2026 Utah Rural Schools Conference

2026 Utah Rural Schools Conference

Welcome to URSA 2026 at Southern Utah University! All sessions will be in buildings on the upper campus (east end). Here’s the Campus Map (PDF) if needed.

WiFi: eduroam or SUU-Conference, password "summertimefun"

PLAN AHEAD - Tentative Future Conference Dates
July 7-9, 2027 - Price, UT
July 17-19, 2028 - Richfield, UT

11:00am MDT

Conference Credit Online Form Conference Registration and Badge Pick-Up AU - Auditorium Foyer Presenter's Lounge & Workspace CC Rondthaller Room - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Rondthaller Room (200 Level) Conference WiFi and Tech Support Information ED Level 2 Foyer, East - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Level 2 Foyer

12:00pm MDT

Conference Welcome, NUES & CUES URSA Award, Friend to Education Award AU - Auditorium

12:10pm MDT

Beyond Self Care: Leading Systemic Approach to Well-Being for Educators AU - AuditoriumGail Markin

1:30pm MDT

Are We on the Same Page? Unpacking Reading on Grade Level CC Charles Hunter - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Charles Hunter Room (100 Level)Brooke Anderson Digital Citizenship and Safety: Preparing Students for a Digital World CC Red Hills Room - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Red Hills Room (200 Level)Nicole Cherrington Craft Your Digital Teaching Assistant: Building Custom AI Assistants with Google Gemini Gems ED 202 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 202Rob Bentley Putting Google AI to Work: A Practical Guide to Prompt Engineering and Productivity with Gemini - USBE + Google Sponsored Session ED 104 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 104Chris McCaffrey AI, Bloom, and the Cognitive Gap in Educational Technology CC Whiting Room - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Whiting Room Room (200 Level)Valarie O'Bryan SchoolAI: Using Ai in the Classroom CC Vermillion Cliffs - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Vermillion Cliffs Room (100 Level)Jeff Couch Creating a Connected Classroom: Strategies to decrease behaviors and increase academics. ED 102 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 102Amie Huggins Gail Markin Breakout Session AU - AuditoriumGail Markin From Policy to Practice: Navigating Utah’s 2026 Early Literacy Changes CC Shooting Star - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Shooting Star Room (100 Level)Piper Riddle • Jennifer Throndsen Why PD Sucks (and Why Personalization is the Cure) SC 128 - Science Center, Room 128Kayla Towner • Dani Sloan The Dignity Index: How to disagree without being disagreeable ED 204 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 204Stephan Seabury Teacher Leaders as the Engine of School Improvement: From Strategy to Practice SC 127 - Science Center, Room 127Cori Groth • Shalon Jones-Miller • Kody Colvin • Sarah Jarnagin Carrots over Sticks: Transforming School Culture Through Positive Incentives GC 109 - General Classroom Building, Room 109Nathan Blackner Building Science Thinkers Through Literacy and Data Analysis Strategies CC Sage Valley - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Sage Valley Room (100 Level)Jennifer Mackay The Power of Tier 1: Planning and Delivering Explicit Instruction SC 129 - Science Center, Room 129Jenny Blauer Rising Above Low Expectation: How to Scaffold Learning for Students ED 215 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 215Laureen Graves • Heather Kennedy Learner-Centered Design: Evidence, Iteration, and Impact SC 122 - Science Center, Room 122Nathan Auck Build the Ramp: AI Tools for Differentiation, Engagement, and Reporting in Rural Middle Level Classrooms GC 106 - General Classroom Building, Room 106Steve Capone • Jr Coaching Learning Intentions and Success Criteria as Formative Assessment Opportunities BC 103 - Braithwaite Liberal Arts Center, Room 103Stephanie Davis Fractions and Art: Beyond the Pizza GC 306 - General Classroom Building, Room 306Alisa Petersen • Zoë Petersen Sing It. Draw It. Learn It! GC 201 - General Classroom Building, Room 201Liz Brown • Kim Montano

2:30pm MDT

Refreshment Break CC Great Hall - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Great Hall (200 Level)

