Disorderly Contexts: ELAC Conference 2024: Full Schedule

We can’t wait to welcome you to Disorderly Contexts: ELAC Conference 2024. Please ensure that you have completed your registration at elacata.ca prior to creating your schedule.

11:00am MDT

Lunch Buffet

Join us for a pizza lunch prior to the start of your first session!

Friday May 3, 2024 11:00am - 12:30pm MDT
Ballroom

Meal (included)

12:30pm MDT

Words Matter: Word Study in the Elementary Classroom

Words are the foundation of reading and writing and therefore an essential component to our instruction. And yet, it can sometimes be challenging to ensure a meaningful, integrated focus on words within our classrooms. In this session, Karen will discuss how to approach words in the context of spelling, structural analysis, word walls, morphology, the three tiers of vocabulary, and vocabulary instruction. Leave this session with many practical ideas that can be implemented immediately in your classroom.

Speakers

Karen Filewych

Karen Filewych has over twenty-five years of educational experience as an elementary teacher, school administrator, and language arts consultant. In 2007, she completed her Master of Education degree in the area of literacy. She is the author of three Pembroke titles including her... Read More →

Friday May 3, 2024 12:30pm - 1:45pm MDT
Maple Room

Emerging Literacy, Division 1 & 2

12:30pm MDT

All the Resources I Wish I'd Had as a Beginning ELA Teacher

In this session you will be introduced to the best resources I have come across in my teaching career. I wish I had found them sooner, because it would have made my life so much easier, and so I'd love to share them with you! There will be time to share your own ideas and resources, as well.

Speakers

Courtney Steiner

Courtney Steiner hails from Edmonton, AB, where she lives with her wife and two amazing kids. She has been teaching for 11 years in EPSB, with the vast majority of that being spent teaching junior high ELA. She loves reading, watching movies, and attending comic cons in her spare... Read More →

Friday May 3, 2024 12:30pm - 1:45pm MDT
Aspen Room

Pedagogy/Philosophy of Learning, Division 1, 2 & 3

12:30pm MDT

Banning Book Bans and Challenging Book Challenges: What to do if it Happens to You

Book challenges and attempts at banning books are rapidly increasing across Canada and the United States. This is an urgent matter with vital implications for maintaining the integrity of professional judgment as certified teachers and administrators. More importantly, it’s foundational that students have equitable and professionally guided access to literature where students can learn stories of a wide diversity of people and topics. In some cases, the well being of students and staff are at stake. This is a confusing and complex topic where policy can often seem uncertain or unknown, and what to do, if it happens to you, can lead to a better outcome than one can imagine, or create a much bigger situation. Leaning on the research and experience of trusted teacher-librarian colleagues and researchers over decades, we’ll walk you through case studies and potential plans of action. There is no better time to prepare than now.

Speakers

Harold Semenuk

Harold Semenuk is the teacher-librarian for M.E. LaZerte High School in Edmonton, Alberta. Harold is the President or the Alberta School Learning Commons Council (a specialist council of the ATA). Previously, Harold led a centrally developed project, “Anytime Help Anywhere” with... Read More →

Friday May 3, 2024 12:30pm - 1:45pm MDT
Pine Room

Pedagogy/Philosophy of Learning, Division 1, 2, 3, & 4

12:30pm MDT

The Teacher as a Curator

Historically, teachers have been seen (and have seen themselves) as the holders and imparters of knowledge. Ochoa-Whelan and Panizzon want to challenge teachers to rethink their positions in the classroom as curators: of content, perspectives, voices and assessments. Seeing yourself as a curator asks you to step away from the illusion of being "all-knowing" and into a more vulnerable place wherein you seek to expose students to a wide array of texts, authors and opportunities in order to help them see themselves in literature, and to see literature inside of themselves. Our discussion will also include practical strategies for finding high quality texts and building a strong community of teacher curators as we work together to create dynamic, inclusive, and relevant classroom experiences. This session is intended for both junior and senior high English teachers.

Speakers

Danielle Panizzon

Danielle Panizzon has been teaching for 16 years, and is the current Department Head of English at St Joseph High School in Edmonton.

Erin Ochoa-Whelan

Erin Ochoa-Whelan has been teaching Secondary English with Edmonton Catholic Schools for 19 years. She currently works with ECSD as a High School Curriculum Consultant.

