Getting beyond places and names, and integrating cultural geography more effectively into your social studies, world studies, or geography program In particular, this workshop will present ideas and strategies for merging history, geography, and broad multi-cultural concerns into a balanced, three-dimensional package, presented mostly through cooperative learning activities in which students, working in small groups, teach and learn from each other. Note that this workshop describes, and provides a selection of material from, the "Mapping The World By Heart" curriculum, there is a sampling of exercises, and a thorough description of methodology. May include video, classroom exercises, and handouts.

Science World will present this highly informative parent workshop on the dynamics of organizing a Family Science Night within the home. The workshop will include demos for parents including tables filled with activities to taste and try!

Workshop Room A Language Arts: An Exciting Way to Meet Elementary Learning Outcomes

Join Geneva for an exciting look at how you can bring the elements of a novel study to life through the virtual classroom! From novels such as Charlie & the Chocolate Factory to Artemis Fowl, Geneva creates an environment where students share their love of reading with one another.

Workshop Room B Train the Brain for Improved Learning

Presenter Lisa Pearson, Accomplished Learning Centre

Lisa Pearson of Accomplished Learning Centre has helped hundreds of children and adults overcome their learning difficulties. She will discuss recent brain research into learning disabilities, ADD, and reading disabilities, and new and innovative solutions. Participants will learn several methods for training cognitive abilities and will receive a memory training game.

1:00 – 2:00

Workshop Room A Excellence in Writing Workshop

Presenter Bev Rempel, Excellent Resources

Bev Rempel has led Excellence in Writing seminars and workshops across Canada for the past seven years. Teachers, parents and students attending these engaging and practical seminars have been motivated and encouraged to practice the "art of writing".

1:00 – 2:00

Workshop Room B Reach for the Sky! Homelearning for the Gifted

Presenter Raven Sundahl, EBUS Academy

Empower your gifted children to learn the way they want to learn with a personalized experience. See how flexible and portable activities can be to suit your gifted children’s learning needs. Parents will have the opportunity to speak with an educator who values home learning and has experience with gifted and gifted/learning disabled children.

Parents are invited to learn about the latest research in “other” language learning and how to put those findings into practice in fun and easy ways in the home learning setting. Topics will include culture, resources and activities.

This multi-sensorial workshop is being given by Jill Whitehouse the author of Teaching Parents How to Teach. The workshop will include an explanation of multi-sensorial learning, what is it? Look at the importance of supporting our children’s learning in the early years. Look at fine & gross motor skills, developing hand & eye co-ordination and concentration. Look at language arts from word building through to reading and understanding grammar. Look at math from early numeracy through to understanding multiplication, division, and advanced exercises. You will leave the workshop with 5 things you can start doing straight away.

Want a free word processing program? How about a free program to build web pages, or make crossword puzzles, or create flash cards or print work
sheets or do a thousand and one other education related tasks. There exist free or inexpensive programs that will enrich and enhance your home
school program and this session will show you where they are, how to get them and what they can do for you.

John Goldsmith has been involved with technology and education for almost 30 years; first in classroom teacher, then as a teacher-librarian and for
last 12 years as an online educator. He has taken part in most of the major online education initiates in BC including the Southern Interior Telecommunications Project, The Small Schools Telecommunication Project and NewDirections in Distance Learning. In addition, John has taught technology and Internet related courses for UCFV and has presented at most major technology conferences. He looks forward to sharing his knowledge of and passion for the Internet and technology with you.

Does y=mx+b look Greek to you? Does helping your child with his fractions send you into a frenzy? Have you forgotten the math you did in school? Or do you not understand the math your child is doing in school?

We can help! To provide an extra boost of confidence, Sylvan Learning offers a refresher workshop entitled “Forgotten Math” for parents, grandparents and other members of the extended family wishing to restore their math skills in order to help their children learn.

This interactive, 60-minute seminar is designed to help parents and family members gain confidence in assisting their children with their math work by reviewing many of the key math concepts that are introduced in 6th, 7th and 8th grade. Parents are able to choose the math area they need to review in order to make math time more manageable for the whole family. Whether it is learning about exponents, linear equations or fractions, there will be a pre-algebra or algebra station to fit your family’s needs. Additionally, each participant will be given a skill summary sheet for use at home, as well as tips detailing where to find educational resources to help your child conquer his or her math homework. The workshop will also feature a Q&A session and raffles with prizes.

Bonnie is the centre director for Abbotsford Sylvan Learning Centre. She is a certified teacher, having worked with over one thousand students during her 15 years with Sylvan Learning Centre.

Kim will deliver a 30 minute parent presentation including the library’s history, locations and hours. She will review types of materials available in their print and audiovisual collections. Library services offered will also be shared, as well as some of their online databases, especially those that will be relevant to homeschooling families. Time will be available for a question and answer period.