2:50pm MDT

Using the Early Math Assessment Data SC 122 - Science Center, Room 122Jared Wright • Teresa McEntire Want to make a Canvas Quiz in three minutes? You can. CC Yankee Meadows - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Yankee Meadows Room (100 Level)Steve Weller Your New AI Teacher's Aide from Google: Fast-Track Your Prep with NotebookLM - USBE + Google Sponsored Session ED 104 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 104Chris McCaffrey From Generic to Gem: Building Your First Gemini Gems ED 202 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 202Emma Moss Data Privacy Basics Live! CC Sage Valley - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Sage Valley Room (100 Level)Nicole Sanchez Teacher Reflection and Instruction Data Made Easy With AI CC Whiting Room - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Whiting Room Room (200 Level)Lance Hatch • Yaerli Anderson From Chaos to College-Ready: Streamlining MS and HS Research with Scrible CC Red Hills Room - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Red Hills Room (200 Level)DawnRae Smith • Shilpa Duvoor • Tiffany Swindlehurst Human Rights and the American Experience: Local and Global Legacies of the Declaration of Independence in its 250th Anniversary Year CC Vermillion Cliffs - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Vermillion Cliffs Room (100 Level)Jefferson Shupe Group Contingencies and the Good Behavior Game for Classroom Management CC Charles Hunter - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Charles Hunter Room (100 Level)Rhea Palkhiwala • Dr. Audrey N. Hoffmann “This Class is Therapy” Gamification, Learning, and Mental Health SC 129 - Science Center, Room 129David J. Rodríguez Sanfiorenzo Bridging the Gap: Addressing Teacher Recruitment and Retention in Rural Utah Schools SC 128 - Science Center, Room 128Celina Poppe Increasing Student Attendance ED 203 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 203Megan Menlove What Worked When It Mattered? Pandemic Recovery Success in Utah ED 102 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 102Andrea Rorrer • Kody Colvin Rediscovering True Education: Classroom Practices That Actually Work GC 109 - General Classroom Building, Room 109Kenneth Applegate An Educational Expedition: Rediscovering Educator Joy ED 215 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 215Laureen Graves • Heather Kennedy Mobilizing Rural Partnerships: Building Coalitions for Student Success SC 127 - Science Center, Room 127Lisa Wisham • James Jordan The Teacher Brain Budget Hack CC Shooting Star - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Shooting Star Room (100 Level)Mary Saylor A Brief Introduction to Trust-Based Relational Interventions (TBRI) ED 204 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 204Lauren Ezzell

4:00pm MDT

Evening Activities Cedar City, Utah

8:00am MDT

Conference Registration and Badge Pick-Up AU - Auditorium Foyer Presenter's Lounge & Workspace CC Rondthaller Room - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Rondthaller Room (200 Level) Conference WiFi and Tech Support Information ED Level 2 Foyer, East - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Level 2 Foyer

8:30am MDT

Becoming Better Grownups: Rediscovering What Matters and Remembering to Fly AU - AuditoriumBrad Montague

