2026 Utah Rural Schools Conference: Full Schedule

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

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9:50am MDT

NUES TAP: Building Better Questions Together with the NUES Teacher Assessment Project

Friday July 17, 2026 9:50am - 10:50am MDT

CC Red Hills Room - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Red Hills Room (200 Level)

Discover the power of NUES TAP: Building Better Questions Together!

This engaging session invites K-12 educators across all grades and subjects to share your needs and wants while learning how to create high-quality, RISE-style questions for low-stakes classroom use. Using the familiar Canvas Quizzes tool (available to all Utah educators), you’ll explore how to build, share, and contribute to a growing database of standards-aligned questions. Whether you want to become a confident user, a creative builder, or simply understand “how the sausage is made,” this fun and collaborative session welcomes everyone. The more voices, the merrier — come help create practical resources that make assessment meaningful and manageable!

Bonus: Math Clusters will be thrown in for no additional cost

Participants MUST HAVE one of the following platforms/devices in order to participate in this session: Not Applicable

Participants MAY FIND IT USEFUL to have one or more of the following platforms/devices during this session: Mac Laptop; Windows Laptop; Chromebook

Speakers

Jason Snow

Digital Teaching and Learning Coach, Northeastern Utah Educational Services

Jason a reformed middle school science teacher and the last 7 years spreading the good NUES to North Eastern Utah Teachers as a regional trainer. Trying to personalize the PD to only what matters in your classroom.

Friday July 17, 2026 9:50am - 10:50am MDT
CC Red Hills Room - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Red Hills Room (200 Level) 351 W. University Blvd., Cedar City, UT 84720

Educational Technology - including Artificial Intelligence (AI), Beginner - limited to no experience; no prerequisite skills required.

Session Format 1 hour BYOD (Bring Your Own Device): Hands-On-Activities
Grade Level All Grade Levels
Audience Curriculum Specialists, EdTech Coach / Digital Teaching & Learning Specialists, District / School Administrators, EdTech Coach/Digital Teaching & Learning Specialists, Instructional Coaches, Teachers
Subject Area Any Subject Area

9:50am MDT

AI and the Classroom: Protecting the Student Thinking Process

Friday July 17, 2026 9:50am - 10:50am MDT

CC Vermillion Cliffs - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Vermillion Cliffs Room (100 Level)

As AI tools become more common in schools, there is a risk that students will offload their critical thinking to technology. This session focuses on how to maintain the productive struggle that is necessary for deep learning. We will explore practical ways to design lessons that require active effort, ensuring students build real skills and understanding rather than just finding quick answers. Participants in this session will gain a clear understanding of how to identify cognitive offloading, helping them recognize when students use technology to bypass critical thinking rather than to support it. By exploring strategies for designing resilient assignments, educators will learn to create lesson plans that prioritize active student effort and are less susceptible to simple AI shortcuts. Ultimately, attendees will walk away with a balanced framework for maintaining productive struggle in the classroom, ensuring that technology remains a tool for insight rather than a replacement for the thinking process.

Participants MUST HAVE one of the following platforms/devices in order to participate in this session: Not Applicable

Participants MAY FIND IT USEFUL to have one or more of the following platforms/devices during this session: Not Applicable

Speakers

Melanie Valentine

Founder & CEO, Ed Tech Blueprint

Melanie Valentine’s decades-long career spans educational shifts from early personal computing for rural teachers to modern AI integration. Following her work leading technology leaders at the Utah State Board of Education, she leveraged her PhD in math education and MA in Technology... Read More →

Friday July 17, 2026 9:50am - 10:50am MDT
CC Vermillion Cliffs - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Vermillion Cliffs Room (100 Level) 351 W. University Blvd., Cedar City, UT 84720

Educational Technology - including Artificial Intelligence (AI), Beginner - limited to no experience; no prerequisite skills required., Intermediate - basic core competency; some prerequisite skills required. | Instructional Coaching, Beginner - limited to no experience; no prerequisite skills required., Intermediate - basic core competency; some prerequisite skills required.

Session Format 1 hour traditional lecture/audience participation
Grade Level All Grade Levels
Audience Teachers, Library Media Specialists, District / School Administrators, EdTech Coach/Digital Teaching & Learning Specialists, Instructional Coaches
Subject Area Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, Leadership, Instructional Coaching

2026 Utah Rural Schools Conference

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2026 Utah Rural Schools Conference

9:50am MDT

Jason Snow

9:50am MDT

Melanie Valentine

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