ACIFA Conference 2008
Overview/Programme

ACIFA 2008 Conference Schedule Overview (Excel doc.)
(please click Monday and Tuesday tabs along bottom of Excel sheet to access session details)

ACIFA 2008 Conference detailed PROGRAMME with session descriptions (Word doc.)

 

Sunday May 25

NOON – 4:30 pm  Presidents’ Council Meeting
Skyline room, Lobstick Lodge

5:00 pm  Registration Desk opens
Amethyst Lodge Lobby

7:30 – 10:30 pm  Welcome Reception
Amethyst Lodge


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Pre-conference Session
Digital Photography Workshop: Ray Rasmussen and Chris Olsen

High quality digital photos are powerful teaching tools and can be used to create visual and experiential links in any classroom. If you are a digital camera enthusiast that would like to improve your technique in the beautiful mountain environment surrounding Jasper, join Ray Rasmussen and Chris Olsen for a combined classroom and field techniques session during the Sunday pre-conference period. Our session will begin right after lunch with a one-hour review of digital photography basics, and then we'll take to the field for a photographic hike of the world-famous Maligne Canyon and surrounds. We'll travel slowly from the Fifth Bridge to the Teahouse, and in the rich light of the late afternoon, conduct a digital exploration of the flowers, water, rock and light of the canyon. After the hike, we'll download our photos and participants can select the two best shots of the day for digital enhancement. While participants relax in the Teahouse or repair to the conference Registration and Welcoming Activities, the Instructors will do the enhancements. We'll finish the evening with a before-and-after enhancement image show, and a constructive review of our digital results. Limited to a maximum of 20 participants. (register by contacting Lynn at devlinl@acifa.ca)

Sunday Times:
1300-1400: Digital Photography Basics (classroom session)
1400-1900: Maligne Canyon photography hike (field session)
2200-2300: Image review and discussion (hospitalit session)

Equipment:
Participants will need transport (car pooling for about 10 km), sturdy hiking boots, mountain clothing, a daypack, water bottle, digital camera (SLR or Point-and-Shoot), and a tripod (up to 10 tripods will be available for loan - make sure that your camera accepts a standard mount or that you have an adapter). Participants should be familiar with their own cameras.


photo by Ray Rasmussen

Background:
Ray Rasmussen is an award-winning photographer, teacher and environmental advocate. He is a prolific web publisher, and collections of his superb images can be seen at http://raysweb.net/photography/ . Chris Olsen instructs Environmental Sciences at Lakeland College. Contact Chris Olsen (chris.olsen@lakelandcollege.ca) for more information.

Photography Field Trips:
Join Ray Rasmussen and Chris Olsen for short hikes and field trips to explore Jasper's natural beauty and share the digital photography experience. Subject to weather these will be afternoon and early evening sessions to take adantage of optimal light conditions. Departure times and itineraries posted daily for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday sessions. Open to digital camera enthusiasts or nature-lovers of moderate fitness levels. No special skills or equipment required. Hiking boots and a day pack recommended.

Monday May 26

7:30 -8:45 am  Breakfast
Jasper Activity Centre

9:00 – 10:00 am  keynote speaker
Jasper Activity Centre

Keynote Speaker: Brian Thwaits

Brainspeaker Inc.

He's knowledgeable, engaging, provocative. And he's very funny.

Brian Thwaits is a dynamic and immensely entertaining "brain trainer", a learning and communication whiz with a wealth of experience in both the public and private sectors. He first demonstrated his flair for performance as an award-winning educator and is now an acclaimed professional speaker who engages both the hearts and minds of his audiences -- so they leave his presentations with sides splitting from laughter and heads bursting with ideas.

Thwaits has been featured in various media including radio, television, newspaper and magazines and is the author of The Big Learn: Smart Ways to Use Your Brain. Thousands of people from all walks of life have experienced his unique and thought-provoking take on learning, thinking, memory, creativity and communication skills.

Thwaits's sessions cleverly combine the latest information from the disciplines of brain research, learning theory and the communication field to suggest innovative and practical approaches to issues we face in the workplace, in the classroom, and in our personal lives.

