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

1:30pm MDT

The Dignity Index: How to disagree without being disagreeable

Wednesday July 15, 2026 1:30pm - 2:30pm MDT

ED 204 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 204

Feedback Survey

The Dignity Index is an eight-point scale that can be used for both students and staff to learn how to disagree without being disagreeable. Classrooms are where students discuss ideas. And the discussions of ideas can and should lead to disagreement to create new ideas. For this process to work students must learn the skills of civil discussion, especially as the ideas in social studies or English classrooms become more complex and never have a single right answer. We will discuss the Dignity Index and how it meets both state and national standards while discussing the ideas of your content. During the discussion, we will both practice using the Index in the high school classroom as well as reflecting on its positive impacts for students and teachers outside your classroom.

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: Any web enabled device

Speakers

Stephan Seabury

Teacher and Community Engagement Lead, Teacher Fellows, Providence Hall High School

Mr. Seabury believes a civically engaged teacher creates civically engaged students. His students learn not only the content of how our government works but are given opportunities in and outside of the classroom to meet with policy makers and practice the skills of civic engagem... Read More →

Wednesday July 15, 2026 1:30pm - 2:30pm MDT
ED 204 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 204 351 W. University Blvd., Cedar City, UT 84720

Leadership, Beginner - limited to no experience; no prerequisite skills required. | Instructional Coaching, Beginner - limited to no experience; no prerequisite skills required.

Session Format 1 hour traditional lecture/audience participation
Grade Level Elementary - grades K - 6, Middle School / Jr. High - grades 6 - 8, High School - grades 9 - 12
Audience Teachers, Counselors or School-based Mental/Behavioral Health Professionals, District / School Administrators
Subject Area Language Arts, Social Studies, Leadership

2:50pm MDT

“This Class is Therapy” Gamification, Learning, and Mental Health

Wednesday July 15, 2026 2:50pm - 3:50pm MDT

SC 129 - Science Center, Room 129

In the Snow College Integrating Technology into Education courses students study the concept of Gamification, the bringing of gaming principles into Education. As part of this lesson students have to prepare a lesson with a game and then teach it to the rest of the class. A common feedback from these students was to express just how much they needed the experience of playing a game to make them feel better in the middle of a busy semester. It is often discussed how Gamification can help students learn but it is also important to realize how the relief from playing a game can also have a positive impact.

In this presentation, we will talk about Gamification and how it can help students. We will then divide into groups and go through the process of teaching each other to play a board game, actually play it, then study a lesson plan that has been prepared for it. We will then reflect on how we might be able to use a game like that in our classes and how taking a moment to play a game made us feel. Through this experience, we hope to be able to use Gamification in a more purposeful manner.

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

David J. Rodríguez Sanfiorenzo

Associate Professor of Education, Snow College

Dr. David Rodríguez Sanfiorenzo has been an educator at different levels for 20 years. Currently, he serves as an Associate Professor of Education at Snow College where he enjoys the calm and beauty of rural Utah. He teaches Introduction to Education, Integrating Technology into... Read More →

Wednesday July 15, 2026 2:50pm - 3:50pm MDT
SC 129 - Science Center, Room 129 370 West 200 South, Cedar City, UT 84720

Instructional Coaching, Beginner - limited to no experience; no prerequisite skills required. | School-based Mental & Behavioral Health, 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 Teachers, Counselors or School-based Mental/Behavioral Health Professionals
Subject Area Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Mental/Behavioral Health

1:50pm MDT

Modern Classroom tips from teachers who love it.

Thursday July 16, 2026 1:50pm - 2:50pm MDT

SC 129 - Science Center, Room 129

This session will share tips, structures and examples of classrooms that use the Modern Classroom Project platform. DawnRae Smith is a Distinguished MCP Teacher as well as School AI Certified Educator. She brings a wealth of experience and knowledge using MCP in her History, FACS, Gaming Concepts and CCA classes. She has so many tips and examples to share. Machelle Maxwell will share her experience using MCP with her ELA classes and mentoring opportunities. We will share real life experiences, a tool kits for those wanting to overview it, some data from the how it works and of course specific ways to get started.

