GETCA 2025: Full Schedule

Welcome to GETCA 2025! We are excited to see you soon...

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9:00am MST

Mythbusting New Science

Friday February 28, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am MST

Join us for an engaging and enlightening session where we demystify the new elementary science curriculum! Designed specifically for elementary science teachers, we'll tackle common misconceptions in earth systems, matter, energy, computer science, scientific methods, living systems, and space. Discover innovative ways to teach these concepts, equip your students with critical thinking skills, and inspire a love for science. Let’s break down the barriers and ignite curiosity in our young learners

Speakers

Katerina Campbell

Elementary Science Consultant, Edmonton Catholic School Division

Katerina is an elementary Science consultant at Edmonton Catholic Schools. She loves all things Science, exploring natural phenomena and will never stop asking “why?” Katerina is a self proclaimed maker and cardboard collector. She is a proud promoter of inquiry based learning... Read More →

Natalie Zuberbuhler

Elementary Science Consultant, Edmonton Catholic School Division

Natalie Zuberbuhler: Elementary Science Curriculum and Assessment Consultant with Edmonton Catholic Schools lives for Science and supporting her teacher colleagues. Natalie always has great recommendations on books, tips for catching fish, and how to incorporate computer science to... Read More →

Friday February 28, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am MST
ECC - Salon 5/6

Biology/Physics/Chemistry/Science

Company English
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Room Details ECC - Salon 5/6 (Edmonton Convention Centre (ECC), Max capacity for 144 people)
Tags English

9:00am MST

Resources for Implementing the K-6 Elementary Science Curriculum

Friday February 28, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am MST

ECC - Salon 10

Are you an elementary teacher looking for resources to support implementation of the new Alberta K-6 science curriculum? In this session, we will share free resources developed by the Centre for Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education at the University of Alberta. Resources include teacher guides for each learning outcome, integrated year/unit plans, and a searchable database of lesson resources aligned with the new Alberta K-6 science curriculum. For more information visit sciencecurriculumwayfinder.ca

Speakers

Melissa LaRue

Melissa LaRue is an elementary teacher with Edmonton Public Schools. For the past two years she has worked as a research assistant at the University of Alberta on elementary science and literacy projects.

Emile Moacdieh

Emile Moacdieh is a former grade 6-12 teacher, university geology instructor, and paleontology researcher. He is currently a PhD student at the University of Alberta focusing on elementary science education.

Dr. Jerine Pegg

University of Alberta

Dr. Jerine Pegg is a science education professor at the University of Alberta.

Friday February 28, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am MST
ECC - Salon 10

Biology/Physics/Chemistry/Science, Biology/Physics/Chemistry/Science

Company English
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Room Details ECC - Salon 10 (Edmonton Convention Centre (ECC), Max capacity for 240 people)
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10:20am MST

Let's Talk Like Scientists: Building Scientific Discourse

Friday February 28, 2025 10:20am - 11:20am MST

ECC - Salon 5/6

Dive deeper into the connection between scientific discourse and visible learning in this engaging session. Discover how oracy in the classroom serves as a powerful assessment tool. We will backward plan using action verbs across organizing ideas and explore the significance of "Inquiry" and "High Impact Questions" to foster increased student talk and engagement. Join us to enhance your strategies and create a more interactive and thoughtful learning environment.

Speakers

Katerina Campbell

Elementary Science Consultant, Edmonton Catholic School Division

Natalie Zuberbuhler

Elementary Science Consultant, Edmonton Catholic School Division

Friday February 28, 2025 10:20am - 11:20am MST
ECC - Salon 5/6

Biology/Physics/Chemistry/Science, English Language Arts

Company English
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Room Details ECC - Salon 5/6 (Edmonton Convention Centre (ECC), Max capacity for 144 people)
Tags English

1:00pm MST

Brain Break Activities for Chemistry 20/30

Friday February 28, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm MST

Westin - Athabasca Room

Michael Ng shares several short activities that can provide students with a mental reset while incorporating fun and interactive learning. Emphasis will look at the pedagogical research studies behind Brain Break activities and how it can be a valuable tool for high school chemistry educators to help enhance focus; encourage engagement; improve retention; promote community building; and reduce stress. TQS #1-4 AND LQS #1-6.