Friday May 3, 2024 12:30pm - 1:45pm MDT
Lynx Salon

Pedagogy/Philosophy of Learning, Division 3 & 4

12:30pm MDT

Disorderly Shakespeare

The study of Shakespeare is often burdened with outdated traditions and unhelpful assumptions. What if we could take a fresh approach to Shakespeare’s words, free from conventions, inviting instead inquiry-based, student-centred exploration? Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival’s Mary Hartman will share foundational activities that empower all students to discover how the language resonates for them and how they can use Shakespeare’s words to express who they are. This session will invite active participation in a warm, friendly context.

Speakers

Mary Hartman

As Director of Education at Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival, Mary Hartman is responsible for design and development of programs for students, teachers, theatre professionals and the general public. These programs all have the mission of Bard Education in mind: to inspire community... Read More →

Friday May 3, 2024 12:30pm - 1:45pm MDT
Blackbear Room

Text Encounters, Division 2, 3, & 4

12:30pm MDT

Teaching "The Marrow Thieves" with a Strong Agenda for Social Justice

This session will describe a number of pedagogical strategies I employed when recently teaching Cherie Dimaline's "The Marrow Thieves" to a class of 20-2 ELA students. In this unit, we explored connections between this novel and social justice, decolonization, dreaming (as a source and form of knowledge), Indigenous understandings of human and more-than-human relations, and the question of settler complicity vs. allyship.

Speakers

Jillian Pasieka

Jillian Pasieka is an ELA teacher at Jasper Place High School in the Edmonton Public School Board. She is also pursuing an MA in Policy Studies at the University of Alberta, with a focus on social justice.

Friday May 3, 2024 12:30pm - 1:45pm MDT
Glacier Room

Text Encounters, Division 3 & 4

12:30pm MDT

Practice-Based Writing Activities for High School Students

Standardized writing exams can become a key feature in the language arts classroom. Teachers are understandably tempted to ensure students' success on these exams by teaching "tried and true" forms that then become portable, transferrable, and the formidable answer to nearly every writing task. However, this actually decreases students' confidence and authentic writing skill. In order to reacquaint students with their own writing voices, we need to shift to writing practices, rather than writing products. This session will offer several engaging classroom practices that treat writing as an enjoyable activity rather than a necessary school chore. Participants are asked to bring their own writing materials (notebook and pen) as there will be chances to 'try out' several writing practices during the session.

Speakers

Teri Hartman

Teri Hartman is a writer and twenty-year veteran teacher of high school ELA. Her MEd thesis, titled "Writing as a Practice of Freedom: Finding the Courage to Resist Completion," earned her the Language and Literacy Research Council of Canada's Masters Thesis Award for 2023. She also... Read More →

Friday May 3, 2024 12:30pm - 1:45pm MDT
Cedar Room

Text Generation, Division 3 & 4

2:00pm MDT

SESSION CANCELLED: The Science of Reading - Science, Myth, or Something Else?

*Our apologies for the late cancellation of this session. The speaker had to withdraw from the conference. We invite you to attend one of the many other offerings during this time block.

Everywhere we look there is talk of the Science of Reading (SoR). Proponents say that it is the magic cure for helping all children learn how to read and that we need to teach letters and sounds before comprehension. But we've been sold these "magic cures" before and the truth is that there is no one way that will support all children on their reading journey. The science that the SorR is based on is not only faulty, but incomplete. While I don't pretend to know everything or have all of the answers, I do have questions that I hope we can explore in a safe professional space because, if anything is true, it's that we all want to ensure that our students are successful readers and thinkers. The following are examples of some of the questions we will explore in this presentation What does the research say? What research is being privileged and what research is being ignored by the SoR? What and who is behind the SoR movement? What are some effective practices that support children as they are learning to read? What definition of reading do we want to promote and why? My hope is that you come away from this session with new ways of thinking about this topic that can help you support your students at all levels.

