The PD Exchange

Novel Ideas: ELAC Conference 2026

23 April 2026 – 25 April 2026Banff Park Lodge, Banff, ABEnglish Language Arts Council of Alberta

Novel Ideas conference for English language arts educators with breakout sessions and keynotes across multiple divisions.

Sessions (40)

BREAKOUT SESSIONKEYNOTEMEAL

Early Arrival Registration and Welcome

Fri, 24 Apr · 12:30 am
Session

Bridging Disciplines: A Scientific Approach to Literary Analysis

Fri, 24 Apr · 6:15 pmBREAKOUT SESSION
MathematicsSTEM
Session

Critical Essay to Research Paper

Fri, 24 Apr · 6:15 pmBREAKOUT SESSION
Session

From ABCs to Essays: What K–10 Teaching Has Taught Me

Fri, 24 Apr · 6:15 pmBREAKOUT SESSION
Early ChildhoodCurriculum
Session

From American Idiot to Independent Inquiry — Teaching Concept Albums as Literature

Fri, 24 Apr · 6:15 pmBREAKOUT SESSION
LiteracyArts
Session

Since Feeling is First

Fri, 24 Apr · 6:15 pmBREAKOUT SESSION
Curriculum
Session

Wild Words: Sparking Creative Writing Outdoors

Fri, 24 Apr · 6:15 pmBREAKOUT SESSION
WritingEAL/DEarly Childhood
Session

Engaged, Not Enraged: Teaching Reading & Writing in High-Behaviour, Low-Literacy Classrooms

Fri, 24 Apr · 7:45 pmBREAKOUT SESSION
PhonicsLiteracyWriting
Session

Leaderless Discussion: How to get your students talking

Fri, 24 Apr · 7:45 pmBREAKOUT SESSION
Session

Lifting Literacy:A Framework for planning engaging adolescent literacy units

Fri, 24 Apr · 7:45 pmBREAKOUT SESSION
LiteracyWritingEdTech
Session

Nature as Teacher: Bringing Place, Plants, and Symbolism into ELA

Fri, 24 Apr · 7:45 pmBREAKOUT SESSION
WritingEquity
Session

Transformational Storytelling: Helping Students Find Their Voice Through Purpose-Driven Writing

Fri, 24 Apr · 7:45 pmBREAKOUT SESSION
WritingEAL/DLeadership
Session

When Words Take Shape: Drawing as a Doorway to Reading

Fri, 24 Apr · 7:45 pmBREAKOUT SESSION
PhonicsScience of ReadingLiteracy
Session

Discoveries and Provocations from the Inclusive and Diverse Literature Roundtables

Fri, 24 Apr · 9:15 pmBREAKOUT SESSION
Writing
Session

John Warner Breakout Session (Title TBA)

Fri, 24 Apr · 9:15 pmBREAKOUT SESSION
Session

Literacy Intervention for Adolescents

Fri, 24 Apr · 9:15 pmBREAKOUT SESSION
PhonicsLiteracyEAL/D
Session

Strugglers to Superstars - Empowering Every Learner

Fri, 24 Apr · 9:15 pmBREAKOUT SESSION
WritingEAL/D
Session

Teach Writer's Craft Instead of Grammar and Conventions and Watch Your Students Writing Improve

Fri, 24 Apr · 9:15 pmBREAKOUT SESSION
Writing
Session

The Logic of Language: Unlocking Morphology for K-6 Students

Fri, 24 Apr · 9:15 pmBREAKOUT SESSION
PhonicsEAL/DSTEM
Session

Snack Break

Fri, 24 Apr · 10:30 pmMEAL
Session

Keynote Address - John Warner

Fri, 24 Apr · 10:45 pmKEYNOTE
WritingEdTech
Keynote

Confident Criticism: Literary Philosophy, Student Choice, and Diverse Perspectives

Sat, 25 Apr · 3:15 pmBREAKOUT SESSION
EAL/D
Session

Facing the Tough Stuff: Rethinking Discussion, Power, and Voice in ELA Classrooms

Sat, 25 Apr · 3:15 pmBREAKOUT SESSION
EAL/D
Session

How Novelty May Move: New Approaches to Exploring Shakespeare in the Classroom

Sat, 25 Apr · 3:15 pmBREAKOUT SESSION
Curriculum
Session

Literacy Success Foundations: Supporting Students in Grades 4 and Up

Sat, 25 Apr · 3:15 pmBREAKOUT SESSION
PhonicsLiteracyEdTech
Session

St. Mary’s Primary Session

Sat, 25 Apr · 3:15 pmBREAKOUT SESSION
Session

Where Can I Publish That? Preparing a Manuscript for the English Language Arts Journal

Sat, 25 Apr · 3:15 pmBREAKOUT SESSION
WritingEAL/DEarly Childhood
Session

Independent Reading: Why and How?

Sat, 25 Apr · 4:45 pmBREAKOUT SESSION
Session

Lit Lit: Fresh Books Students Want to Read

Sat, 25 Apr · 4:45 pmBREAKOUT SESSION
Writing
Session

Shaking it Up: “Actively” Engaging with Shakespeare’s Texts

Sat, 25 Apr · 4:45 pmBREAKOUT SESSION
Arts
Session

St. Mary’s Secondary Session

Sat, 25 Apr · 4:45 pmBREAKOUT SESSION
Session

Unlocking Texts: Practical Strategies to Empower Striving Readers for Deep Comprehension

Sat, 25 Apr · 4:45 pmBREAKOUT SESSION
PhonicsEdTech
Session

Keynote Address: Richard Van Camp

Sat, 25 Apr · 7:00 pmKEYNOTE
EAL/DEquity
Keynote

Building Better Units: An English Teacher’s Toolkit

Sat, 25 Apr · 8:15 pmBREAKOUT SESSION
Assessment
Session

Homegrown Resources: How to Bring Local Books and Publishers into your Classroom

Sat, 25 Apr · 8:15 pmBREAKOUT SESSION
EAL/DCurriculum
Session

Passionate Paradox: Harmonizing the head and the heart in Humanities

Sat, 25 Apr · 8:15 pmBREAKOUT SESSION
Humanities
Session

Pop Goes the Canon: Teaching the Classics Through Pop Culture

Sat, 25 Apr · 8:15 pmBREAKOUT SESSION
Arts
Session

Richard Van Camp

Sat, 25 Apr · 8:15 pmBREAKOUT SESSION
Session

Sparking a Love for Poetry in the Secondary ELA Classroom

Sat, 25 Apr · 8:15 pmBREAKOUT SESSION
Session

Thank You

Sat, 25 Apr · 9:30 pm
Session