Speakers

Michael Ng

Science

Michael Ng, M.Ed. who teaches Chemistry 20/30 and AP Chemistry. Accomplished concert pianist and artist since age 5. The world of science can be an enjoyable part of daily life. Dedicated and innovative in making "Science fun". A fan of transformative leadership, culturally responsive... Read More →

Brain Break Activities for Chemistry 20&30 docx

Further Brain Break Activities docx

Brain break ideas Understood Accessible pdf

Friday February 28, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm MST
Westin - Athabasca Room

Biology/Physics/Chemistry/Science, Classroom Management

Company English
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Room Details Westin - Athabasca Room (Westin Hotel, Chairs Max capacity for 30 people)
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1:00pm MST

Classroom Assessment Techniques

Friday February 28, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm MST

Westin - Chancellor Room

Are you looking for strategies to use in your classroom that will enhance student learning and provide you valuable feedback about your teaching practice? Formative assessment provides information on what, how much and how well students are learning. This information can guide instructional practice and will benefit all students; however, it will particularly have a positive impact on low-achievers. This would be a valuable session for you because it will introduce you to a range of formative classroom assessment techniques, how to use them, how to analyze the data that they gather, and how to share that data with students. The takeaways from this session are very practical and could be smoothly incorporated into your classroom regardless of teaching situation or teaching style.

Speakers

Tyler Buchan

Tyler Buchan is a teacher at Salisbury Composite High School in Sherwood Park, Alberta. He has taught science for over 15 years at schools in Alberta, Burkina Faso and Jamaica. He has degrees in Education and Arts from the University of Alberta, and a Master’s of Science in Science... Read More →

Formative Assessment Presentation pptx

Friday February 28, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm MST
Westin - Chancellor Room

Biology/Physics/Chemistry/Science

Company English
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Room Details Westin - Chancellor Room (Westin Hotel, Chairs Max capacity for 50 people)
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1:00pm MST

Growing PLANTs in Class?!

Friday February 28, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm MST

Westin - Chairman Room

Want a relatively low cost, easy to do, ongoing class project that can be used in multiple classes? There are many ways of growing plants for use at school. Some are more expensive and/or labor intensive than others. In this session, I want to talk to you about the cheapest and easiest ways that you can grow houseplants with your class. Join us in this session to learn ways to challenge students, grow plants and teach environmental stewardship!

Speakers

Nathan Bell

Teacher, Edmonton Catholic Schools

I am passionate about incorporating gardening into my instructional practices as I have been witness to how this practice can transform the school atmosphere. Students love to watch their plants grow and are even more excited to eat what they have grown. Fostering students' natural... Read More →

Friday February 28, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm MST
Westin - Chairman Room

Biology/Physics/Chemistry/Science, General Interest/Wellness

Company English
format Chairs
Room Details Westin - Chairman Room (Westin Hotel, Chairs Max capacity for 50 people)
Tags English

2:20pm MST

Growing Native PLANTs?! in your School Garden!

Friday February 28, 2025 2:20pm - 3:20pm MST

Westin - Chairman Room

From kindergarten to grade 6 the new science curriculum has an organizing idea studying plant and animal life. Growing native plants can help preserve local wildlife populations, provide pollen/food/shelter for natural wildlife, are more likely to thrive in our climate and require less maintenance and resources to grow. We can also use them to teach about our natural ecology and the history of the many different group’s who call Canada home. We will talk about raising Painted Lady Butterflies and Darkling Beetles with local company Wings N’ Wishes. We will also learn about the AMA School Garden Studio site that can connect gardeners to curriculum plans, grant opportunities, planting guides and to a teacher-exclusive community forum.

Speakers

Nathan Bell

Teacher, Edmonton Catholic Schools

Friday February 28, 2025 2:20pm - 3:20pm MST
Westin - Chairman Room

Biology/Physics/Chemistry/Science, General Interest/Wellness

Company English
format Chairs
Room Details Westin - Chairman Room (Westin Hotel, Chairs Max capacity for 50 people)
Tags English

2:20pm MST

Lab Skills Performance Assesments

Friday February 28, 2025 2:20pm - 3:20pm MST

Westin - Chancellor Room

The use of performance assessments in the chemistry laboratory present unique opportunities for formative assessment. They are authentic ways for students to demonstrate their abilities and can positively affect students’ attitudes toward the lab, their academic achievement, and upon the overall environment of the classroom. When used in conjunction with student self-assessment checklists performance assessments can also promote metacognitive activity. This session will present how to administer performance assessments of five basic lab skills and the benefits to the classroom that result. The lab skills that will be discussed are measuring mass using an electronic balance, measuring volume using a graduated cylinder, lighting a Bunsen burner, measuring volume using a pipet, and completing one trial of a titration. Although this session focuses on high school chemistry, the ideas discussed could easily be adapted to the physics, biology or general science classroom.

Speakers