9:45am MDT

20 in 20: Rapid-Fire Strategies for Classroom Engagement ED 215 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 215Emma Moss A Kickstart with Gemini: Demystifying the Tech - USBE + Google Sponsored Session ED 104 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 104Chris McCaffrey Canva Reimagined: Unlock the Magic ED 102 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 102Kayla Towner Making Sheets Work For You ED 203 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 203Stacey King Beyond the Brain Games: Mastering the Next Frontier of Utah Students' Career Readiness CC Red Hills Room - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Red Hills Room (200 Level)Paul Ashby Doing More With Less: Using Technology to Strengthen Instruction in Rural Schools CC Vermillion Cliffs - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Vermillion Cliffs Room (100 Level)Eric Price Brad Montague Breakout Session AU - AuditoriumBrad Montague School Leadership Theory vs. Practice: Doing what should be done while doing what has to be done SC 127 - Science Center, Room 127Quinn Kellis Why Some PLCs Pop and Other Don't: Small Shifts That Lead to Big Results SC 128 - Science Center, Room 128David Boren Utah School Safety in 2026: Understanding the Updated Legislative Landscape CC Whiting Room - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Whiting Room Room (200 Level)Ashley Pistello 10 Minute Movement ideas for Language Arts k-6th grade CC Charles Hunter - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Charles Hunter Room (100 Level)Ashley Boyack Beyond Aspire Plus: Navigating the Transition in High School Assessment CC Shooting Star - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Shooting Star Room (100 Level)Teresa McEntire • Samantha Tinkey Facilitating Career and Technical Education Pathways for Students with Disabilities in Utah CC Yankee Meadows - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Yankee Meadows Room (100 Level)Crystal Emery Ignite Your Spark: Fueling Self-determination SC 129 - Science Center, Room 129Julianne R. Hunter Simple and Easy Adaptations in the Classroom GC 106 - General Classroom Building, Room 106April Stevenson Taming the AI Dragon: Practical Gemini & Notebook LM for Educators ED 202 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 202Clint Stephens Commemorate America250 Utah with History, Civics, and Heart CC Sage Valley - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Sage Valley Room (100 Level)Rebecca Kirkman • Wendy Rex Atzet The Power of Student Voice: Enhancing Literacy Through Oral Language GC 109 - General Classroom Building, Room 109Denice Maedgen Supporting Multilingual Learners in the ELA Classroom SC 122 - Science Center, Room 122Jennifer Throndsen Printable Potential: Using 3D Printing in the Classroom GC 201 - General Classroom Building, Room 201Becca Robison zSpace AU - Auditorium FoyerBrandon Harrison New Teacher Retention: The Experiences That Shape Career Decisions AU - Auditorium FoyerPamela Pedersen Policy Implications for Principalship: "An Unfunded Mandate" AU - Auditorium FoyerBethany McGarry Going for Gold: The New Gold Medal Schools Framework AU - Auditorium FoyerJodi Paker Basic Self Care: What do you need to know ED 204 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 204Sheryl Vernon School nurse to student ratio and Utah legislative ratio recommendation AU - Auditorium FoyerMary Kathryn Curcio Stoddard Teaching Communication to Replace Challenging Behavior AU - Auditorium FoyerRhea Palkhiwala • Dr. Audrey N. Hoffmann Kinesthetic Astronomy 4th grade GC 306 - General Classroom Building, Room 306Jayceen Craven Walker Patterns & Partnerships BC 103 - Braithwaite Liberal Arts Center, Room 103Heather Paulsen

10:06am MDT

Community Access to Care for First Episode Psychosis ED 215 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 215Kylie Frandsen

10:27am MDT

Partnership Power! Bringing Poetry to Life with Statewide Competitions from the Division of Arts & Museums ED 215 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 215Reilly Jensen • Justin Ivie

10:45am MDT

Networking and Refreshment Break CC Great Hall - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Great Hall (200 Level)

11:10am MDT

Task management using Trello ED 215 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 215Christijan Draper AI as a Design Variable AU - AuditoriumDavid Long Google AI as a Catalyst for Creative Inquiry - USBE + Google Sponsored Session ED 104 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 104Chris McCaffrey AI on the Ground: Research Meets Rural Realities ED 202 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 202Kody Colvin We can help your students learn more about engineering. CC Charles Hunter - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Charles Hunter Room (100 Level)Morgan Boyack Scam Academy - Teaching Students to Outsmart the Algorithms CC Shooting Star - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Shooting Star Room (100 Level)Dani Sloan Strengthening Science Vocabulary Through Interactive Hands-on Games K-12 CC Red Hills Room - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Red Hills Room (200 Level)Michelle Ferro M.Ed. Managing Change as a New School Administrator SC 127 - Science Center, Room 127Doug Stump Everything that Matters Begins with Trust: How to Create It, Sustain It, and Restore It SC 128 - Science Center, Room 128Dale COX Building Better People with Lessons from History... Through the Lens of the Holocaust CC Vermillion Cliffs - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Vermillion Cliffs Room (100 Level)Leigh Routman Engagement Strategies for the Middle Years 6th-8th Grade GC 106 - General Classroom Building, Room 106April Stevenson • Melodie Garcia Intro to PCBL: Guiding Principles & Strategies for Improving Learning ED 102 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 102Kayla Towner Portrait of Secondary Transition for Students with Disabilities: A Roadmap for Educators, Students, and Families CC Yankee Meadows - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Yankee Meadows Room (100 Level)Crystal Emery Chaos Coordinators: Frontload the Calm, Teach the Tough CC Whiting Room - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Whiting Room Room (200 Level)Kristin Hellmann • Dana Blazzard Easily Supporting Students Through Emotional Regulation & Relationships With Real-Time Skills SC 129 - Science Center, Room 129Nick Marsing • Celeste Marsing Positive Childhood Experiences in the K-12 Setting ED 203 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 203Phillip Bertoch The Science of Learning in Utah Math Classrooms GC 109 - General Classroom Building, Room 109Jennie Earl