Participants MUST HAVE one of the following platforms/devices in order to participate in this session: a device since we will have logging into some of our Canva for screen pal options

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

Speakers

DawnRae Smith

Secondary Career & Tech Educator, Iron County School District

DawnRae Smith is a Family and Consumer Sciences and Gaming Concepts teacher who brings 10 years of history teaching and special education experience to the classroom. For the past two years, she's implemented the Modern Classrooms Model, focusing on practical, realistic approaches... Read More →

Machelle Maxwell

Secondary Language Arts Teacher, Iron County

Machelle is still loving teaching after 40 + years. She has taught from1st grade- college level, was a HS Librarian, served as an instructional coach and state mentor. She still chooses to be in a classroom with students and loves collaborating with teacher friends like DawnRae. She... Read More →

Thursday July 16, 2026 1:50pm - 2:50pm MDT
SC 129 - Science Center, Room 129 370 West 200 South, Cedar City, UT 84720

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

Session Format 1 hour traditional lecture/audience participation
Grade Level 5 - 6, Middle School / Jr. High - grades 6 - 8, High School - grades 9 - 12
Audience Teachers, EdTech Coach/Digital Teaching & Learning Specialists, Instructional Coaches, Curriculum Specialists
Subject Area Language Arts, Computer Science, Social Studies, Career and Technical Education, Instructional Coaching

3:10pm MDT

Teachers are leaders and should be the shapers our profession

Thursday July 16, 2026 3:10pm - 4:10pm MDT

ED 204 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 204

What we do as educators is often dictated by those who are not in our classrooms. We lead in our classrooms and should lead outside of them too. We'll work through how and when to connect with your policy makers from the local school district to the legislature and state board. Teachers will become familiar with the legislative website and practice communicating with their legislators. Teachers will leave having a better understanding of how educational policy works and the successes that can occur as they engage themselves.

Participants MUST HAVE one of the following platforms/devices in order to participate in this session: Any web enabled device

Participants MAY FIND IT USEFUL to have one or more of the following platforms/devices during this session: Any web enabled device

Speakers

Stephan Seabury

Teacher and Community Engagement Lead, Teacher Fellows, Providence Hall High School

Thursday July 16, 2026 3:10pm - 4:10pm MDT
ED 204 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 204 351 W. University Blvd., Cedar City, UT 84720

Leadership, Beginner - limited to no experience; no prerequisite skills required.

Session Format 1 hour BYOD (Bring Your Own Device): Hands-On-Activities
Grade Level Elementary - grades K - 6, Middle School / Jr. High - grades 6 - 8, High School - grades 9 - 12
Audience Teachers, District / School Administrators, All of the above
Subject Area Social Studies, Leadership

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

11:10am MDT

Partnership Power: Expanding Classroom Horizons with Division of Arts & Museums

Friday July 17, 2026 11:10am - 12:10pm MDT

GC 109 - General Classroom Building, Room 109

The Utah Division of Arts & Museums is your state agency dedicated to advancing Utahns’ quality of life through arts and museum experiences and cultural opportunities.

We offer a wide array of programs and resources to support schools and educators across the state. We can help provide arts learning opportunities that align with learning objectives and standards, support multilingual learners, integrate with STEM subjects and other courses across the curriculum, and contribute to growth and professional development for learners of all ages with unique opportunities for educators and school administrators.

Join us to learn more about opportunities like our Living Folk Arts Education Series which can bring hands-on art experiences from working artists directly to your students at no cost. Or our Teaching Artist Rosters which can connect you with skilled artists from almost any discipline that can work with your school to design exciting learning opportunities. Our Teacher-Initiated Projects program offers one-on-one arts training directly to teachers who just want to learn a new skill. And that’s just to name a few.

We are here to introduce these programs and help you find ways to put them to work in schools and communities like yours.

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

Reilly Jensen

Arts Education Program Manager, Utah Division of Arts and Museums

Reilly is an arts educator, teaching artist, and archaeologist with a focus on community and heritage collaboration. She holds an M.F.A. in Community-Based Arts Education from the University of Utah, an M.A. in Middle Eastern Studies, and a B.S. in Anthropology. Her research explores... Read More →

Justin Ivie

Arts Education Coordinator, Utah Division of Arts & Museums

Justin Ivie is an accomplished theatre artist and a familiar face on Utah stages with hundreds of acting credits at companies all around the state. He is also a director, stage manager and theatrical designer.

Justin has been with the Utah Division of Arts & Museums since 2022 whe... Read More →

Friday July 17, 2026 11:10am - 12:10pm MDT
GC 109 - General Classroom Building, Room 109 152 South 300 West, Cedar City, UT 84720

Other, Beginner - limited to no experience; no prerequisite skills required.