Professional Learning Opportunities
AAC Sessions - Open to all educators!
We understand teachers need professional learning opportunities that are:
- based on the emerging issues facing teachers in the current Alberta context,
- accessible at a time when teachers are ready for learning, and
- affordable, hassle-free, and of the highest quality.
New sessions will be posted as they are designed. If you know of a topic that would immediately meet your teaching needs in the assessment area, don’t hesitate to email info@aac.ab.ca
Keep in mind our AAC member jurisdictions have funded most open sessions; therefore, there is a difference in pricing for members and non-members.
Is your school authority is a member? Check the membership list here to find out.
Click on a session title to view more information and to register!
| Dates | Sessions (in chronological order) | Registration |
|---|---|---|
| September 26, 2023 | Unlocking Differentiated Instruction: Strategies, Tools, and Templates for Educators 1 hour | AAC Facilitator: Janice Hagan | Mastering Assessment Essentials Series In this session, educators will explore a wide range of effective strategies that empower educators to differentiate their instruction seamlessly. | pre-registration open |
| September 26, 2023 | Assessment 101 1 hour | AAC Facilitator: Leanne Watson | Beginning Teachers & Classroom Assessment Series Participants will explore how to effectively plan learning and assessment with the end in mind, and they will also learn about the formative assessment cycle and summative assessment principles. | pre-registration open |
| September 28, 2023 | AI in Assessment: Making It Work for Educators 1.5 hours | Guest Facilitator: Kevin DeForge Explore the innovative ways in which AI can be used to support both teachers and students in the areas of formative, summative and differentiated assessment. | pre-registration open |
| September 28, 2023 | Key Elements of a Teacher’s Classroom Assessment Policy 1 hour | AAC Facilitator: Janice Hagan | Fall Assessment Series With guided facilitation, teachers will develop their own classroom assessment policy that will effectively communicate their assessment philosophy, and establish a collaborative and supportive relationship with parents, ultimately fostering a shared commitment to student learning and growth. | pre-registration open |
| October 3, 2023 | Designing An Effective Assessment Process 1 hour | AAC Facilitator: Janice Hagan | Mastering Assessment Essentials Series Are you seeking to strengthen your assessment practices and make them more purposeful and impactful? Join us for a dynamic session where we will explore the essential steps to create an assessment process that aligns with your instructional goals and maximizes student learning. | pre-registration open |
| October 4, 2023 | Unlocking Student Potential: Mastering Differentiated Assessment for Deeper Learner Insights 1 hour | AAC Executive Director: Michele Jones | A SpacesEDU Live Webinar In today’s diverse classrooms, one-size-fits-all assessments fall short of capturing the unique abilities of each student. Learn how to unlock the potential of every learner through tailored assessment strategies that ensure personalized and impactful learning experiences. | registration open |
| October 5, 2023 | The Teaching Quality Standard and Assessment: What teachers are supposed to know, understand, and be able to do, according to the TQS 1 hour | AAC Facilitator: Leanne Watson | Beginning Teachers & Classroom Assessment Series This session will explore the TQS Competency and Indicator related to assessment. Spend the hour learning what competent teachers are expected to know, understand, and do, in terms of classroom assessment. | pre-registration open |
| October 5, 2023 | Wow! I have an EA – now what? Defining roles & responsibilities when it comes to supporting and assessing students. 1.5 hours | Guest Facilitator: Carmen Moore This can be a tricky relationship to navigate…so this presentation will provide practical advice and a framework for a more successful year (for the students and staff alike). We also discuss the roles and responsibilities of assessment for students with full or part-time EA support. | pre-registration open |
| October 10, 2023 | Enriching Student Learning Through the Teacher Feedback Cycle 1.5 hours | AAC Facilitator: Janice Hagan | Fall Assessment Series In this session, educators will leave with practical strategies for implementing actionable feedback that improves student learning and supports teachers in assessing student progress towards learning goals. | pre-registration open |
| October 12, 2023 | Building Better Rubrics – Part A 1 hour | AAC Facilitator: Janice Hagan | Mastering Assessment Essentials Series Join us for Part A of the Building Better Rubrics series, where educators dive into the art of creating impactful rubrics. *Note: This stand-alone session is designed for educators seeking to refine their assessment practices and is part of a comprehensive series on building better rubrics. | pre-registration open |
