SEATCA 2025 - Southeastern Alberta Teachers' Convention: Full Schedule

Schedule for SEATCA 2025 is up!

Reminder...if you put a session into your schedule, this DOES NOT mean you are registered for this session and guaranteed a spot. It only means you are interested in that session during that time block and it will show up in your schedule. Please arrive with enough time before your session to find a spot, especially if you think the session will be popular. MHC does not permit us to go over capacity in classrooms and we are NOT able to move chairs/desks in from other rooms. Please respect the "This Session is Full" sign on the door if you see them displayed.

Please make sure to note if your session requires pre-registration, cash or is off campus!

We have finalized Friday 1:00pm - 2:00pm Keynote. Please watch social media for hints and clues on who it could be to WIN some FUN prizes!

Parking at the College is free to anyone, anytime. This means there is no need to register your car to park during convention. A reminder that there are limited spots so please carpool with others when possible. Also, please ensure you are parking in designated parking areas so you are not ticketed for being illegally parked! Plug in spaces will also be ticketed!

Yoga Revolution is offering $5 classes to teachers on convention days! https://www.yogarevolution.ca/classes/

Thursday

6:00 - 7:00 am Rise and Shine
5:30 - 6:30pm All Levels Flow
7:00 - 8:00 pm PowerFlow

Friday

Rise and Shine 6:00 am - 7:00 am
Gentle Flow 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

LUNCH SPECIALS at the MHC! Plan ahead for some good food and a sit down visit with friends!

THURSDAY

CRAVE BUFFET - TBA
CAFETERIA CORNER - TBA

FRIDAY
CRAVE BUFFET ($16.00) - TBA
CAFETERIA CORNER - TBA

Of course the cafeteria will be open with a full menu! REMEMBER...MHC is CASHLESS!

Please NOTE:

To create an account so you can make a personal schedule, click on the Login or Signup link at the top of the screen. To find out how to make your account private, manage your profile, and get the most out of SCHED, please click on the Information link below.

Message from ATA Conventions regarding inclement weather and safe travels...

“On the two school days of your assigned teachers’ convention, you have a legal and professional responsibility to attend Convention. If you are not able to make it safely to your assigned convention, however, your collective agreement may include impassable roads or inclement weather clauses that you can access. If your collective agreement does not include language specific to road conditions or weather, you may make use of the personal leave clauses of your agreement in most cases. Please be aware that using any of these types of leave may require you to pay substitute costs, forego a portion of your salary and benefits, or report to your school or another work location in your district. Refer to your collective agreement for more information. Should you require any additional information or if you need assistance interpreting your collective agreement, please contact Teacher Employment Services at 1-800-232-7208 or 780-447-9400.”

9:00am MST

Computational Thinking 101: Foundations for Every Educator

Thursday February 20, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am MST

F2003

Unlock the power of computational thinking for you and your students! Discover how computational thinking can enhance problem-solving skills while connecting with storytelling, nature, art, and more. This session provides a gentle introduction to core concepts found in the new curriculum such as decomposition, abstraction, and algorithms. Through exploring a variety of activities, both plugged-in and unplugged, you’ll learn how to seamlessly incorporate these principles into your classroom regardless of subject or grade level. No prior experience in teaching computer science needed! Please bring a laptop, Chromebook or tablet to this session

Speakers

Whitney Horban/Bernadette Blakey

Thursday February 20, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am MST
F2003 299 College Dr SE, Medicine Hat, AB

Science

Audience Div 1, Div 2

9:00am MST

Food and Foldables

Thursday February 20, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am MST

S106

Upping student engagement using food and foldables to teach/ reinforce concepts in high school science courses like Biology 20 and Science 30

Speakers

Leanne Rief

Science Teacher, EBHS

I love teaching Science!! That's a good thing as I've been doing it a LONG time :) I have taught in 7 different high schools and taught everything from Biology, General Science, Science 14/24, Fashion, ELL, CALM and even Social Studies. Obviously, Science is my favourite!Hobbies... Read More →

Thursday February 20, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am MST
S106 299 College Dr SE, Medicine Hat, AB