11:31am MDT

Unmuting Your Classroom: Supporting Multilingual Learners ED 215 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 215Kelli Cannon

11:52am MDT

Igniting STEAM ED 215 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 215Kathleen Riebe

12:10pm MDT

Lunch - Food Truck Roundup at the Auditorium! AU - Auditorium Parking Lot (Outside)

1:30pm MDT

Top Ten Ways to Differentiate in Canvas ED 203 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 203Jason Snow

1:50pm MDT

Supporting Students with Complex Needs ED 215 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 215Rachel Jacobsen • Rhea Palkhiwala From Data to Insights: Monitoring Student Achievement Over Time via Utah RISE CC Yankee Meadows - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Yankee Meadows Room (100 Level)Brooke Anderson Writing Formative Assessment Clusters GC 201 - General Classroom Building, Room 201Jared Wright • Dallas Brooks • Samantha Tinkey Great Grading! CC Charles Hunter - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Charles Hunter Room (100 Level)Tony Campbell • Jared Wilkinson • Angela Poulton Digital Resilience: Strategies for Managing Social Media and Student Focus in Grades 6–12 ED 102 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 102Davina Sauthoff From Prompt to Page: Building Better Canvas Content with AI CC Whiting Room - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Whiting Room Room (200 Level)Crystal Stott Modern Classroom tips from teachers who love it. SC 129 - Science Center, Room 129DawnRae Smith • Machelle Maxwell Prompting, Not Cheating: Building Authentic Literacy Skills in the AI Era - USBE + Google Sponsored Session ED 104 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 104Chris McCaffrey The Reclaimed Classroom: Leading AI for Teaching and Learning ED 202 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 202Kayla Towner • Kody Colvin • Matt Winters Moving Rural Education Forward: How CATCH Journeys Are Transforming PE and Health in Utah Schools CC Vermillion Cliffs - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Vermillion Cliffs Room (100 Level)Laura Seay From Fragmented to Focused: Strengthening Your School’s System of Support SC 127 - Science Center, Room 127David Boren Leading High Leverage Practices in Schools SC 128 - Science Center, Room 128Quinn Kellis Teacher's are Leaders Inside and Outside of the Classroom ED 204 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 204Stephan Seabury Art Tools and Teacher Tricks GC 306 - General Classroom Building, Room 306Liz Brown Evidence-Based Instruction Available to Your Area from The UURC BC 103 - Braithwaite Liberal Arts Center, Room 103Breyanna Evans • Megan Gale Today's Middle School Student GC 106 - General Classroom Building, Room 106April Stevenson • LaToya Paea You've Got To Move It! (Incorporating Movement in the Secondary Classroom) CC Shooting Star - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Shooting Star Room (100 Level)Mary Saylor Rediscovering Health Through Rural and State Partnership SC 122 - Science Center, Room 122Halee Ficklin • Mary Kathryn Curcio Stoddard 3D in 8th Grade Science - Oxidation in Action in Utah CC Sage Valley - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Sage Valley Room (100 Level)Maggie Grindstaff

2:11pm MDT

Virtual Field Trips: Instructional Resources ED 215 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 215Heather Kennedy

2:32pm MDT

Simulating Moon Phases using your hand ED 215 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 215Jayceen Craven Walker