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Monday evening

7:30 pm – 10:00 pm  dinner banquet
Jasper Activity Centre

Activities include:

 

Banquet Entertainment:  TBA



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Tuesday morning May 27

7:30 -8:45 am  Breakfast
Jasper Activity Centre

9:00 – 10:00 am  keynote speaker
Jasper Activity Centre

Keynote Speaker: Andrew Nikiforuk


For the last two decades Andrew Nikiforuk has written about energy, economics and the west for a variety of Canadian publications including Walrus, Maclean's, Canadian Business, Report on Business, Chatelaine, Georgia Straight, Equinox and Harrowsmith.

Last year he completed a major series on peak oil for CBC Radio as well as a lengthy investigation on coal bed methane for Report on Business magazine. He currently does an investigative biweekly environmental column for the CBC, and writes a monthly column for Canadian Business on energy issues (Full Disclosure). In his spare time he edits a newsletter for landowners on oil and gas issues in the Canadian West: The Land Advocate.

Nikiforuk's journalism has won seven National Magazine Awards since 1989 and top honors for investigative writing from the Association of Canadian Journalists. His dramatic Alberta-based book, Saboteurs: Wiebo Ludwig's War Against Big Oil, won the Governor General's Award for Non-Fiction in 2002. His latest book, Pandemonium, examines the impact of global trade on disease exchanges and has received widespread national acclaim. He is currently writing a book about the tar sands.

Nikiforuk and his wife and three sons live in Calgary, Alberta. Whether speaking or writing about melting glaciers, educational shams, peak oil, or the destruction of the boreal forest, Nikiforuk has earned a reputation as an honest and provocative voice in Canadian journalism.

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Tuesday afternoon May 27

2:45 – 4:45 pm  ACIFA Annual General Meeting
Skyline room, Lobstick Lodge



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Tuesday evening

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7:00 pm  Barbeque at Jasper Activity Centre


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hospitality suites

On both Monday and Tuesday night there will be an opportunity to visit with your colleagues during the hospitality suites, starting at 10:00 p.m. and located in the Skyline Room at the Lobstick Lodge.

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 reminder!

... about items for the Silent Auction @ the ACIFA 2008 Conference in Jasper, AB, May 25-28.

 

Since 2000, silent auctions have been held at the ACIFA Annual Spring Conference to raise funds for the Alberta Public Post-Secondary Education Trust Fund.  In operation since 1995, the Trust Fund provides funding to provincial award programs and a range of PD activities.

Each year faculty associations, the ACIFA Professional Affairs Committee, and ACIFA members collect and generously donate items to support the silent auction.

The silent auction takes place at the conference hospitality suites on Monday and Tuesday evening. Thank you for your continuing support of the Alberta Public Post-secondary Education Trust Fund.





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Programme – sessions

 

·       All concurrent sessions will take place at the Amethyst Lodge, and are scheduled for Monday morning and afternoon, and Tuesday morning.

·       There are 15-minute transition breaks between each session.

 

  1. Pedagogies of Engagement: a Conversation About Good Teaching
    Jim Parsons; University of Alberta. Lecture (90 min.) - Monday:



    How do post-secondary teachers engage students in learning? What new pedagogies are supported by research? What practical activities can post-secondary teachers use in their classrooms? What walls exist between teachers and learners, and how can a teacher help break down those walls? Finally, what foundational philosophies ground successful post-secondary teaching?


    Jim Parsons is a teacher, a teacher educator, a writer and a researcher. He has been teaching at the University of Alberta for 32 years. During that time he has written more than 60 books - many specifically about teaching. His latest book, Celebrating School Improvement, won the 2007 ATA Research Award, and is the synthesis of six years of extensive research with teachers that highlights how teachers can improve student achievement and organizational improvement.

    This session outlines successful practices for teaching at the post-secondary level. It addresses the five key questions initially outlined. Finally, it gives opportunities for those who attend to talk about their successful practices and to learn from each other. Those who attend and participate will leave with practical ideas that will help them engage their students in learning, help improve their own institutions, and work with other colleagues to build stronger institutions. Topics covered include successful professional development, leadership, site-based research, and organizational culture.

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  2.  Pedagogies of Engagement: a Conversation About Good Teaching
    Jim Parsons; University of Alberta. Lecture (90 min.) - Tuesday (encore presentation):

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  3. Photoshop Basics for Digital Photography
    Ray Rasmussen, Chris Olsen; LC. Workshop (180 min.):

    Description see programme.

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  4. Who Teaches the Teachers
    Trudy Kwong; GMC. Lecture (60 min.):

    Description see programme.