Science

Audience Div 3, Div 4

10:30am MST

Exploring the New Curriculum Through MakeCode Arcade Games

Thursday February 20, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am MST

F2003

Strengthen your students’ problem-solving skills and engage creatively with the curriculum by creating games in Microsoft MakeCode Arcade! This session will provide you with the foundational knowledge to help your students design their own video games, then bring those games to life through block-based coding. Learn how computational thinking skills such as pattern recognition, algorithm design, and debugging are necessary when coding and how to connect games to curricular concepts in any subject. This session explores connections to the Computer Science curriculum for grades 4 and up. A laptop, Chromebook, or tablet is required for this session. Some devices will be available for loan on a first come, first served basis.

Speakers

Whitney Horban/Bernadette Blakey

Thursday February 20, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am MST
F2003 299 College Dr SE, Medicine Hat, AB

Science

Audience Div 2, Div 3, Div 4

1:00pm MST

Mico:bit Bootcamp

Thursday February 20, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm MST

F2003

Does your school have Micro:bits, but you’re not sure how to use them in your classroom? Strengthen your students’ problem-solving skills and engage creatively with the curriculum with Micro:bits! This session will provide you with the foundational knowledge to help your students code Micro:bit programmable devices with block-based coding. Discover how computational thinking skills such as pattern recognition, algorithm design, and debugging play a crucial role in coding. Learn how to use these devices in cross-curricular projects, get hands-on experience with coding, and walk away with a few project ideas to use in your classroom! A laptop or Chromebook is required for this session.

Speakers

Whitney Horban/Bernadette Blakey

Thursday February 20, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm MST
F2003 299 College Dr SE, Medicine Hat, AB

Science

Audience Div 1, Div 2, Div 3, Div 4

1:00pm MST

Hands-on Minds On: The Intersection of Trades and STEM in K-12 Education

Thursday February 20, 2025 1:00pm - 3:30pm MST

F2002

Dive into an Alberta-based STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) initiative in partnership with Lethbridge Polytechnic that enriches K-12 education with practical trades experience. The session features an interactive opportunity for you to be in your students’ shoes to explore and engage with our free digital and hands-on resources. We'll start with a brief overview of the project and its connections to the mathematics and science curricula and industry. You will then spend the majority of the session interacting with the activities and resources that can be immediately implemented into your practice. We will seek your feedback on classroom application and potential resources. You’ll leave better equipped to answer the question of “Why do I need to learn this?” by connecting mathematics and science concepts to students’ everyday lives.

Speakers

Brianne Hutchinson

Thursday February 20, 2025 1:00pm - 3:30pm MST
F2002 299 College Dr SE, Medicine Hat, AB

Science

Audience All Divisions

1:00pm MST

Lego, Photosynthesis, Cellular Respiration and Student Success (pre-registration required. Cost optional...please see description)

Thursday February 20, 2025 1:00pm - 3:30pm MST

F2004

Learn how you can teach the entire Bio 20 unit of Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration Unit using Lego, to encourage students to create their own models. A complete lego set of over 720 pieces with 9 colour instruction maps, you will assemble your own model of a plant cell under going Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration. The cost for the used/new lego set is $150. In addition participants will learn how to assess the students’ understanding that has shown significant results on standardized tests.
- Bring your own Lego (you will need 514 pieces of 28different elements)
- OPTIONAL: pay $125 includes 514 piece Lego set to keep and coloured 11x17 colour instructions
- e-transfer: plaehpro @gmail.com
-Please pre-register for this session by emailing Carter (plaehpro @gmail.com) and tell him whether you would like to purchase a lego set or bring your own. When the session is full, the session title will state.
- Cap: 25 people

Speakers

Carter Cox

Thursday February 20, 2025 1:00pm - 3:30pm MST
F2004 299 College Dr SE, Medicine Hat, AB

Science

Audience All Divisions, Div 4

2:30pm MST

Robot Bootcamp

Thursday February 20, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm MST

F2003

Does your school have robots but you’re not sure how to use them in your classroom? Strengthen your students’ problem-solving skills and engage creatively with the curriculum through robotic exploration! This session will provide you with the foundational knowledge to help your students code a robot through block-based coding. Learn how computational thinking skills such as pattern recognition, algorithm design, and debugging are necessary when coding and how to connect robotics to curricular concepts in any subject. Get hands-on experience with a robot and walk away with a few project ideas to use in your classroom! The skills learned in this workshop will be transferrable to whatever robots your school has access to. Devices will be supplied for this session.

