On my quest for more knowledge about History teaching I attended the "Connecting Globally" 2011 Conference in Edmonton, sponsored by the Social Studies boards of Alberta. Being with so many wonderful teachers and presenters was an amazing idea gathering opportunity. My "To Do" list is huge!
 
My first session was conducted by Elizabeth Fargey titled, "Seeing is Believing". Her focus was incorporating visuals/primary documents into history teaching. It was a perfect fit with the Historical Thinking Concepts since "Evidence" is one of the 6 categories, as well as an important tool to use since students these days are very visually orientated. I was also introduced to the www.learnalberta.ca web site which is filled with great ideas and resources that are applicable with any Social Studies topics. 

The sharing of ideas and lesson plans was also a highlight of the weekend for me. "Two heads are better than one" certainly applies. With so many Social Studies teachers in one place it was incredible how I was inspired to incorporate new practices in my classroom or see topics/issues in a new way. From getting students to think like historians to encouraging inquiry-based learning and creative "play", I have come away from the weekend with a bevy of topics I want to study.
 
Another highlight was the keynote speaker, Dr. Samantha Nutt. A woman who has worked to help children in war torn countries through the organization War Child. Her challenge to teachers was that "through education we will overcome inequality and build a more just and peaceful world". Her talk was encouraging, inspiring and practical; she epitomizes the true purpose of Social Studies, learning about the world and taking action.  

Being at this conference was well worth the trip. Now I'm off to Calgary to visit a number of teachers in their classrooms and see it all in action.