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  5. Nordic Pole Walking Experience - 3 or 5 kilometre walk
    Robert Kansky, Paul Laville; NAIT. Activity (120 min.):

    Description see programme.

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  6. Thirteen Moon on a Turtle's Back - Applique & Edge Beadwork
    Margaret Louise Cardinal; NLC. Activity (120 min.):

    Description see programme.

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  7. Essential Skills + Course Content = Successful Work Ready Learners: Integrating Essential Skills Into the Classroom
    Laurel Madro, Erin Haines; BVC. Workshop (60 min.):

    Description see programme.

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  8. Teaching and Learning for Success
    John Van Leeuwan; SAIT. Lecture (60 min.):

    Description see programme.

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  9. The Impact on Instructors of Changing to a Trimester System
    Jan Grier, Jean Edmonson; BVC. Lecture (60 min.):

    Description see programme.



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  10. Scribblecasting as a Teaching Tool
    Brian Lloyd; MHC. Lecture (60 min.):

    Description see programme.

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  11. The Universal Aspect of Learning: A Context for Zoetic Skills
    Stephan Sikora; MRC. Lecture (with ongoing discussion) (120 min.):

    Description see programme.

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  12. Deconstruction and Reconstruction of Curriculum” - CANCELLED
    Pam Lammiman, Becky Kelly; BVC. Lecture (60 min.):


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  13. Discuss Bridging the Divide - with Judy and George on a Bike Tour of Jasper
    Judy Grattan, George Haeckel; SAIT. Activity (120 min.):

    Description see programme.

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  14. Teaching as the Practice of Wisdom
    Peter Vogels; GMC. Lecture/Activity - Discussion (90 min.):

    Description see programme.

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  15. Information Literacy & the 21st Century Student
    Marion Fowler; KC. Workshop (90 min.):

    Description see programme.



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  16. It's the 21st Century: Do You Know Where Your Program Is?
    Alan Boykiw; SAIT. Lecture (90 min.):

    Description see programme.

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  17. Asia Past and Present - Third World and First World Experiences
    Robin Tizzard, Gwen Wheeler; PC. Workshop (90 min.):

    Description see programme.

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  18. Is the Medium Still the Message?
    Marv Machura; NC. Lecture (60 min.):

    Description see programme.


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  19. The Teacher/Traveler in Retirement
    Judith Dutton; NC. Lecture (90 min.):

    Description see programme.

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  20. Controversies in Science from the New General Education Program
    Gerry Cross; MRC. Lecture (60 min.):

    Description see programme.

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  21. Are Your Students Learning In Spite of Your Lecture? What is the Ultimate Aim of Education?
    Ken McKee; NAIT. Lecture (60 min.):

    Description see programme.

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  22. Horseback Riding Jasper Trails
    Ranch Manager; Pyramid Riding Stables. Activity (120 min.):

    Description see programme.

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  23. Using the Smart Notebook in Classes
    Jeff Hamilton; Lethbridge C. Workshop (120 min.):

    Description see programme.

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  24. Chapter Markers: An Enhancement for Video Podcasts
    Brian Lloyd; MHC. Demonstration (90 min.):

    Description see programme.



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  25. Recent Directions Concerning Your Pension
    Doug Short; NAIT. Lecture (60 min.):

    Description see programme.

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  26. Canoeing with Master Voyagers
    Dave Purkis; NLC and Paul Hawthorn; PC. Activity (180 min.):

    Description see programme.

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  27. Bridging the Divide Between ESL and Academic Courses”-CANCELLED
    Sandy Armstrong; BVC. Lecture (60 min.):


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  28. She Tells Good Stories, eh? A Call to Recognition of Native Literature's Aesthetics
    Brenda Campbell; NLC. Lecture (60 min.):

    Description see programme.

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  29. Samarpan Meditation: Merging the Past and the Future Into the Present
    Kumud Acharya, Kirti Acharya; NLC. Activity (60 min.) - Monday:

    Description see programme.



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  30. Samarpan Meditation: Merging the Past and the Future Into the Present
    Kumud Acharya, Kirti Acharya; NLC. Activity (60 min.) - Tuesday (repeat presentation):

    Description see programme.

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  31. Educating Internationally Educated Nurses
    Margo Sanders, Alexis Young; NC. Lecture (60 min.):

    Description see programme.

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  32. The Wiki Classroom
    Alex Bruton; MRC. Lecture (60 min.):

    Description see programme.

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