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

Unlocking Digital Literacy: Empowering Teachers for Today's Middle Level Classroom

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

Room #234

Presented by Utah Middle Level Association. As digital technologies reshape our world, empowering students with digital literacy skills is more crucial than ever. This session equips middle school educators with strategies and resources to effectively teach digital literacy to the middle level student.

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

Kathy Bekkemellom

UMLA Executive Director, Utah Middle Level Association

Worked in middle schools for 30 years teaching business which has included the evolution of digital literacy in schools. I have served on the board of UMLA for the past 10+ years as we strive to help middle level educators.

Wednesday July 9, 2025 2:50pm - 3:50pm MDT
Room #234 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 Not Applicable
Audience Teachers
Grade Level Middle School / Jr. High - grades 6 - 8

2025 Utah Rural Schools Conference

From $50.00