2:50pm MDT

Refreshment Break CC Great Hall - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Great Hall (200 Level)

3:10pm MDT

Supporting Student Learning and Creativity with Google Vids ED 215 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 215Rob Bentley Your Custom AI Toolbox: Save Time by Building Reusable Gemini "Gems" - USBE + Google Sponsored Session ED 104 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 104Chris McCaffrey Becoming Digitally Deliberate GC 109 - General Classroom Building, Room 109Talmage Erickson Personalized Education with Limitless Possibilities | Advancing Specialized Services in Rural Communities. CC Red Hills Room - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Red Hills Room (200 Level)Jamie Webb Reaching Every Student: Using Early Warning Systems to Support Student Success CC Vermillion Cliffs - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Vermillion Cliffs Room (100 Level)Kaylee Dunn Literacy, Mental Health, and School Engagement for Students with Learning Disabilities CC Yankee Meadows - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Yankee Meadows Room (100 Level)Paul Black Scaffolding Tier 1 Phonics Instruction CC Shooting Star - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Shooting Star Room (100 Level)Jennifer Throndsen Proximity with Purpose: How Teacher and Paraprofessional Teams Drive Growth for Students with Disabilities SC 128 - Science Center, Room 128Jenna Olson Statewide Online Education Program: Essential Insights for Administrators & Counselors SC 129 - Science Center, Room 129Meagan Johnston Teachers are leaders and should be the shapers our profession ED 204 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 204Stephan Seabury Collaborative Roots: Building Parent-Teacher Trust to Transform Student Outcomes ED 203 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 203Shannon Neeley • Sydney Whatcott Leaving Children Behind: Grade Retention in the 21st Century CC Whiting Room - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Whiting Room Room (200 Level)Pam Powell Middle Level Educators Unite GC 106 - General Classroom Building, Room 106Kristy Stevens • Carla Winterholler Navigating Sensitive Materials and Collection Development: Updated Strategies for School, Library, and Classrooms ED 102 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 102Davina Sauthoff 3D Science lessons- Gravity and Inertia CC Sage Valley - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Sage Valley Room (100 Level)Kristine Erickson • Westen Miller Implementing the Success Sequence: Key to Updated Health Education Standards SC 122 - Science Center, Room 122Jodi Parker Virtual Field Trips at the Springville Museum of Art SC 127 - Science Center, Room 127Peyton Richards • Cheynie Wray Demystifying Mastery: The What, the Why and the How of Proficiency Scale Construction CC Charles Hunter - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Charles Hunter Room (100 Level)Nathan Auck

4:00pm MDT

Evening Activites Cedar City, Utah

8:00am MDT

Conference Credit Online Form Presenter's Lounge & Workspace CC Rondthaller Room - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Rondthaller Room (200 Level) Conference WiFi and Tech Support Information ED Level 2 Foyer, East - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Level 2 Foyer

