Boo-yaa BU! We Nailed It!

Well, I hope everyone has their calendars marked off for February 22-25, 2012.  If you don't, I'm assuming it's because you forgot.  Get a pen, and write it in, because we are going to CALGARY!  WHOOP WHOOP!

In case you're lost, my whooping is in reference to WestCAST, this brilliant teaching conference that gets juggled between various Western Canadian universities every year.  I am so grateful that Brandon University happened to be hosting my first year of Education.  This was beneficial to me in two ways:  It actually got me to go to the conference, and it has absolutely motivated me to go next year.

I thought Brandon did a terrific job of hosting WestCast.  Now, I may be slightly biased, considering I have never been to another WestCast, and the fact that I think BU is the greatest university in Canada (except for Simon Fraser University, because it is located in Vancouver, and Vancouver is the greatest city in the world.  They also have a giant statue of Terry Fox on their campus, and they are constantly undervalued compared to UBC.  I root for the underdog).

Which brings me to my next thought.  Why can't WestCAST be held in Vancouver next year?!  Sigh.  Who actually wants to go to Calgary?  They may have Jarome Iginla, but the Flames have nothing on the Canucks.  And Banff doesn't even begin to compare to Whistler/Blackcomb.  The only thing they are really known for is their stampede, but that's only for such a short time in the summer.  NOT HELPFUL in February.  And what's with these Calgarians trying to bribe us with their IKEA?  IKEA can be found pretty much anywhere that isn't Manitoba or Saskatchewan (or Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia or PEI, but everywhere else).  Apparently Calgary has a pretty rockin zoo, so I guess I'll just have to spend my free time hanging with the elephants.

Vancouver, however, is a completely different story.  It is the most beautiful city in Canada, if not the world.  The Vancouver Canucks are pretty much the greatest NHL team EVER (mostly because Roberto Luongo is the coolest goalie in the history of the game).  There are mountains and oceans and beaches and a temperate climate.  Vancouver has fantastic restaurants, the neatest shops, beautiful parks and the best transit system in Canada.  Although that last statement doesn't really mean anything.  Have you ever tried to take the bus anywhere in Brandon?  Yah, I know.  I got frostbite before it came too.  I could go on and on singing the praises of the glorious settlement of Vancouver, but I don't want to give Calgary too big of a complex.  Besides, if it was held in Vancouver, the whole purpose of the conference would be defeated, because no one would be going to the sessions (we would be skiing in Whistler and stuffing ourselves with Starbucks).

For me, the highlight of the Conference was being given the opportunity to present.  It certainly was not my most brilliant performance, as I was super nervous and certainly no expert on my topic; but it was an awesome experience to be able to prepare and present an issue that is such a personal passion for me.  My beloved friend Marlene was able to help with our session, and this was a very special experience for both of us.  I learned a lot, and hope that I will be able to do this again in the future.  (Yes, I do realize that I am going to school in preparation for a lifetime of presenting to my darling students, but it's a whole different experience speaking in front of colleagues and other professionals).

I found that all of the sessions I attended were wonderful; my only complaint is that I wish I had been able to go to more!  I understand that there really was no other way to arrange all of the sessions, (unless WestCAST went on for a month or two), but it was so hard to choose!  And, because life is like that, it always seemed that there would be one time slot when I was interested in three or four presentations, and the next slot had nothing that tickled my fancy.  I went to a brilliant session on incorporating deaf students into the classroom.  The presenter was awesome, although he was unfortunately cut short because we were behind schedule, and then he was unable to access his presentation because our technology was malfunctioning.(Welcome to Brandon University!  We have nasty weather, no concept of time management, and we're all technologically handicapped!)  Oh well.  He was just a UBC student.... 
My favourite session focused on bringing music to children who present with special needs.  What a heartwarming, engaging and inspiring 50 minutes!  Dr. Sheila Scott of Brandon University is certainly an inspiration for teachers everywhere.  The work she is doing is incredible.  I aspire to be an innovative and passionate teacher like her.
Probably the most relevant and useful session for my life was the panel discussion.  This was such a great idea!  I know that everyone who attended found it very useful.  It is so important to talk to other teachers in the field and get their perspectives.

I enjoyed the keynote speakers immensely.  Ian Ross has such a likeable personality, and a subtle approach to humour.  I found that by the end of his address, I was disappointed that it was over (even though he had already spoken for far longer than he was supposed to).  Hannah Taylor is an absolute sweetheart.  She is lucky to have parents that support what she believes in.  It seems hard to believe that a 15-year old has actually done so many amazing things.  What an incredible role model!  I am very interested in the Ladybug Foundation Education Program.  This is certainly a resource I would like to make a part of my future classroom.

What would WestCAST have been without the social events?  Rather dull and overly-informative, I think.  My compliments to the social planning team... WELL DONE!  My favourite part was that every social event involved lots of food.  Wherever there is food, you will find me, because I adore eating.  The wine and cheese event was excellent.  I had a lot of fun playing the game, even though I think it was rigged because I had like 30 tickets in there and I didn't get drawn.  (Thanks a lot Sandy!)  While I would recommend the Roadhouse changes their dinner title to "Bud, Spud and Chicken...not steak, because we serve nasty, uncooked cuts of meat", the rest of the supper was delicious and the evening was a good time.  I have always thought that being a magician would be a pretty rockin' career.  I must confess I was initially disappointed when I found out that the "Cracker Barrel Social" was simply a reference to conversing in the general stores in the olden days over a cracker barrel, and not to my favourite brand of cheese.  I was pretty certain we had convinced Kraft to be a sponsor for our event, and that Friday would be devoted to cheese sampling.  However, all was forgiven when I discovered a tub of sour keys available for my devouring!  (I was on a sugar high for the rest of the weekend).  While my team didn't win the game (we should have), it was still lots of fun to play, and it was an important reminder of how to be a good sport (the winning team totally cheated, and our buzzer was rigged to just put in random wrong answers, I know it).

Thanks to everyone who was instrumental in putting together WestCAST 2011!  I feel sorry for those who were either unable to attend, or just chose not to.  They really missed out.  I have been bragging to all of my non-education people about what a fabulous conference our university put on, and how I feel very privileged to have attended.  I hope that this is a tradition which is carried on for many more years.

Good luck in 2012 Calgary.  You have a lot to live up to.