| October 12, 2023 | Task Analysis: An Integral Approach to Assessment and Beyond – A Research-based Strategy that Supports and Empowers Diverse Learners 2 hours | Guest Facilitator: Carmen Moore This session outlines the importance of systematically breaking down a more complex task into manageable and consumable bits of information or steps in a multi-task assignment. Participants will be guided through backwards chaining, forwards chaining and total task presentation. Learn to summatively and formatively assess each step of the process or at the end of the task in a planned manner. | pre-registration open |
| October 17, 2023 | The Purpose and Effectiveness of Diagnostic, Formative, Interim, and Summative Assessment 1 hour | AAC Facilitator: Janice Hagan | Fall Assessment Series During this session, educators will understand each assessment type’s distinct functions and advantages. | pre-registration open |
| October 17, 2023 | Differentiation, Where Do I Start? – A Beginning Teachers’ Session 1 hour | AAC Facilitator: Leanne Watson | Beginning Teachers & Classroom Assessment Series In this introductory session, teachers will investigate the concepts of differentiated instruction and assessment, which involves modifying four key elements. The framework, originally developed by Carol A. Tomlison, will be explored, along with practical strategies, tools, and templates shared by the facilitator to help make differentiation planning more manageable for educators. | pre-registration open |
| October 19, 2023 | Building Better Rubrics – Part B 1 hour | AAC Facilitator: Janice Hagan | Mastering Assessment Essentials Series Join us for Part B of the Building Better Rubrics series, where you’ll follow a systematic approach to creating effective rubrics that enhance your student assessment practice. *Note: This stand-alone session is designed for educators seeking to refine their assessment practices and is part of a comprehensive series on building better rubrics. | pre-registration open |
| October 19, 2023 | Unlocking Social Narratives: Empowering Students with Social Stories and Power Cards for Enhanced Formative Assessment and More – A Research-Based Strategy that Supports and Empowers Diverse Learners 2 hours | Guest Facilitator: Carmen Moore Both social stories and power cards have individual benefits and can support a student when looking to understand a social situation or approach a new situation (and more). In terms of assessment, this can be a powerful tool to use within your formative assessment practices to move your students’ understanding forward. | pre-registration open |
| October 24, 2023 | Assessment Leaders: Designing an Assessment Policy to Support the Communication and Reporting of Student Learning 1 hour | AAC Facilitator: Janice Hagan | Fall Assessment Series A well-written assessment policy can foster effective communication and reporting of student achievement between teachers, students and parents. In this session, assessment leaders will explore the essential elements to consider when developing an assessment policy. | pre-registration open |
| October 26, 2023 | The Connection Between Performance Verbs and Assessment Methods 1.5 hours | AAC Facilitator: Janice Hagan | Supporting New Curriculum Series Join us in this professional development session as we unpack the meaning of performance verbs in Alberta student outcomes, through the lens of assessment. | pre-registration open |
| October 26, 2023 | Self-Management: Fostering Independence, Self-Assessment, and Success – A Research-Based Strategy that Supports and Empowers Diverse Learners 2 hours | Guest Facilitator: Carmen Moore Self-management is a very important piece of a learners’ move toward greater independence, awareness of success and a key aspect of being able to monitor their own participation in knowing and meeting their goals. We can systematically develop both internal and external assessment tools for students to use to gauge their own progress as well as regulation as a learner. This ends up building esteem in the learner while making the workload ultimately less for the teacher/EA. | pre-registration open |
| November 2, 2023 | Creating Credible Criteria: 4 Steps for Success (New Curriculum Examples!) 1.5 hours | AAC Facilitator: Janice Hagan | Supporting New Curriculum Series In this session, an AAC facilitator will demonstrate the process for developing success criteria for new curricular learning outcomes. | pre-registration open |
| November 2, 2023 | Harnessing the Power of Scripting for Effective Formative Assessment and More – A Research-Based Strategy that Supports and Empowers Diverse Learners 2 hours | Guest Facilitator: Carmen Moore This strategy is sometimes overlooked when planning to support a learner, especially one with autism, as it can be a natural strength for the students with autism (if verbal). This can help to build academic as well as social skills. Scripting can be a powerful assessment tool during the formative assessment process. | pre-registration open |
| November 7, 2023 | Introduction to Blueprinting Assessments: Assessing What Matters 1.5 hours | AAC Facilitator: Janice Hagan | Mastering Assessment Essentials Series Why should we consider blueprinting assessments? What exactly is a blueprint? What is the process for blueprinting? Join us to find the answers to these questions and more. | pre-registration open |
