REGISTRATION LINK BELOW THE SESSION DESCRIPTION IN SCHED. Adding the session to your Sched schedule does not mean you are pre-registered. The number in the title shows how many will be allowed to attend the session. We do allow more names to be added, but they will be on the waiting list. This is explained on the pre-registration page.
https://www.pdtca.org/pre-registration.html

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.

9:00am MST

Recreation, Ethics and Aesthetics. Are Video Games a Refined Art, Noble Sport or an Egregiously Superfluous Pastime?

Thursday February 20, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am MST

Macleod Hall E1 - CTCC

Countless students and adults alike enjoy video games. But what exactly are they? A benign form of recreation, high art, engaging sport, or simply a terrible waste of time? This talk draws on insights from religion and philosophy, namely the Bible and Socrates, to explore what the wisdom of the past says about the nature of recreation as well as aesthetics and how this applies to video games. It also seeks to provide teachers with novel ideas about how to introduce discussions on the ethics and aesthetics of video games, which students, in turn, can apply to other everyday realities such as sports, music and dance.

Speakers

Dr Gerard McLarney

Teacher, Elk Island Catholic Schools

Dr. McLarney teaches at St. Isidore Learning Center in Sherwood Park, AB., and serves as a sessional instructor at St. Joseph's College, University of Alberta. His academic interests include Religious Education, World Religions, J.R.R. Tolkien, as well as Sacred Scripture and Myt... Read More →

Thursday February 20, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am MST
Macleod Hall E1 - CTCC

Religious & Moral Education (TQS 3), Div3 (Gr 7-9), Div4 (Gr 10-12) | Technology (TQS/LQS 2), 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

10:20am MST

The Soul of AI: Do Artificial Intelligence machines have souls?

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

Macleod Hall E1 - CTCC

Increasingly sophisticated displays of artificial intelligence such as CHATGPT has elicited variegated responses ranging from experts decrying the need for regulation to educators embracing new possibilities for lesson planning and student learning. While many marvel at the alacrity by which AI is transforming society, AI is forcing people to ask themselves questions such as “what exactly divides humanity from machines?” This talk, designed for religious educators, delves into that question. One obvious answer is that machines don’t have souls. But is that really the case? And if so, why? Here we look at what exactly is a soul in light of Sacred Scripture as well as ancient and modern philosophy with the aim of better grasping human-AI distinctions.

Speakers

Dr Gerard McLarney

Teacher, Elk Island Catholic Schools

Thursday February 20, 2025 10:20am - 11:20am MST
Macleod Hall E1 - CTCC

Religious & Moral Education (TQS 3), Div3 (Gr 7-9), Div4 (Gr 10-12) | Educational Research (TQS/LQS 2), 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

11:40am MST

Flat Earth, Dinosaurs, and the Bible: Can Science and Religion get along?

Thursday February 20, 2025 11:40am - 12:40pm MST

Macleod Hall E1 - CTCC

Secondary students often assume that Religion and Science are inextricably at odds. Even if they can’t articulate exactly why, it is often taken for granted that a person of faith cannot embrace the scientific method and vice versa. This talk dispels caricatures of faithful flat-earthers, delves into the complex relationship between science and religion, considers seminal figures, and gives a framework for understanding how science and religion are not mutually exclusive.

Speakers

Dr Gerard McLarney

Teacher, Elk Island Catholic Schools

Thursday February 20, 2025 11:40am - 12:40pm MST
Macleod Hall E1 - CTCC

Religious & Moral Education (TQS 3), Div3 (Gr 7-9), Div4 (Gr 10-12) | Science (TQS 3), 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

1:00pm MST

The Hunger Games and the Bible: Hope, Freedom, and Sacrifice

Thursday February 20, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm MST

Macleod Hall E1 - CTCC

The Hunger Games is a riveting trilogy and a widely popular work among young adults. Though set in the dystopian future, Suzanne Collins’s series taps into themes such as freedom, oppression, hope, and self-sacrifice that are very much relevant today. The gladiatorial-like combat and ubiquitous allusions to the ancient Roman Empire, moreover, suggests the series is equally about the past and the trajectory of Western civilization. Given this, the major thematic concerns of the work are taken up and analyzed in relation to the Biblical narrative.

Speakers

Dr Gerard McLarney

Teacher, Elk Island Catholic Schools

Thursday February 20, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm MST
Macleod Hall E1 - CTCC

Religious & Moral Education (TQS 3), Div3 (Gr 7-9), Div4 (Gr 10-12) | Language Arts (TQS 3), 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

2:20pm MST

At our best or at our worst? Hobbes, Rousseau, the Bible and the Debate over Human Nature

Thursday February 20, 2025 2:20pm - 3:20pm MST

Macleod Hall E1 - CTCC

Who are we? Are humans intrinsically good and upright or hopelessly corrupt and prone to violence? Students attuned to current affairs reporting deadly wars, tragic genocide, and political strife, may aver animus runs deep within us. Those who consider increases in longevity, the standard of living, and technological progress may well assume we are fundamentally altruistic and benevolent. So which is it? Is the Hobbesian view casting life as “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short” more convincing than the Rousseauian view that we are blank slates, intrinsically good at birth? How one answers the question is key for interpreting not just history but one’s own life and humanity as a whole. The debate, moreover, is not just philosophical but religious as we see similar questions raised from the opening pages of the Bible. This talk provides a framework for teachers to understand the contending philosophical claims of Hobbes and Rousseau as well as Biblical perspectives on this weighty question while making connections to outcomes in Religious Education, particularly in light of the Christian vision of the human person.