Speakers

Elisa Waingort

Elisa Waingort is currently a grade 4 Spanish bilingual teacher in the Calgary Board of Education. She has over 35 years of experience as a classroom teacher, EAL teacher, curriculum coordinator and workshop presenter in North and South America. She is a long time member of several... Read More →

Friday May 3, 2024 2:00pm - 3:15pm MDT
Aspen Room

Emerging Literacy, Division 1 & 2

2:00pm MDT

Dangerous Language Arts

Safetyism, cancel culture, and feeling ‘on eggshells’ around sensitive topics can bring classroom activities and discussion to a screeching halt. How can we hold space for challenging topics, authentic literature, and examining multiple views, while offering our students a high level of interaction? Paradoxically, it is only when we feel safe that we can take risks. Supporting students means going beyond helping them build resiliency; becoming antifragile thinkers and doers means moving towards skilled connection-building and practicing effective discourse. In this session, I’ll share strategies and hands-on interactive practices developed through literary and methodological research. You’ll try out and gain activities developed in and for high school classrooms, designed to help teachers encourage and promote learner engagement, multi-perspective critical thinking, and supportive sharing, between students and with parents and other stakeholders when using uncomfortable and brave texts. Classrooms offer a uniquely safe space, a space we can hold space for our learners taking up the challenges of literacy. If not here, then where? This session offers ideas of ‘how’.

Speakers

Liz Harrison

Liz Harrison is in her tenth teaching year and finds joy in seeing her high school students discover rich literature, complexity in thinking, and hands-on creativity in ELA classrooms. She is nearly finished her Master of Education in Canadian Literacies degree and is also taking... Read More →

Friday May 3, 2024 2:00pm - 3:15pm MDT
Cedar Room

Pedagogy/Philosophy of Learning, Division 4

2:00pm MDT

Treaty Today: How History Exists in the Present

In this session, author and artist Matthew James Weigel will delve into a brief background of the numbered Treaties in Alberta, and how the presence of care, reciprocity, and respect are foundational to our present relationships with the land and history. Using multimedia works, Matthew will show exemplars of how art and writing can especially invite students to feel the importance of Treaty in contemporary life, how newcomers or new knowlege-makers fit into this conversation, and why our understandings today are complex, shifting, and require a committment to always learning more.

Speakers

Matthew Weigel

Matthew (he/him) is an award winning Dënësųłinë́ & Métis writer creating in Edmonton, Alberta. His celebrated collection of poetry, Whitemud Walking, was a winner of the City of Edmonton Book Award, Alcuin Award for Excellence in Book Design, the Alberta Literary Award for... Read More →

Friday May 3, 2024 2:00pm - 3:15pm MDT
Lynx Salon

Pedagogy/Philosophy of Learning, Division 3 & 4

2:00pm MDT

Dilettantes, Virgins, and Queens: Postfeminist Auteurship in English 20-1

For many years I have admired the films of Sofia Coppola, and I consider Lost in Translation (2003) to be both my all-time favorite film and one of the best-made films ever. For its revered position both in my musings on its merit and personal attachment to the film, I had always made the conscious decision NOT to teach it in the classroom. Concerns about the students not enjoying it as much as me overrode the value I believe it held as a text for the classroom setting, and I simply did not want the film to be marred if they did not enjoy it, engage with it, or “get” it. Instead of incorporating one of Coppola’s movies into my overhauled English 20-1 course as a new film study, I decided to take it a step - or, more accurately, several steps - further. It has been an ongoing concern for me that in the study of literature, students are typically only afforded the opportunity to engage with one text per author before moving on to something new, another story, another author, another era. They are provided with a snapshot of the lives of the author, connect their writings to that moment in time, that precise era of their lives, and then they move on. Might the deeper study of one author and their career development allow students to engage more significantly with that work, and would this be demonstrated in their own critical thinking and writing? I sought a method for the study of a career, not simply of one text. Sofia Coppola presented me with this opportunity. I made the choice to use Sofia Coppola’s seven feature films as the basis of study for my entire English 20-1 class: The Virgin Suicides (1999), Lost in Translation (2003), Marie Antoinette (2006), Somewhere (2010), The Bling Ring (2013), The Beguiled (2017), and On the Rocks (2020). Each film would be connected to a more traditional text to create a comparative literature class that would allow space for the study of Coppola’s entire career. The hope was that students would see growth in her work, her development as an auteur, and how the themes of her oeuvres connect beyond a single story. Students would have the chance to fully engage with this artist and their career, (hopefully) able to critique their work with more depth and understanding by using the examples from a rich career instead of a single snapshot. This session proposes to discuss and explore the journey of what became "The Coppola Course" and its growth into an examination of postfeminism in contemporary film.