Speakers

Whitney Horban/Bernadette Blakey

Thursday February 20, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm MST
F2003 299 College Dr SE, Medicine Hat, AB

Science

Audience Div 1, Div 2, Div 3, Div 4

9:00am MST

Code Across the Curriculum: Innovative Strategies to Infuse Computer Science in K-6 Classrooms

Friday February 21, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am MST

S145

In today’s digital world, computer science is becoming an essential skill, and integrating it into everyday learning is key to preparing students for the future. This session will explore creative and practical ways to infuse coding and computational thinking across the K-6 curriculum. Whether it’s using algorithms in math, coding stories in language arts, or simulating scientific experiments, participants will discover how computer science can enhance learning in all subject areas. Bringing your own device will be beneficial for this session.

Speakers

Cassie Young

MHPSD#76

Cassie is a passionate and dedicated educational coach, wife, and new mom. Her dynamic approach to her Optimal Learning Coach role with Medicine Hat Public school division reflects her commitment to making learning engaging and meaningful for students, particularly through cross-curricular... Read More →

Friday February 21, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am MST
S145 299 College Dr SE, Medicine Hat, AB

Science

Audience Div 1, Div 2

9:00am MST

Making sky science memorable and effective

Friday February 21, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am MST

S103

In our time together, Rod will provide examples of teaching methods along with visual resources to make learning sky science both memorable and effective. We will become aquainted with space, its size and scale, its contents and our place in the observable universe. Astronomy fills our every day culture. We actually know more astronomy than we realize and Rod will uncover these amazing cultural touchstones. For example, how the artcic gets its name, what the "dog days of summer" really means, or what does a zoo have in common with the zodiac? We will use visuals, hands on demonstrations as well as a PowerPoint presentation.

Speakers

Rod Devries

Rod has been doing astronomy for over 40 years. Teaching various aspects of astronomy is a passion. Making the far away seem near, or making the complex easy to comprehend. Rod used props, pictures and imagination to make space come alive for his audiences. Rod built Eagle Butte... Read More →

Friday February 21, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am MST
S103 299 College Dr SE, Medicine Hat, AB

Science

Audience Div 2, Div 3, Div 4

9:00am MST

Forensics 25/35

Friday February 21, 2025 9:00am - 11:30am MST

CHHS

This is a share session where those of us teaching Forensics class can share and develop new lessons and ideas. Heather has developed this class as a very hands on experience using Podcasting, Labs and Guest Speakers to try to make Forensics as close to real life as possible but also extremely accessible to all levels of learners. Come with questions, ideas and things to share!

Speakers

Heather McCaig

Heather McCaig is a 26 year teacher in the Medicine Hat Public school division. Heather has taught forensics for a number of years now with her teaching partners. When developing the course her and her partner focused on hands on activities that met outcomes but allowed all levels... Read More →

Friday February 21, 2025 9:00am - 11:30am MST
CHHS 1201 Division Avenue North

Science

Audience Div 4

9:00am MST

Grade 5 - New Science Curriculum Working Group

Friday February 21, 2025 9:00am - 11:30am MST

S141

Let's get together and spend sometime planning effecive inquiry based resources and assessments for the new Science 5 Curriculum.

Speakers

Rebecca Kroschel

Division II Teacher, Grasslands School Division #6

Rebecca is an energetic teacher with many years of teaching in division II. She is a book lover and her passion for great literature spurs on her students to engage in reading, writing and participation in her class.

Friday February 21, 2025 9:00am - 11:30am MST
S141 299 College Dr SE, Medicine Hat, AB

Science

Audience Div 2