| November 9, 2023 | Triangulation of Data: What? So What? Now What? 1 hour | AAC Facilitator: Janice Hagan | Fall Assessment Series This session is designed for educators who are interested in gaining a deeper understanding of triangulating assessment data to inform their instructional practices and professional judgement. | pre-registration open |
| November 9, 2023 | Mastering Mindful Prompting for Successful Formative Assessment and More – A Research-Based Strategy that Supports and Empowers Diverse Learners 2 hours | Guest Facilitator: Carmen Moore Proper implementation of prompting can be key in the overall trajectory of a learner’s experience. Research shows we need to be more aware of the level of prompting. We will show how the level of prompting directly corresponds to your formative and summative assessment plans as student achievement will help determine prompting levels. This one element alone can be the difference between moving forward and stagnation in learning. | pre-registration open |
| November 21, 2023 | Mastering the Art of Asking Effective Questions in the Classroom 1 hour | AAC Facilitator: Janice Hagan | Mastering Assessment Essentials Series Effective questioning is a fundamental skill for teachers seeking to engage students and facilitate deeper learning. In this session, we will explore the art of asking powerful questions that promote critical thinking, curiosity, and creativity in the classroom. | pre-registration open |
| November 23, 2023 | Music Mediation: Infusing Joy and Success into Lessons and Assessments – A Research-Based Strategy that Supports and Empowers Diverse Learners 2 hours | Guest Facilitator: Carmen Moore This strategy can be used to increase learner communication, socialization, play, motor and adaptive skills while reducing interfering behaviours. Music can also be a creative way to assess students which can help to access other areas of the brain and help to reduce some test anxiety. This session will present basic knowledge as well as activity-based ideas that can be easily and practically implemented in a classroom. | pre-registration open |
| November 28, 2023 | An Introduction to the 25% Rule for Classroom Assessment 1 hour | AAC Facilitator: Leanne Watson | Beginning Teachers & Classroom Assessment Series Start planning your assessment process by honouring the 25% rule for classroom assessment. Learning and implementing this rule now at the beginning of your career will save you hours of time spent on ineffective assessment practices. | pre-registration open |
| November 28, 2023 | The Assessment Journey: A Metaphor for Assessing Student Learning 1.5 hours | AAC Facilitator: Janice Hagan | Supporting New Curriculum Series This new curriculum session provides examples of what assessing curricular outcomes through the lens of conceptual understanding can look like in Alberta classrooms. | pre-registration open |
| November 30, 2023 | Using the Power of Modeling: Supporting Learners and Enhancing Formative Assessment – A Research-Based Strategy that Supports and Empowers Diverse Learners 2 hours | Guest Facilitator: Carmen Moore Modeling has direct and indirect components that, when done with intention, can make the difference between success and frustration to a learner, especially in a new situation or when presented with a new skill. Modeling can be an important part of a teacher’s formative assessment practice to help with planning and timelines. | pre-registration open |
| December 5, 2023 | Formative Assessment Strategies and Tips 1 hour | AAC Facilitator: Leanne Watson | Beginning Teachers & Classroom Assessment Series In this fast paced session, we will share 60 formative assessment strategies and tips for in-person and virtual classroom learning environments. | pre-registration open |
| December 7, 2023 | Antecedent-based Interventions: Setting the Stage for Success – A Research-Based Strategy that Supports and Empowers Diverse Learners 2 hours | Guest Facilitator: Carmen Moore This strategy can be the most powerful of all as it requires one to think proactively versus reactively when planning a learner’s day or schedule. There are many elements that can be put into place to ensure the learner is successful/regulated/engaged in an activity. Shelly outlines six research-based strategies to implement before an issue occurs and highlights the role of assessment in each one. | pre-registration open |
| December 14, 2023 | Maximizing Exercise for Regulation, Self-Assessment, and Success Beyond the Gym – A Research-Based Strategy that Supports and Empowers Diverse Learners 2 hours | Guest Facilitator: Carmen Moore Exercise has proven benefits for all learners – including the adults participating in the sessions. We examine the effects of exercise on the brain and the step-by-step details on how to successfully implement an exercise program for a learner as well as examples of this strategy’s powerful impact to date when employed at a school. | pre-registration open |