Speakers

Andrew Thomson

Andrew Thomson is a PhD student at the University of Alberta in the Department of Secondary Education as well as an English teacher and Department Head of English with Edmonton Public Schools. He teachers at both the junior high and high school level. The central focus of his doctoral... Read More →

Friday May 3, 2024 2:00pm - 3:15pm MDT
Maple Room

Text Encounters, Division 4

2:00pm MDT

Texts to Negotiate a Pandemic To

Throughout those initial unsteady months (years?) of the pandemic, there remained one constant source of comfort and solace and provocation for me: texts. Novels and essays and graphic novels and podcasts and movies and television series and individual television episodes and multimodal texts and music and concert films. All afforded me a much-needed reminder of kindness and compassion in some very bleak and uncertain times. Some were shared with students in traditional, and online, classrooms as emergent texts; some were experienced together with fellow ELA colleagues in online communities; some were read and viewed by me in isolation. Join me for a discussion of dozens of texts that helped me (and colleagues and students) negotiate a pandemic. And why emergent texts may be more important than ever in our classrooms.

Speakers

Brad Smilanich

Brad Smilanich is currently an Assistant Principal at F. R. Haythorne Junior High School in Sherwood Park. He likes talking about books and movies.

Friday May 3, 2024 2:00pm - 3:15pm MDT
Blackbear Room

Text Encounters, Division 3 & 4

2:00pm MDT

Exploring the Smudges: Expanding student responses in the ELA classroom and beyond

My friend Paul used the term once in a conversation, "Lets explore the smudges" I adopted that when talking to my students about the work that we create in room 157. In this session we will look at opening up the possibilities for multimodal responses breaking away from the traditional responses of the ELA classroom.We will look at successful practices and projects as well as assessment and how we can leverage these engaging activities to further student participation. Teachers will walk away with tools they can bring back into their classroom to start exploring multimodal compositions alongside their students. Opening up opportunities for students to succeed where traditionally they have not through exploring new ways to compose and share their ideas.

Speakers

Brent Gilson

Brent Gilson has been teaching for 13 years ranging from Grades 3 through 12 during that time. He has been exploring multimodal composition and multigenre writing projects with his students for the last 5 years. He has had the opportunity to present ideas and the work of his students... Read More →

Friday May 3, 2024 2:00pm - 3:15pm MDT
Pine Room

Text Generation, Division 2, 3, & 4

2:00pm MDT

Silent Debates: Creating Effective Arguers

Tired of the loud students in the classroom always being the one to answer questions or participate in discussion? Are you also frustrated that some of your quiet ones actually have the best things to say? Silent debates are a way for students to discuss and defend their ideas without a single word being spoken. A quick look at social media can likely show you that many people don't have the skills to argue online, and it seems that the online world isn't going away, so in turn, why not prepare students from all walks of life to be able to argue well?

Speakers

Amanda Omilon

Amanda Omilon was born and raised in Red Deer but moved to the windy city of Lethbridge to finish off her combined degree, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Bachelor of Education. Although Omilon is newer to the career, she believes her younger age helps her understand... Read More →

Friday May 3, 2024 2:00pm - 3:15pm MDT
Glacier Room

Text Generation, Division 4

3:30pm MDT

Integrating Visual Art and Literacy: Nurturing Creativity and Literacy Skills in the K-6 Classroom

Discover the transformative power of combining visual art and literacy in the elementary classroom. Join us for a hands-on session to learn engaging and practical strategies for seamlessly integrating visual art into your English Language Arts and Literature curriculum. We will explore visual storytelling, how to enhance reading comprehension through art, and discuss how artistic expression can be a springboard to inspire writing. You will leave with practical ideas and resources to create a supportive art and literacy rich environment.

Speakers

Jenny Culbertson

Jenny Culbertson is the Visual Art and Drama Consultant at Edmonton Catholic School Division and works with all levels from pre-K-12. She has been teaching art for 24 years and is passionate about art education and integration. When she's not deeply engaged in the world of art, Jenny... Read More →

Erin Hart

Erin has been working for Edmonton Catholic Schools for 20 years and is currently an English Language Arts Consultant for K-6. She is passionate about all things related to literacy and is an avid reader. In her spare time, you will find Erin with family and friends skiing, biking... Read More →

Friday May 3, 2024 3:30pm - 4:45pm MDT
Glacier Room

Emerging Literacy, Division 1 & 2

3:30pm MDT

Anti Misogyny Teaching: Bucking Against the Status Quo

This session explores the difficulties in teaching high school English and uncovering the internalized misogyny in text choices and teaching methods. Through narrative, lecture and open dialogue, we will tackle the following issues: promoting intersectionality, finding new texts, using the “old” texts, and some of the pros and cons of tackling systemic issues.

