Lillian Osborne Catchment Feb 18th PD Day

Chubby Cree is a First Nations indigenous hand drum group that has taken the internet by storm. Consisting of ten-year-old prodigy Noah Green with his larger-than-life voice and grandmother Carol Powder.  For the past five years, the group has been playing non-stop around their hometown of Edmonton, at both traditional powwow events and as a go-to artist at events in support of women’s rights, the environment and the marginalized of society. Channeling the authentic spirit of Cree music and its healing power to unite people, the group's powerful performances have often brought audience members to tears.  This is a riveting and heartwarming story of the making of courage, determination and raw talent, fused with keeping a valuable heritage alive and paying it forward into the future. And we will be there as it unfolds.

Hunter Cardinal is a Riverbend Grad. In his presentation, he will be focusing on Reconciliation: Being & Becoming.  Ever wonder what Reconciliation looks like day to day? It’s more familiar than you think. Join Hunter Cardinal, Naheyawin’s Director of Story & award-winning performer and playwright, as he explores the warmth and tangible next steps that come from an Indigenous perspective on Reconciliation. This session shares key stories and practical takeaways from Naheyawin’s journey in helping over 200 organizations & 10,000 individuals move towards a future they’re excited to meet.

As educators, we recognize that each EAL student in our classroom brings a unique background and set of skills. Our students' proficiency in English ranges widely; some may have minimal familiarity with the language, while others may already have a substantial understanding. In this presentation, I aim to introduce various technological tools designed to assist EAL students of differing English proficiency levels. These tools are intended to help teachers deliver curriculum in a way that honor’s the student’s ability. I present this information from the perspective of an inclusive classroom setting, rather than a sheltered setting as we do not have sheltered classes at LO.

My core program is called "Settlement Workers in Schools'' or SWIS; my program emphasizes supporting immigrant and refugee children and youth enrolled in K-12 schools. This can be achieved in many different ways-- language support, cultural literacy for educators, community events, etc.,-- but we are always happy to promote this work and its benefits for students, school staff, and families.

Challenges for ESL/ELL students in Science and Social Course and how to assist them to overcome those challenges

Find yourself wondering about pronouns and what every letter in 2SLGBTQIA+ means? We're going to talk through some of the basics of creating a more inclusive space for everyone in our schools. We'll talk about how the language we use in the classroom provides a framework for all students to explore diversity, some of the myths and fears around inclusion practices, and answer questions.

What is anti-racism? What does it mean to have an anti-racist school? How can you become an anti-racist educator? Join us as we explore diversity, inclusion, bias, and privilege to answer these questions. Learning how to be anti-racist educators and leaders involves unlearning, critical reflection, and uncomfortable conversations. We will provide real-life strategies to lead this necessary work in your school community and take you from the fear zone of anti-racism education to the learning and growth zones.

Join us for an enlightening educational staff workshop that delves into the imperative role educators play in addressing the climate crisis, aligning with the UN SDG's 2030 and 2050 targets. The urgency of the climate crisis necessitates immediate and concerted efforts, and as educators, we are uniquely positioned to drive change.
In this workshop, we will explore innovative ways to infuse sustainability into our existing curriculum, examining how we can spotlight the causes and effects of the current environmental challenges. By leveraging our teaching platforms, we can instill a profound awareness of the environmental implications of consumption and production demands in the minds of the next generation.
Our discussions will extend beyond mere awareness to actionable steps – exploring how educators can contribute to shifting the mental models of our students. What can we do to foster a mindset that values and embraces sustainability? How can we inspire a generation that is not only conscious of the climate crisis but actively engaged in creating a positive impact?
As Canadians, we will examine our unique role in the global climate urgency. How does our geographical context, cultural identity, and socio-economic landscape shape our approach to sustainable living? Through collaborative dialogue and knowledge-sharing, we will discern the collective responsibility we bear as educators to empower our students to be environmentally conscious global citizens.
Join us in this transformative workshop as we embark on a journey to integrate sustainability into our teaching practices, shaping the future stewards of our planet. Let's explore, innovate, and empower ourselves to make a meaningful difference in the face of the climate crisis. Together, we can inspire positive change for a flourishing and sustainable future.

