ESTCA 2025: Full Schedule

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><
Follow estca_ata on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!
#estca25
Continue to share what you’re learning from our sessions.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bel Air Direct is a proud to sponsor the 2025 ATA Conventions
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
GOOSECHASE - Digital Scavenger Hunt
Please join us on Goosechase our digital scavenger hunt to win prizes! it will open Feb. 12th
Here is how to win and have fun:
1) Download Goosechase App on your apps store or google play
2) Find the mission ESTCA 2025 and Join the experience
3) Use password Estca and you are in
4) Start missions!
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Morning Selections 7:30 - 11:00 (Hall B) :
Slice of Banana or Zucchini bread (vegetarian) $3.25, Fruit to go cups (vegan/gluten free) $3.25 Yogurt Parfait Cup (vegetarian) $ 3.25

Beverages Selection:
Bottled Water $4.00
Soft Drinks $3.50
Canned Juices $3.50
Starbucks Coffee (12oz) $3.00

Concession/Collaboration Lounge - Lunch Specials 11:00 - 15:00 (Hall B) :
Old Fashioned Ham, tuna & egg Salad sandwich $5.00
Bistro Sandwich $7.50
Crudites in a Cup (vegan/gluten free) $3.75
Whole Fruit - $2.25
Gluten Free Granola Gar (gluten free/vegetarian) $4.75
Assorted Cookies (vegetarian) $2.50

Hot Specials Lunch -
Daily -
Chefs Choice Daily Soup with brioche bread $5.00
Pizza (Hawaiian, pepperoni & Cheese $5.00
Thursday - Ukrainian Box with Perogies, kielbasa and lazy cabbage rolls $12.00
Friday - Teriyaki Chicken $12.00

10:30am MST

Escape Boredom: Engaging students through the use of Escape Rooms

Thursday February 13, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am MST

Salon 10

Escape rooms have become a popular source of entertainment as well as a vehicle for team building and collaboration; additionally they have begun to catch the eyes of educators as a potential tool for collaborative learning activities in classrooms. Escape room players solve puzzles and decipher codes in order to solve their way out of the room. In this session, teachers will walk through example escape room puzzles, using locks, codes keys and riddles that can be adapted for their own classroom activity. This session will also cover how gamification can increase engagement and inclusion as well as how to source items to set up your escape room, sample puzzles and potential curriculum connections. No escape room experience required.

Speakers

Daniela Carbajal

WISEST

Daniela Carbajal is the Outreach Coordinator at WISEST, Women in Scholarship, Engineering, Science and Technology, based at the University of Alberta. Daniela has a BSc and is finishing a BA in Native Studies. She focuses and encourages grass-roots community work and research to promote... Read More →

Thursday February 13, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am MST
Salon 10

Div3-4

11:45am MST

Implications and Guidelines On Student Use of Generative AI

Thursday February 13, 2025 11:45am - 12:45pm MST

Salon 10

This presentation discusses the implications of students using generative AI (ie: ChatGPT, Google Gemini, GrammarlyGO, and many others) in the classroom as a tool for research, generating images, gathering evidence, and other uses. We will discuss best practices for students use of generative AI, and strategies to help students use AI tools effectively and ethically. As well, we will share guidelines for students' use of AI that fosters real learning and demonstration of understanding, vs using AI to "cheat". You will leave the session with several generative AI platforms that can be useful in the classroom, both for students and for teachers.

Speakers

Lorne Maier

Teacher, Buffalo Trail Public Schools

I have been a senior high social studies teacher at JR Robson School in Vermilion, Alberta for nearly 25 years. My passions are travel, politics, family, and football. Currently I am interested in learning more about the role of artificial intelligence in the classroom, particularly... Read More →

Kelly Scully

Thursday February 13, 2025 11:45am - 12:45pm MST
Salon 10

Div3-4

1:00pm MST

How to Teach ELA When it is not your Specialty

Thursday February 13, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm MST

Salon 10

Get a crash course on English Language Arts and learn how to leverage the curriculum to lean into your specialty strengths. Whether you are trying to find ways to make cross-curricular connections with Social Studies, Science, Math, or Fine Arts in order to support literacy in every class, or if you are a newcomer to ELA just trying to find your bearings, this session will offer practical strategies on how to teach Jr High ELA with adaptation considerations for lower and higher grades.
Note that this session was also presented at the Beginning Teacher Conference.

Speakers

Alyssa Backs

Teacher, English Language Arts Council

Backs is the Central Region Representative for the ATA’s English Language Arts Council. She holds a B. Ed in Secondary Education with a major in Social Studies and a minor in ELA through the University of Alberta. She recently completed her master’s degree in Library and Information... Read More →

Thursday February 13, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm MST
Salon 10

Div 3

2:15pm MST

Disruptive Text Pairings in Jr./Sr. ELA

Thursday February 13, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm MST

Salon 10

Students deserve texts which represent them in the classroom. But it is challenging to replace stories and authors we have “always” taught. In this workshop, you will take a text you love to teach (or have to teach) and strive to find modern pairings, alternatives, and enrichment/adaptive texts to teach alongside it. You’ll leave the session with new search strategies, text and author recommendations, and advice on how to navigate text challenges. And, because it is an ELAC session, you might just win a book giveaway!

Speakers

Alyssa Backs

Teacher, English Language Arts Council

Thursday February 13, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm MST
Salon 10

Div3-4

10:30am MST

Writing that Stirs the Heart

Friday February 14, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am MST

Salon 10

Participants will learn how to use creative writing in two important ways. First, as an introspective, self-care tool to mend, strengthen and restore joy to the writer’s heart. See how words can foster a renewed sense of peace, passion, and purpose. Secondly, how to craft stronger writing, tell captivating stories, and communicate powerfully to move the hearts of readers. Writing styles of focus include: free writing, memoir, poetry, and fiction.

Learning Objectives:
Literacy
Health and wellness
Cross curricular learning

Speakers

Alexis Marie Chute

Creative Director, Alexis Marie Productions Inc.

Alexis Marie Chute is an award-winning artist, photographer, filmmaker, gallery curator, and bestselling author. Her books include The 8th Island Trilogy (Above the Star, Below the Moon, Inside the Sun) and memoir Expecting Sunshine: A Journey of Grief, Healing and Pregnancy After... Read More →

Friday February 14, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am MST
Salon 10

Div3-4

11:45am MST

Documentary Filmmaking: Step by Step through the 48 Hour Film Challenge

Friday February 14, 2025 11:45am - 12:45pm MST

Salon 10

Speakers

Alexis Marie Chute

Creative Director, Alexis Marie Productions Inc.

Friday February 14, 2025 11:45am - 12:45pm MST
Salon 10

Div3-4