Speakers

Elaina Mohrmann

Elaina is an enthusiastic feminist ironically born and raised in Lethbridge Alberta. She completed an English degree at the University of Victoria (specializing in Shakespeare and Greek Drama) and a Bachelor of Education at the University of Lethbridge. She has been teaching high... Read More →

Friday May 3, 2024 3:30pm - 4:45pm MDT
Pine Room

Pedagogy/Philosophy of Learning, Division 4

3:30pm MDT

It's Complicated: Teaching Literature to Honour Complexity

This session will encourage the study of literature as a vehicle for enabling students to acknowledge, be comfortable with, and communicate understanding of the complexity of characters and issues in the texts they deal with, and hopefully also in the mindset they bring to the world and people in general. We will emphasize the concepts of irony, ambiguity and paradox as essential to overcoming a temptation to simplify perspectives and to see people and issues in binary terms. Honouring complexity in significant literary texts will improve the quality of student understanding and work in the classroom, on summative assessments, and ideally in the attitudes and perspectives they bring to people and issues in the "real" world. The session will discuss strategies to enhance this mindset in the classroom, including the consideration of a short literary text as a specific example of this approach.

Speakers

Jim Forrest

Jim taught high school English in a number of Alberta schools for 36 years, the final 23 at Cochrane High School. After retiring in 2018, he accepted a series of short term contracts as a teacher and mentor, and remains a Standards Confirmer and marking supervisor for the English... Read More →

Friday May 3, 2024 3:30pm - 4:45pm MDT
Maple Room

Pedagogy/Philosophy of Learning, Division 3 & 4

3:30pm MDT

Reading Dangerously: Teaching texts that make teens think twice

How do we teach our junior high students to think critically and be empathetic in a world full of chaos? By studying a variety of texts that make them question what they know about history and their own lives, in hopes that they may feel empowered to do something to make a change. In this session we'll talk about texts you could teach, projects students could complete, and why you might use a Socratic Seminar to have the students discuss their texts, thoughts, and ideas, especially when it comes to controversial topics.

Speakers

Crystal Getschel

Crystal has been an English teacher and teacher librarian in Elk Island Public Schools for the last 16 years. She loves reading, talking about reading, and buying books - not necessarily in that order.

Friday May 3, 2024 3:30pm - 4:45pm MDT
Aspen Room

Pedagogy/Philosophy of Learning, Division 3

3:30pm MDT

Teaching and Assessing Complex Writing through Rhetorical Problem-Solving

In this session, participants will be given access to a scenario-based formative assessment platform we have designed to measure students' rhetorical problem-solving skills. The assessment platform is mapped onto a sociocognitive model of writing we have derived from a systematic review of more than 100 empirical studies on expertise and skills in writing and measures 7 domains of expertise in writing: metacognitive knowledge, critical discourse knowledge, discourse community knowledge, rhetorical aim knowledge, genre knowledge, communications task process knowledge, and substantive knowledge. Items in the platform focus on each of these 7 domains. This enables us to provide students with feedback on both the cognitive/metacognitive profile, and on their writing performance. As students see the relationship between the two, they can gain an understanding of how gaining expertise in each of these domains can impact their success as writers. After experiencing some of the modules in the platform, participants will be invited to discuss the ways in which this assessment is different from, and similar to, the assessments they use in their own classrooms. We will close with a discussion of the implications of this work for the teaching and assessment of writing.

Speakers

David Slomp

David Slomp is a Professor of literacy and assessment at the University of Lethbridge where he also serves as Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Research in Education. He is the co-editor in chief of Assessing Writing, the leading international journal in the field of writing... Read More →

Friday May 3, 2024 3:30pm - 4:45pm MDT
Cedar Room

Pedagogy/Philosophy of Learning, Division 3 & 4

3:30pm MDT

Graphic novels and poetry: Building connections to strengthen readers’ creative, interpretive capacities

This session will facilitate a conversation between comics and poetry, demonstrating how teaching these literary forms as interconnected may strengthen readers' creative and interpretive capacities across the language arts curriculum.