8:30am MDT

Joanna Andres, Utah’s 2025-26 Teacher of the Year AU - AuditoriumJoanna Andres

9:50am MDT

Surviving the RISE: Lowering the Cognitive Lift SC 128 - Science Center, Room 128Rachael Coleman • Lynn Gutzwiller AI Tools for Digital Storytelling: Google Vids and Adobe Podcast ED 202 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 202Rob Bentley Beyond Plagiarism: Reimagining Assessment & Assignments in the Age of AI - USBE + Google Sponsored Session ED 104 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 104Chris McCaffrey GEG Utah Demo Slam 2026 SC 016 - Science Center, Room 016Kelli Cannon NUES TAP: Building Better Questions Together with the NUES Teacher Assessment Project CC Red Hills Room - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Red Hills Room (200 Level)Jason Snow Technology: What Are We (Or Should We Be) Afraid Of? CC Charles Hunter - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Charles Hunter Room (100 Level)Christijan Draper AI and the Classroom: Protecting the Student Thinking Process CC Vermillion Cliffs - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Vermillion Cliffs Room (100 Level)Melanie Valentine The People Puzzle: Solved with Business Chemistry ED 102 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 102Piper Riddle From Policy to Practice: What Utah’s HB 393 Means for Dyslexia and Daily Classroom Instruction ED 215 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 215Paul Black Joanna Andres Breakout Session AU - AuditoriumJoanna Andres Where have all the Teachers Gone (and can we get those left to STAY)? GC 109 - General Classroom Building, Room 109Sean Rickert Courtside Culture - Lessons in Leadership from Basketball's Greatest Minds CC Shooting Star - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Shooting Star Room (100 Level)Dani Sloan New Teacher Retention: The Experiences That Shape Career Decisions SC 127 - Science Center, Room 127Pamela Pedersen You Are Not the Test Score: Reclaiming Care and Influence in an Age of Testing CC Whiting Room - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Whiting Room Room (200 Level)Joshua Hales Emergency Recovery Planning ED 203 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 203Scott Eyre Strategies for Students Reading Below Grade Level in Middle School GC 106 - General Classroom Building, Room 106April Stevenson • Laura Mauer Unplug and Play: Teaching Computational Thinking Skills Through Game Play SC 129 - Science Center, Room 129Traci Rindlisbach 3D Science Assessments and the New HS RISE CC Sage Valley - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Sage Valley Room (100 Level)Milo Maughan Advancing Opportunity: Utah Rural Education Supported By Community Partnerships CC Yankee Meadows - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Yankee Meadows Room (100 Level)Amy Ahrens Terpstra Understanding & Supporting Student Behavior: A Teacher-Centered Approach GC 201 - General Classroom Building, Room 201Amanda Powell Grow Lab BC 208 - Braithwaite Liberal Arts Center, Room 208Heather Paulsen Thinking on our Feet: A Building Thinking Classrooms Experience GC 306 - General Classroom Building, Room 306Wendy Moss-Doong

10:50am MDT

Refreshment Break CC Great Hall - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Great Hall (200 Level)

11:10am MDT

Navigating the Noise: Empowering News-Literate Students with Checkology CC Charles Hunter - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Charles Hunter Room (100 Level)Chris Haught Bringing Characters to Life Using Adobe Character Animator ED 202 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 202Rob Bentley In Our Google Era: 50 Tools Shaping the Future of Learning SC 016 - Science Center, Room 016Kelli Cannon Real or Rendered? Promoting Digital Media Literacy in the Age of AI - USBE + Google Sponsored Session ED 104 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 104Chris McCaffrey Mammoth Plans and Jazz Hands: Building an Innovation Lab for Students CC Yankee Meadows - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Yankee Meadows Room (100 Level)Jared Covili 4-Part Model to School Culture ED 203 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 203Amy Robinson • Stuart Hepworth What does a balanced approach to instructional technology use look like in reality? SC 127 - Science Center, Room 127Tony Campbell Norms of Collaboration: Fostering Belonging On and Offline CC Shooting Star - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Shooting Star Room (100 Level)Dani Sloan Building Sustainable School Wellness Systems In Rural Communities SC 128 - Science Center, Room 128Halee Ficklin • Mary Kathryn Curcio Stoddard Partnership Power: Expanding Classroom Horizons with Division of Arts & Museums GC 109 - General Classroom Building, Room 109Reilly Jensen • Justin Ivie The Future Ready Student: Resources for Early Postsecondary Transition Planning for Students with Disabilities ED 215 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 215Deanna Taylor Beyond the B.E.A.C.O.N.: Lighting the Way for AI in Education GC 106 - General Classroom Building, Room 106Becca Esplin From Notes to Writing: Using Two-Column Notes to Strengthen Student Thinking SC 129 - Science Center, Room 129Jenny Blauer Mixing through Meiosis - Variation in Gametes (3 lesson unit) ED 102 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 102Julie Castellon • Valorie Draper • Jami Slack Bridging the Gap to Grade-Level Text in the secondary classroom marks a critical shift from "learning to read" to "reading to learn" through evidence-based, equitable instruction. CC Sage Valley - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Sage Valley Room (100 Level)Amy Mahoney Beyond the Read Aloud: Bringing Stories to Life CC Whiting Room - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Whiting Room Room (200 Level)Sally Baird

2026 Utah Rural Schools Conference

From $50.00