CATCA 2025: Full Schedule

9:00am MST

Play On Words - Box Cars Literacy Games for Elementary

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

Brains learn best through PLAY! Come prepared to play elementary literacy games that incorporate literacy dice, letter tiles and word decks. Game and strategies are easy to differentiate to meet the needs of all students including regular, ELL and special ed. Games will focus on: learning the alphabet and its' sounds, word patterns and rhyme, spelling simple CVC words, vocabulary boosters, vowels and blends. These games can be used whole class, small group or in centers, and can be adapted for intervention and assessment. Ideas are easily transferred to home practice and family literacy games nights. Handout will contain gameboards, ready to use Monday a.m. This is a fast paced, hands-on session!

NOTE T PROGRAM CHAIR: We need a table set up for this session, lots of manipulatives.

Speakers

John Felling

presenter, Box Cars And One Eyed Jacks

The workshops and seminars John Felling presents are engaging, informative, fun, and hands-on. In his workshops, teachers learn a variety of games and activities (new ones every year), closely tied to provincial curriculum standards. The games and activities presented integrate easily... Read More →

Thursday February 20, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am MST
RDP Room 2303

Special Education (TQS 3), Division 4 (Gr 10-12), Division 3 (Gr 7-9) | Language Arts (TQS 3), Division 4 (Gr 10-12), Division 3 (Gr 7-9)

11:40am MST

Demystifying Autism

Thursday February 20, 2025 11:40am - 2:00pm MST

RDP Room 2501

Autism is a brain-based difference that affects communication and behavior regulation. In this session, we’ll explore key insights to foster awareness, understanding, and acceptance of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) and how they impact everyone in the classroom.
Key Topics:
• Characteristics of Autism: Including real-life, lived experiences.
• Understanding Ableism: How society perceives and treats individuals with developmental disabilities like ASD.
• Executive Functioning: Its effect on day-to-day living, with a focus on classroom challenges.
• What You'll See in the Classroom: Recognizing behaviors and communication patterns that impact teachers and students.
• Coping Strategies: Practical techniques for both school and beyond to help autistic students succeed.
• Resources & Tools: Books, websites, posters, and sensory tools like finger fidgets will be shared, with some items available for display.
• Social Skills Survival: Learn how to teach the "unwritten rules" of social interactions.
Join us to better understand autism and create an inclusive, empathetic learning environment!

Speakers

Terri Robson

After overcoming challenges to accept and understand the impact of Autism (Asperger Syndrome) in her own life, Terri Robson was inspired to help others. With a Bachelor of Education from the University of Alberta, she uses her determination to engage in projects aimed at raising awareness... Read More →

Thursday February 20, 2025 11:40am - 2:00pm MST
RDP Room 2501

1:00pm MST

EdCamp - Specialized (Congregated) Program

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

RDP Room AC142 (Arts Centre)

This session would be a place for Specialized Program teachers to come together to discuss assessment, ISP goals, behaviour management, and other topics that are brought up by participants. This session has been very valuable in the past as it provided opportunities for collaboration between teachers in different districts who are in similar positions. Here is the document to work from: https://docs.google.com/document/d/18GxAaPXVsB2m6RNmh-4sCe00U8w52mRj2pKb1AWVP8M/edit?usp=sharing

Speakers

Hayley Goring

Specialized program teacher for students with complex needs at Lindsay Thurber High School.

Thursday February 20, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm MST
RDP Room AC142 (Arts Centre)

Inclusive Education (TQS/LQS 4), Division 1 (Gr 1-3), Division 3 (Gr 7-9), Division 2 (Gr 4-6), Division 4 (Gr 10-12) | Special Education (TQS 3), Division 1 (Gr 1-3), Division 3 (Gr 7-9), Division 2 (Gr 4-6), Division 4 (Gr 10-12) | Reflection/Collaboration (TQS/LQS 2), Division 1 (Gr 1-3), Division 3 (Gr 7-9), Division 2 (Gr 4-6), Division 4 (Gr 10-12)

Collaboration-EdCamp EdCamp-Specialized Program

9:00am MST

ASL - Introduction / Beginner

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

RDP Room 2503

This is a "hands on," beginner ASL course geared toward educators with little or no experience in ASL. We will start with the ABC's and take you to asking and answering questions, playing games, numbers, and more. You will have the benefit of two instructors, one Deaf and one Hearing, who together will take you through accurate signing as well as explain clearly the logic behind the signs. You will leave excited to practice and show off your ASL!

Speakers

Andy Davies

Andy Davies has been a teacher (U of L BFA/B.Ed '09) of languages and art in Southern Alberta for 15 years. Andy has studied, worked in, and been active with ASL and the Deaf community for many years. Originally self-taught, he studied ASL at Grant MacEwan from 2000-2001. He has worked... Read More →

Friday February 21, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am MST
RDP Room 2503

10:20am MST

ASL - Intermediate

Friday February 21, 2025 10:20am - 11:20am MST

RDP Room 2503

This course is geared toward educators with some familiarity with ASL who would like to take it to the next level. After reviewing the basics, we will go deeper into the grammatical and syntactical structure of ASL, directional verbs, locational/spatial organization and narrative organization. Participants will leave this session able to tell a joke or story in ASL.

Speakers

Andy Davies

Friday February 21, 2025 10:20am - 11:20am MST
RDP Room 2503

1:00pm MST

Rethinking Challenging Behaviour - An Introduction to Collaborative Problem Solving®

Friday February 21, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm MST

RDP Room 1400 (MP Theatre)

Working with children and teens who demonstrate challenging behaviours can be difficult, stressful and complex. Collaborative Problem Solving® (CPS) is a compassionate, evidence-based, trauma-informed approach that provides a philosophy and tools to address challenging behaviour. This approach is used in schools across North America and has been demonstrated to build skills and relationships with students while reducing teacher burnout.

This is an introduction to CPS. This session helps educators reflect on their understanding of challenging behaviour and effective and ineffective interventions to address these behaviours. Participants will learn about how the Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) approach describes why people demonstrate challenging behaviour and how CPS can address these behaviours. This session will help educators decide if CPS would be an effective approach to include in their practice and provide the information and resources to learn more.

If you would like more information about CPS prior to the session, please visit https://thinkkids.org/.

Speakers

Matt Sticksl

Teacher

Matt Sticksl is a teacher, parent and Think:Kids CPS Certified Trainer in Collaborative Problem Solving®. For the past two years he has been teaching in a Student Services role in a K-9 school with the Calgary Board of Education. Prior to this, he taught for eight years in adolescent... Read More →

Friday February 21, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm MST
RDP Room 1400 (MP Theatre)