Speakers

David Lewkowich

David Lewkowich is an Associate Professor in the University of Alberta's Faculty of Education, teaching in the areas of language, literacy, and curriculum.

Friday May 3, 2024 3:30pm - 4:45pm MDT
Lynx Salon

Text Encounters, Division 4

3:30pm MDT

Reconsidering poetry - reading, writing and reciting using Poetry in Voice

Poetry in Voice is a Canadian program that provides resources that will help to encourage students, teachers, and administrators to embrace many facets of poetry - writing, reading, and reciting. In this session, you will explore the various ways to use the Poetry in Voice Canadian program as a resource in your classroom or club by workshopping poems, considering various recitation possibilities, sharing with fellow English teachers, and setting a plan in motion. Hear how two high school English teachers are successfully running this program in their schools.

Speakers

Gillian Bohnet

Gillian Bohnet is the Department Head of English Language Arts at McNally high school, and the host of Edmonton’s regional Poetry in Voice competition three years running.

Tyler Perry

Tyler B. Perry is a secondary English language arts teacher in Calgary, one of the executive organizers of Can You Hear Me Now? (Alberta’s junior-and-senior high school poetry slam competition), Alberta Events Coordinator for Poetry In Voice, and the author of three books of poetry... Read More →

Presentation Poetry in Voice ELAC pdf

Friday May 3, 2024 3:30pm - 4:45pm MDT
Blackbear Room

Text Encounters, Division 3 & 4

5:30pm MDT

Dinner

Friday May 3, 2024 5:30pm - 7:00pm MDT
Ballroom

Meal (included)

7:00pm MDT

Keynote Presentation: Nisha Patel

Speakers

Nisha Patel

Friday May 3, 2024 7:00pm - 8:30pm MDT
Ballroom

Keynote Presentation

8:00am MDT

Breakfast and AGM

Saturday May 4, 2024 8:00am - 9:15am MDT
Ballroom

Meal (included)

9:15am MDT

Keynote Presentation: Scott McCloud

Speakers

Scott McCloud

Saturday May 4, 2024 9:15am - 10:15am MDT
Ballroom

Keynote Presentation

10:30am MDT

The Layers of Writing Development

Join us for an overview of the Layers of Writing graphic! During this session, we will share the research pertaining to the layers of writing, the principles that can guide how we structure our programs, and how the writing process can help situate writing instruction in a purposeful environment. You will leave with a deeper understanding of the complexities of learning to write, and how we develop as writers, paired with some ideas and strategies to carry forward to your classrooms.

Speakers

Miriam Ramzy

Miriam Ramzy works with a school division in Alberta in the role of Curriculum Lead. The focus of her research, teaching practice, and professional development has been on early learning and literacy. Miriam has her PhD from the Werklund School of Education (University of Calgary... Read More →

Michelle Bence

Michelle Bence's passion is early literacy. She is an enthusiastic educator with over 18 years of teaching experience. Over the past few years, Michelle has worked extensively with several school boards in Alberta, investigating professional teacher learning and evidence-based early... Read More →

Saturday May 4, 2024 10:30am - 11:45am MDT
Cedar Room

Emerging Literacy, Division 1 & 2

10:30am MDT

Breakout Session with Nisha Patel

Speakers

Nisha Patel

Saturday May 4, 2024 10:30am - 11:45am MDT
Blackbear Room

Keynote Breakout

10:30am MDT

Breakout Session with Scott McCloud

Speakers

Scott McCloud

Saturday May 4, 2024 10:30am - 11:45am MDT
Lynx Salon

Keynote Breakout

10:30am MDT

Parting with Perfectionism

Perfectionism exerts a powerful influence on our society. It manifests in various forms, from the relentless comparisons people make with others on social media to students constantly monitoring their grades for the pursuit of unattainable perfection. If learning is a lifelong process, why not start with students taking ownership of their learning in our English classes? In this session, we will delve into how we can create a classroom culture that embraces mistakes and risk taking through choosing quality texts that connect with students. Additionally, we will explore how we can encourage a growth mindset in our students by focusing on quality and specifically timed feedback that helps students articulate their own learning.