Speakers

Dr Gerard McLarney

Teacher, Elk Island Catholic Schools

Thursday February 20, 2025 2:20pm - 3:20pm MST
Macleod Hall E1 - CTCC

Religious & Moral Education (TQS 3), Div3 (Gr 7-9), Div4 (Gr 10-12) | Social Studies (TQS 3), 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

9:00am MST

Les simulations Gizmos disponibles en ligne : pour explorer des concepts de sciences

Friday February 21, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am MST

Macleod Hall E1 - CTCC

Les concepts de science peuvent devenir une plus grande source de curiosité et d'émerveillement grâce à l’usage de simulations en ligne. Cet atelier vous permettra de découvrir comment l'approche « explorer avant d'expliquer » mène à une compréhension conceptuelle approfondie. Vous verrez comment l'utilisation des Gizmos démontrant des phénomènes naturels peut susciter l'intérêt et l'engagement de vos élèves. La démonstration d'une leçon de sciences, prévue dans cet atelier, vous permettra de voir en action les meilleures pratiques d'enseignement. Les enseignants de M à 6e année ont accès à plusieurs Gizmos grâce à Alberta Education. Alors, du temps sera accordé pour chercher et explorer les Gizmos qui peuvent appuyer le nouveau programme de sciences. Si possible, les participants à cet atelier devraient apporter un appareil numérique.

Speakers

Renée Michaud

Consultante en mathématiques/Math Consultant, RLM Consulting

Renée Michaud is an independent Mathematics Consultant. She provides professional development to a variety of schools and school districts in French and in English in Western Canada and beyond. She has presented various math sessions at Alberta Teachers’ Conventions over the past... Read More →

Friday February 21, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am MST
Macleod Hall E1 - CTCC

Featured Speakers and Special Events, Div1 (Gr 1-3), Div2 (Gr 4-6) | Science (TQS 3), Div1 (Gr 1-3), Div2 (Gr 4-6) | Curriculum & Pedagogy (TQS 3), Div1 (Gr 1-3), Div2 (Gr 4-6)

Session has participant fee No
Level of content General Overview for Novice learners
Presentation Language French
Is Pre-registration required No

10:20am MST

The Ultimate Multi-grade Classroom

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

Macleod Hall E1 - CTCC

Attention all colony teachers! Come join us as we unpack pedagogy, assessment practices, & curriculum planning for the multi-grade ELL environment. If you have something to share, please bring it along as we will have time to collaborate with our peers!

Speakers

Laura-Lee Toews

President, Alberta Colony Educators

Laura-Lee has worked in colony schools for 30 years and is currently the president of the Alberta Colony Educators group. She has a passion for providing professional learning opportunities and mentorship to colony educators.

Friday February 21, 2025 10:20am - 12:40pm MST
Macleod Hall E1 - CTCC

Curriculum & Pedagogy (TQS 3), ECE (Pre K-K), Div1 (Gr 1-3), Div2 (Gr 4-6), Div3 (Gr 7-9), Div4 (Gr 10-12) | Assessment (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 Intermediate content
Presentation Language English
Is Pre-registration required No

1:00pm MST

Let’s talk about the importance of a pizza pan!

Friday February 21, 2025 1:00pm - 3:20pm MST

Macleod Hall E1 - CTCC

Research has shown that students' success is directly related to the well-being of the adults supporting them. Evidence has historically shown that teachers experience a high level of burnout, and the likelihood increases when teachers are working with complex learners and/or in diverse classrooms.

An entire school climate can be positively impacted by leadership teams focusing on teacher wellness, as well as teachers learning the effect that our own well-being has in their classroom. Using the analogy of a pizza being placed in an oven without a pan, we will connect how one’s learning (or teaching) will be drastically impacted when their social emotional needs are not recognized or considered during lesson planning, as well as throughout the day.

Attendees will be asked to reflect on current practice, while exploring new perspectives and tools, allowing them to walk away from the session with a feeling of confidence of how they may approach their classroom design moving forward with a focus on wellness.

From a school wide perspective, attendees will be invited to collaborate and brainstorm on their current school practices for teacher wellness, as well as explore ways that could be presented to their school teams in the future.

The hope is for all attendees to walk away with skills and ideas to improve teacher wellness at a micro to macro level.

Speakers

Kirsty Reade

Kirsty Reade is a learning support teacher for Rocky View Schools . She has taught in schools from Kindergarten to Grade 9, as well has held divisional positions over the last 16 years. She completed her Masters of Education at the University of Calgary, focused on Interdisciplinary... Read More →

Friday February 21, 2025 1:00pm - 3:20pm MST
Macleod Hall E1 - 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) | School Leadership (LQS 1-9), 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 No