In this session, I will explain how I set up our school's Student Government and Eco Club to enhance student voice and allow students to be the voices of other students. We will go through some of their projects as well as the successes and failures so far this year. This is also a leadership opportunity for the Grade 6 students in anticipation of their transition to Grade 7.

The focus of my session surrounds my experience teaching on a Northern Alberta First Nations Reserve. I discuss my prior knowledge, the knowledge I gained from this experience and how I continue to learn and include my past in my teaching today.

In every community there are people whom others naturally turn to for support. They are from all walks of life and are considered by others to be helpers. Helpers possess characteristics like empathy, care, and compassion. The Community Helpers Program identifies these helpers and offers training to strengthen their natural abilities. Helpers learn a variety of topics and skills including effective communication, self-care, coping with stress, knowing when to refer people to professional services, handling crisis situations, and suicide awareness. In addition to developing skills and increasing knowledge, Helpers are introduced to community services and professional supports. This connection bridges informal and formal supports in the community, enabling helpers to refer peers and family to expert support when needed.

This would be a session guided towards new teachers into the profession, a session to help new teachers and address questions they may have about everything university doesn't teach you, and about how to take care of yourself as well. It would also allow teachers to connect and network as relying and sharing materials and ideas with others is a vital part of our jobs!

This session will share a technique that is used to engage students in oral conversations in the FSL classroom. It enables students to build capacity with listening comprehension and oral production in a very structured and guided manner.

Culture serves as our framework for understanding the world. We will consider how racial, cultural, and social identity not only influence our personal sense of self but also shape our connections with others and impact our overall experiences in the world. We discuss exploring our cultural identities because our education system is significantly influenced by our potential practices of anti-bias and anti-racism. Our decisions about how we teach have the power to either shift or maintain the status quo.

In this session, we will cover classroom management that helps reduce teacher/student conflict and refocuses the lesson towards behaviour for learning and intrinsic motivation.

This session will share our approach to tier 2 and 3 numeracy intervention at Nellie Carlson School.  I will cover how we identify students for intervention, how we track intervention (by the student by the skill), as well as strategies and games I use to target specific skills.

Teaching EAL students is more than teaching the language. My story is one of the many that will give you insights into the nuances and "inside scoop" of what it may be like to go through school using English as an additional language.  

Embark on a dynamic journey with 'Rhythms of Inclusion,' a 45-minute professional development workshop where West African dance serves as a vibrant medium to explore outstanding learning opportunities, advance anti-racism efforts, and promote a holistic approach to student and staff well-being.

Culture serves as our framework for understanding the world. We will consider how racial, cultural, and social identity not only influence our personal sense of self but also shape our connections with others and impact our overall experiences in the world. We discuss exploring our cultural identities because our education system is significantly influenced by our potential practices of anti-bias and anti-racism. Our decisions about how we teach have the power to either shift or maintain the status quo.

Are you in charge of Benchmarking at your school? Want to explore a way to divvy up the list of EAL students to obtain a more comprehensive benchmark from various subjects? This is the session for you! 

Gamification, using game-based mechanics, aesthetics and game thinking to engage people, motivate action, promote learning and solve problems, can be used to engage and motivate students, while embedding equity, diversity and inclusion within the classroom. This session will explain what gamification is and how it can be used to create outstanding learning opportunities for students.

We will explain how we use Literature Circles to differentiate learning.  We will show how we introduce essential questions, pick books, create groups and assess students through Literature Circles.

A guided discussion/presentation followed by collaboration and sharing of ideas and resources for teaching the Indian Act, and the Numbered Treaties.  Specific to Social Studies 9 and Collective Rights, but applicable to other areas.

What is culturally responsive teaching, and how does it connect with how Canada is attending to the TRC Calls to Action regarding education.

This session focuses on:

• understanding what consent is and is not
• supporting those who disclose a sexual assault or have questions
• how to be an ally
• connecting with resources

A discussion of issues facing social studies teachers and looking at the expectations for students transitioning to social studies at the high school level.

PD Committee Members closing comments.