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Teacher's Comments at PDAC Convention 2010
Mining Matters Conference at PDAC -
Sunday, March 7th, 2010
Sally Warburton - grade 4/5 French immersion
teacher
Toronto District School Board
 This was the first time I’d attended the Mining
Matters Workshop offered to teachers and I was
very, very glad that I had signed up, so I’d
like to share my thoughts with you.
Being able to visit the PDAC Trade Show and meet
people from all over the world was wonderful.
Learning about mines located in Canada and
throughout the world and the types of mining
done there was fascinating. The whole mining
industry was represented there - the machinery,
airplane companies, the investors, the
geologists, map makers, ecologists - which for
me, as a teacher, introduced me to the many
future job opportunities available to my
students. I gathered many resources for use in
my class with my students.
The lunch time with the Mining Matters group
allowed the teachers to share what they’d seen
and learned while visiting the Trade Show.
The Keynote Speaker, Eira Thomas, Executive
Chairman, Stornoway Diamonds Corp. was
excellent. I learned so much from her talk about
the Diamond mining industry in Canada, the way
mines are constructed in consideration to the
environment, the many career opportunities for
our young students and a general excitement and
enthusiasm about the mining industry. You
couldn’t have selected a better speaker to
communicate this message to teachers. I feel
honoured to have been present when she was
speaking.
The afternoon workshop “Deeper and Deeper” for
Junior teachers was very informative. We did
hands-on activities based on the Rocks and
Minerals kit we received for our classrooms. We
investigated the importance of rocks, minerals
and mining in our daily lives and explored the
costs and benefits of using natural resources.
It was a very beneficial day for me as a grade 4
classroom teacher who teaches the Rocks &
Minerals science topic. My father is a geologist
and I was the little 2- year old who when
playing in the garden said “Daddy, I’ve found
gold!” and I actually had... he discovered it
was one of his samples! So even a geologist’s
daughter learned lots! My elderly father now has
a “Geologists Rock” sticker on his door!
TThank you very much for this wonderful
professional development opportunity.
Sally Warburton
sally.warburton@tel.tdsb.on.ca/a> |
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“Thanks very much for everything at the
conference I truly enjoyed myself. Next year I
will bring another teacher along. Keep up the
excellent work.”
Emanuel
“I just want to say that March 7th was great!
The guest speaker - Ms. Thomas was exceptional -
good role model.
Stella Heenan was great - demo of activities and
the resources. I needed two days on the display
floor.”
Marlene
“I just wanted to thank you again for a
wonderful day yesterday. The conference was
excellent - efficiently run, well organized,
professional and so much more useful than many
other more expensive workshops I have attended.
I feel so much more prepared to teach this unit
to my students. As well, I feel much better
versed in the future professions that the mining
industry has to offer. Thanks again and all the
best.”
Doris |
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Mining Matters is a charitable organization supported
by government, foundation grants and
donations from corporations and individuals.
Registration Number: 88775 6435
RR0001.
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