Speakers

Carolyn Fenrich

Carolyn is an avid reader and Junior High teacher (now Curriculum Consultant ) who loves to help students play with words and embrace the possibilities language provides. She has taught in Ontario, France and Alberta. Currently she lives, works and plays in Edmonton.

Saturday May 4, 2024 10:30am - 11:45am MDT
Maple Room

Pedagogy/Philosophy of Learning, Division 3

10:30am MDT

Creating Thematic Literature Circles/Book Clubs

The session will discuss how to implement book clubs/literature circles that center on a specific theme, how to choose various novels, and how to run the book clubs for 4 weeks. The session will focus on how book clubs vary from -1 and -2 courses and from Gr 9-12. There will be a variety of novels that represent diverse authors as well as looking at how to build up a book club to grow choices within for students. There will be some ideas for future book clubs, potential novels that pair together, and ways to integrate poetry, film, visuals, nonfiction, and other material into the literature circle themes. Some themes discussed will be: Survival, Coming of Age, Social Justice, Dystopian, Personal Adversity, and Magical Realism.

Speakers

Lauren Charanduk

Lauren has had the pleasure of teaching Grades 6 to 12 across Alberta and in both streams in high school which has given her the opportunity to see the whole program of studies in action. Currently, she teaches high school English and is the Literacy Lead at Ecole H.J Cody High S... Read More →

Saturday May 4, 2024 10:30am - 11:45am MDT
Pine Room

Text Encounters, Division 3 & 4

10:30am MDT

Let’s Make a Visual Journal: Bookbinding and Promoting Metacognition Through Visual Journaling (Part 1)

Students learn best by regularly utilizing meta-cognitive strategies to help process their thinking. When students use words, pictures, and symbols to represent their understanding and to reflect on the hefty concepts that they are presented within their daily classroom spaces, they are more likely to retain ideas and apply their learning later. While a significant portion of this full-day session will focus on making various types of journals from scratch, much of our attention will be on showing how teachers can apply meta-cognitive journal writing strategies in the courses they teach. In the end, all attendees will be able to develop skills for utilizing meta-cognitive strategies in their respective classrooms, regardless of the subject area they teach.

Please note: This is a two-part session and participants must plan to attend both parts.

Speakers

Darrin Wilson

Darrin has worked within the CBE since 2008, focusing mostly on teaching English language arts, visual arts, and drama to middle school students. He is the Art Representative for the ATA’s Fine Arts Council. He has a Diplôme d'Études Collégiales in Illustration & Design at Dawson... Read More →

Saturday May 4, 2024 10:30am - 11:45am MDT
Glacier Room

Text Generation, Division 2, 3, & 4

12:00pm MDT

Lunch Buffet

Saturday May 4, 2024 12:00pm - 1:00pm MDT
Ballroom

Meal (included)

1:00pm MDT

Keynote Presentation: Ivan Coyote

Saturday May 4, 2024 1:00pm - 2:15pm MDT
Ballroom

Keynote Presentation

2:30pm MDT

Breakout Session with Ivan Coyote

Speakers

Ivan Coyote

Saturday May 4, 2024 2:30pm - 3:45pm MDT
Lynx Salon

Keynote Breakout

2:30pm MDT

How to Spark a Love for Literacy: Collaborative and Creative Language Arts Routines in Elementary Education

We all have those students who say they hate reading or that they can't write or that they aren't good at 'it'. This session will be about how we as teachers can create caring, collaborative literacy classrooms with choice, conferring, and change. I will be sharing book suggestions, collaborative writing ideas, and examples (with permission) from my students about how we have created a classroom community where everyone loves literacy.

Speakers

Kylie Besplug

Kylie is a grade 3/4 elementary teacher in Lethbridge, Alberta. She is currently studying her Masters of Education with a focus on literacy and disability. When she’s not teaching she’s reading or spending time with her nephews.

