GETCA 2025: Full Schedule

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

9:00am MST

Defining Scientific Literacy: A humanistic perspective for every day life.

Thursday February 27, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am MST

Can you define scientific literacy? A consensus definition of this term remains highly elusive, despite it being a focus of science instruction in K-12 schools. In recent years due to global events, there have been vocal calls from outside education to improve scientific literacy in students and the general population. Participants will examine different conceptualizations of scientific literacy and see how teaching science as a humanity (Aoki) holds the key to developing an idea of scientific literacy that is relevant and actionable by all people for everyday life. Using Nature of Science, STS, SSI’s from the program of studies, we will discuss an effective way to implement this humanistic view within existing curricula. All students are “science people”, and this will help them realize that.

Speakers

Zachary Patterson

Learning Leader

Zach is an Assistant Principal in the CBE and doctoral candidate at the Werklund School of Education (UCalgary). An emerging scholar in the field of curriculum studies, his research interests include looking at how changing conceptions of scientific literacy can benefit society’s... Read More →

Thursday February 27, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am MST
Centre High - Room 315 Centre High

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

Company English
format csv
Room Details Centre High - Room 315 (Centre High, Max capacity for 32 people)
Tags English

10:20am MST

Science Stories: Engaging Science Curriculum with Public Health to Improve Health Outcomes

Thursday February 27, 2025 10:20am - 11:20am MST

Centre High - Room 315

Public health and the school system share a symbiotic relationship. Food and mental health programs and others connect the two outside the classroom, while Physical Education and Health connect in a curricular way. This session explores another potential curricular link between the two entities geared towards improving health literacy. We will examine current research that is seeking to show connections between biology and similar curricula with public health stories as a way to help students understand the impacts of health decisions on populations. Stories such as Henrietta Lacks and HeLa cells help students learn science and help them understand and improve their public health decision making as adults. Come and learn how this and other stories can help improve science learning and public health.

Speakers

Zachary Patterson

Learning Leader

Thursday February 27, 2025 10:20am - 11:20am MST
Centre High - Room 315 Centre High

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

Company English
format csv
Room Details Centre High - Room 315 (Centre High, Max capacity for 32 people)
Tags English

1:00pm MST

Manipulating Biology, making the science real.

Thursday February 27, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm MST

Centre High - Room 315

Biology is engaging and filled with amazing content but tends to be heavily focused on delivery of knowledge instead of fostering deeper understandings. In our session we will share some of the manipulative activities we use to help students construct their own understanding; shifting away from the memorizing of facts and towards explaining the 'why'. Concepts covered include: plants, classification/taxonomy, cells, evolution, biochemistry/cell processes, protein synthesis, mitosis and meiosis and more. All activities will be shared; come explore and take away a new activity to use in class!

Speakers

perdeep dhillon

David Rojas

Katie Teeuwsen

Katie is a high school biology teacher at Harry Ainlay with over 15 years experience teaching all levels, including AP and IB. Of particular interest are incorporating visuals and manipulatives into the note heavy course; allowing students to discover the 'why' and not just the... Read More →

Thursday February 27, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm MST
Centre High - Room 315 Centre High

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

Company English
format csv
Room Details Centre High - Room 315 (Centre High, Max capacity for 32 people)
Tags English

2:20pm MST

Japanese Canadian resources for the K-12 curriculum

Thursday February 27, 2025 2:20pm - 3:20pm MST

Centre High - Room 315

In response to anti-Asian sentiments during the COVID pandemic, a committee was struck in the Japanese community to explore how to promote racial equality. Through education, of course! Bring your electronic device and learn about a new resource that shows how to integrate content about Japanese Canadian culture, experiences and contributions into various subject areas in your classroom. We shall use this Directory to sample activities for the grade levels you are interested in: https://ejca.org/directory-of-japanese-canadian-resources Come explore some great ideas to learn about Japanese Canadians!

Speakers

Olenka Bilash

Olenka Bilash is a professor emeritus in the Faculty of Education, curriculum specialist, Anti-racism Trainer, and interested in inclusion, diversity and multicultural education.

Terri Rolfson

Terri Rolfson is a Research Coordinator in the College of Social Sciences and Humanities at the University of Alberta. She has helped support the Gordon Hirabayashi Anti-Racism Project, a campus-community partnership which aims to advocate for racial equality.

Thursday February 27, 2025 2:20pm - 3:20pm MST
Centre High - Room 315 Centre High

English Language Arts, Social Studies

Company English
format csv
Room Details Centre High - Room 315 (Centre High, Max capacity for 32 people)
Tags English