2025 Utah Rural Schools Conference: Full Schedule

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Full URSA 2025 Session Schedule will be published here NO LATER than June 1. Please check back soon!

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1:30pm MDT

Beyond the Page: Elevating Students with Digital Resources

Wednesday July 9, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm MDT

Room #235

Step into the dynamic world of digital literacy and discover how to transform your classroom with two powerful resources: Teaching Books and Sora ebooks. This session will equip K-12 educators with practical strategies to enhance student engagement and deepen comprehension through multimedia content and digital access.
Are you looking for innovative ways to bring books to life? We'll explore Teaching Books, a treasure trove of author interviews, book trailers, lesson plans, and more, designed to spark curiosity and connect students with literature on a deeper level. Learn how to leverage these resources to introduce new units, generate excitement for reading, and support diverse learning needs.
Then, dive into Sora, your school's digital library, and discover the ease and accessibility of ebooks and audiobooks. We'll demonstrate how to navigate this user-friendly platform, assign digital materials, and track student progress. Learn how to provide equitable access to a vast collection of titles, support struggling readers with built-in accessibility features, and encourage independent reading.
Join us to discover how to seamlessly integrate Teaching Books and Sora into your curriculum, creating a comprehensive digital literacy experience that goes "Beyond the Page" and empowers your students to become lifelong readers and learners.

NOTE: This session repeats on Thursday, July 10 at 3:10 pm in Room 242.

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, Android Tablet / Smartphone, iPad / iPhone, Windows Tablet / Smartphone, Chromebook

Speakers

Chris Haught

Media Specialist, Southwest Educational Development Center

Chris Haught is the Technology/Media Mentor at Southwest Educational Service Center (SEDC), a regional Service Center that serves six district and seven charter ELA’s.Chris works closely with the region’s librarians providing support and training on Utah’s Online Library, the... Read More →

Wednesday July 9, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm MDT
Room #235 1750 Kearns Blvd, Park City, UT 84060

1 hour traditional lecture/audience participation, Beginner - limited to no experience; no prerequisite skills required.

Learning Strand or Track Digital Citizenship & Media Literacy
Subject Area Language Arts, Media Literacy
Audience Teachers, Library Media Specialists
Grade Level All Grade Levels

2:50pm MDT

Adding in AI for Accessibility with Google Tools

Wednesday July 9, 2025 2:50pm - 3:50pm MDT

Lecture Hall

This session explores how to leverage AI-powered features within Google tools to enhance accessibility for all students. Attendees will learn how to utilize tools MusicFX, Say What You See, Notebook LM, and Google Learn to create an inclusive classroom environment. The session will cover practical strategies such as voice typing for students with writing difficulties, AI-powered translation tools for multilingual learners, and accessibility features in NotebookLM to support all learners. Additionally, learners will see how to incorporate Google's AI experiments into everyday instruction to support all learners. Participants will leave with actionable tips on how to integrate these tools into daily classroom routines, ensuring every student can engage with learning materials effectively.

NOTE: This session repeats on Friday, July 11 at 11:00 am in Room 131.

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, Android Tablet / Smartphone, iPad / iPhone, Windows Tablet / Smartphone, Chromebook

Speakers

Emma Moss

DTL Specialist, Canyons SD

Emma's main role is as a Digital Teaching and Learning Specialist and AI Project Co-Lead in Canyons School District. Emma also currently serves as the Artificial Intelligence for K-12 Education Program Director. In addition to her current roles, Emma Moss founded the Utah AI Collaborative... Read More →

Kelli Cannon

Digital Learning Specialist, Jordan School District

Kelli Cannon has been an educator for twelve years, teaching upper elementary students prior to her current role as a Digital Learning Specialist. Kelli is a Utah Teacher Fellow and holds a Master’s Degree in Educational Technology, as well as endorsements in Teaching English as... Read More →

Wednesday July 9, 2025 2:50pm - 3:50pm MDT
Lecture Hall 1750 Kearns Blvd, Park City, UT 84060

1 hour BYOD (Bring Your Own Device): Hands-On-Activities, Beginner - limited to no experience; no prerequisite skills required.

Learning Strand or Track Educational Technology
Subject Area Special Education, Media Literacy
Audience All of the above
Grade Level All Grade Levels

2:50pm MDT

Building Your Ed Tech Roadmap: Using the National Ed Tech Plan as a Guide

Wednesday July 9, 2025 2:50pm - 3:50pm MDT

Room #133

We will look at the National Ed Tech Plan and provide ways it can be used to evaluate and maximize technology use in the classroom. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/19VZocGUyM64-KVvZki_6I1Q0NqIq7Dn0Si1h_gkWKsQ/edit?usp=sharing

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

Amber Wright

Digital and Instructional Materials Specialist, USBE

Amber Wright is the Digital and Instructional Materials Specialist at the Utah State Board of Education. She previously taught elementary for 7 years at a charter school, then taught 1st and 2nd grade online and finally transitioned into a technology coaching role before coming to... Read More →

Rick Gaisford

Educational Technology Specialist, USBE

Rick Gaisford has 35 years in education and has been involved with educational technology for over 30 years at the classroom, school, district and state levels. He was an elementary school teacher, school technology specialist, district technology specialist and trainer. For the past... Read More →

Melanie Valentine

Digital Teaching and Learning Specialist, USBE

Melanie Valentine‚Äôs decades-long career spans many educational trends, from teaching with no technology, to the shift to at-home learning, to navigating AI. She has first-hand experience introducing personal computing to rural teachers in Utah and has classroom experience in... Read More →

Wednesday July 9, 2025 2:50pm - 3:50pm MDT
Room #133 1750 Kearns Blvd, Park City, UT 84060

1 hour traditional lecture/audience participation, Beginner - limited to no experience; no prerequisite skills required.