CATCA 2020

Storytelling.Learning Through Story: Bridging Literacy for All Students.When the snow covers the ground it is a time for stories. Why is it important to tell stories while the snow is on the ground? Learn about all the ways we can tell stories. Think about how you can bring the power of storytelling into your classroom. Join in this session as we learn about traditional oral storytelling, exploring the use of Indigenous literature in elementary and secondary, stories of resilience, and information that supports foundational knowledge of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit.

Maybe you’re teaching Language Arts for the first time. Maybe you’ve taught it for a while, but feel a need to strengthen the writing component. Or maybe you don’t even teach L.A., but want to support students with their writing in your subject area. Whatever the case may be, this session will help by focusing on the basics of writing instruction. We’ll look at some of the significant challenges and lay out fundamental principles that will help you and your students succeed. You’ll leave with a solid foundation for an effective writing program along with some specific ideas you can implement immediately.

This session examines the history of Congo as a case study of Imperialism… from Leopold’s Congo to ‘Independence’. It focuses on the roles of foreign actors, including Canada, and their motives. Were they truly motivated by the enlightened Idealism they professed or the dark Realism described by Joseph Conrad, “The conquest of the earth is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much”?  This session quotes from "Heart of Darkness" to illustrate the continuity of Realism in Imperial policy from Leopold's Congo to ‘Independence’ and challenges many of our most cherished historical myths.  For a free paperback of Conrad’s novella and other references click https://docs.google.com/document/d/1t002GqSLqS8W06POxG-Fky16GfBnMlQCgQFIhqDULn0/edit

In this hands-on workshop, 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. Participants should come prepared to write alongside presenter and award-winning author and artist Alexis Marie Chute.

Every one has a story to tell. This session provides teachers with insights on how to provide their students with the tools to develop their creative skills in telling a story. Tom reveals five tips that can spur creative writing for students and teachers.Teachers are given a behind the scene look at how Tom uses his own experiences as a teacher, coach, and administrator to create his stories. Tom lays down the framework of how personal experiences can be shared by the use of one’s imagination. It allows students to discover who they really are and how they fit in the world around them.Creative writing provides an opportunity for teachers to help their students clarify thinking and foster artistic expression while stimulating their imagination. Teachers show students how to explore the functions and values of writing while teaching them how to learn to read and write.

Learn creative ways to engage teens struggling with trauma, bullying, identity, life direction, family issues, and mental health challenges, utilizing the empowering and healing capacities of writing. Creative writing exercises will be presented including journaling, free writing, memoir, poetry, and fiction as tools for personal reflection and empowerment. Participants will leave having tried these writing exercises themselves and equipped to apply them in the compassionate support of teens in their communities. Award-winning author and artist Alexis Marie Chute will share her own journey of using creativity to heal and empower.

“I don’t know what to write.” Have you ever heard that in your classroom? When it comes to writing, so many students get stuck right at the beginning. This session will show you how to use the simple four-word question that defeats writers’ block every time. You’ll leave with a complete teaching unit that will help you walk your students through the process of writing a story from beginning to end. Not only will it get your students “unstuck”, but it will teach them plot structure at the same time.

This session is designed to give teachers a hands on experience with gamification.The goal is to give you some practical tools to enhance your classroom, as well as have fun during convention.You will be lead through a portion of "Safe Haven" and then you will be able to explore the core components to build your own gamified classroom. We will lay out how we build in assignments, some of the games we used to engage students, and the challenges that we faced in rolling this out.If you have access to technology, this will assist you at the end to explore some of the resource sites available.

Join award-winning author-artist and education advocate Alexis Marie Chute as she shares her round-up of ideas for teachers and school libraries looking to collaborate with artists and writers in their community. She discusses projects, residencies, exhibitions, tech options, and multi-disciplinary art incubators. This program emphasizes the importance of collaboration and new ways of looking at programming. Participants will have the opportunity ask Chute for her author-artist perspective in regards to library collaboration ideas. Group brainstorming will round out the discussion.

You arrive at school filled with enthusiasm, ready to mold young minds. But then comes LA class. Story writing. “Woe is me!” you lament. “So many of my students hate writing. They just sit and stare at their papers! If only there was a former teacher who is now a writer who could help me.” Good news. There is! In this session, he will share all kinds of ideas that got his students unstuck and helped them develop their understanding of how stories are built. Participants will leave with at least half a dozen ideas for immediate use in their classrooms.

The young child spoke for the first time that year when he held onto his puppet. “I am happy and sad” he said. Puppetry is a powerful medium for learning and its strength as an empathetic friend or a conduit for expression is amazing. This workshop shares fun ready to go puppet ideas that are easily adaptable for student’s abilities, available resources and time. With lots of hands on opportunities the workshop will play with the intrigue of shadow puppets with loose parts and a variety of low- and high-tech projection choices. Additionally, we’ll create puppets made simply with folded paper and card. We’ll run through over a dozen other project ideas and show how they link to multiple curricula and STEAM learnings. Supplies/handouts provided.

People have always loved stories. Why is that? Perhaps the answer lies in their powerful connection to everyday life. Robin will share insights gleaned as he transitioned from 31 years in the teaching profession to a second career as a writer. We’ll look at the characteristics of a truly great story, talk about the significance of character arcs, and then consider how understanding all of this can impact both you and your students.

As teachers we ask, “How can I improve my students’ achievement in reading comprehension?” Students ask, “How can I get better at reading comprehension?” This session describes how to categorize reading comprehension questions into 5 reading skill categories allowing teachers and students to determine which skills require improvement and how to unpack each skill and determine the alignment to curriculum outcomes. Focus will be for grades 10 to 12. This workshop will provide ELA teachers with a pathway of how to increase student achievement on Reading Comprehension Assessments as well as ease the stress and anxiety students often experience when faced with writing these assessments. The types of questions on Reading Comprehension assessments require specific skills. The skills can be categorized into 5 areas: Identify and Interpret Ideas and Details; Interpret Text Organization; Associate Meaning; Make Connections; Evaluate. During this session teachers will unpack each reading comprehension skill and understand the curriculum outcomes, which align to each skill; review assessment questions which are aligned to each skill; understand and practise aligning assessment questions to each skill; and write assessment questions that assess each skill.

Learn how to hack and electrify learning in your classroom with the Makey Makey! Imagine being able to make your word walls talk, create quick reaction quiz games, turn your stories into interactive adventures and more! Students of all abilities and ages can become innovative designers using everyday classroom objects!

Have you heard of a green screen? Well how about a ME screen. In this session you will become the green screen and be able to create amazing digital stories, news reports, music videos, and travel t-shirts!

This session will introduce teachers to the United Nations Declaration on Indigenous Peoples. We will demonstrate ways that UNDRIP can be used in schools as an educational tool, to explore the injustices of our past and present issues and highlight positive movements that are advancing Indigenous rights and truth and reconciliation efforts in Canada.