Saturday May 4, 2024 2:30pm - 3:45pm MDT
Pine Room

Pedagogy/Philosophy of Learning, Division 1 & 2

2:30pm MDT

Teaching equitable and inclusive texts: Experience from two high school teachers in the trenches

In the words of Nelson Mandela, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” In 2023, there is a pervasive call in the English Language Arts classroom to reflect the diverse and intersectional lives of our students. As such, we would like to propose a session at the upcoming ELAC Conference, focusing on the vital role of diverse literature in approaching intersectionality, diversity, and social justice in the English Language Arts curriculum. As educators, it is crucial that we create inclusive and equitable learning environments that reflect the diverse experiences and identities of our students. Integrating diverse literature can profoundly impact our students' understanding of various perspectives, foster empathy, and encourage critical thinking about social justice issues. Research shows that when provided with literature that reflects the diverse, intersectional, and critical lives of our very own students, and they are given a way to express this learning in diverse literacies, they thrive. Teaching diverse literacies is not only paramount for developing critical literacy, it gives students, teachers, and schools the tools to approach systemic marginalization, disrupting harmful histories and stereotypes. In this interactive session, we will delve into text recommendations and effective strategies for incorporating diverse literature into the English Language Arts curriculum. Both graduate students from the University of New Brunswick and high school English teachers in Alberta, Shealeigh Brandford and Alisha Sims have extensive experience and a passion for teaching equitable and inclusive literature. Participants will gain insights into the importance of intersectionality and its role in understanding the complexity of social identities. We will explore how literature can serve as a tool for promoting empathy, understanding, and critical thinking among students, enabling them to navigate complex social issues with sensitivity and awareness. The session will emphasize the significance of selecting texts that authentically represent diverse voices and experiences, allowing students to see themselves and others reflected in the literature they study.

Speakers

Alisha Sims

Alisha Sims is an avid reader who seeks to incorporate equitable and inclusive texts in her Lethbridge high school ELA classroom.

Shaeleigh Brandford

Shealeigh Brandford is a high school English teacher from Calgary who is passionate about social justice and anti-oppressive education.

Saturday May 4, 2024 2:30pm - 3:45pm MDT
Cedar Room

Text Encounters, Division 3 & 4

2:30pm MDT

Let’s Make a Visual Journal: Bookbinding and Promoting Metacognition Through Visual Journaling (Part 2)

Speakers

Darrin Wilson

Saturday May 4, 2024 2:30pm - 3:45pm MDT
Glacier Room

Text Generation, Division 2, 3, & 4

2:30pm MDT

Mentor Text Mondays: Representing Voices, Showcasing Genres, and Teaching Craft

Choosing texts for ELA can seem daunting, messy, and chaotic. Are we giving students mirrors to see themselves and windows to see others? Are we getting to enough poetry, non-fiction, and other forms? Are we teaching enough mini-lessons on authorial craft? This session will provide teachers with one possible solution: the mentor text. Mentor texts can act as a close reading activity, mini-lesson, and writing prompt all in one. It will showcase how you can bring so many voices, text types, and elements of craft into your classroom and get students writing in only 15-30 minutes a week. You will leave this workshop with an understanding of how to utilize mentor texts in your classroom. Take-away materials include a large number of mentor texts highlighting many voices and genres—and their corresponding mini-lessons and writing prompts—that you can start using next Mentor Text Monday!

Speakers

Jennifer Gross

Jennifer Gross has been a teacher of secondary English Language Arts in Edmonton for over 18 years. She completed her MEd in 2020, which included her thesis “Creating Risky Spaces: Writer’s Workshop and Students’ Perceptions of Resilience.” She enjoys running; cooking; playing... Read More →

Saturday May 4, 2024 2:30pm - 3:45pm MDT
Maple Room

Text Generation, Division 3 & 4

2:30pm MDT

Speak Up: Performance Activities to Build Your Students’ Confidence

Particularly in adolescence, students may have brilliant ideas, but a plethora of emotions and social anxieties preventing them from sharing. To encourage speaking up in any class, this workshop will give you some warm-up activities and techniques that will help your students tiptoe towards the front of the class, increasing comfort and community. From audience engagement exercises to performance games, you'll find an arsenal of activities to slowly ease your students out of their shell in whatever way feels best!

Speakers

Miranda Krogstad

Miranda Krogstad is a spoken word poet and educator who uses her words to empower students of all ages and walks of life. Teaching life skills including self-confidence, self-expression, and community-building, she has performed workshops in dozens of cities across Western Canada... Read More →

Saturday May 4, 2024 2:30pm - 3:45pm MDT
Blackbear Room

Text Generation, Division 3 & 4