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2025 Utah Rural Schools Conference

Welcome to URSA 2025 at Park City High School!

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7:45am MDT

What to do in Summit & Wasatch Counties a Link to Activities in the Area

8:00am MDT

URSA 2026 Video Presentation Eccles Center Theater

8:07am MDT

SESC & SEDC URSA Awards & Keynote Welcome Eccles Center Theater

8:30am MDT

Keynote: Better Conversations: Coaching Ourselves and Each Other to Be More Credible, Caring, and Connected Eccles Center TheaterJim Knight Exhibitors & Partners Hall Exhibitor Hall

9:45am MDT

Empowering Coach-Teacher Collaboration: Elevating Impact with AI Room #145Amy Wood Not Your Grandmother's Spreadsheets: Deep Dive Into Google Sheets Lecture HallKaley King Pedagogy First: Guiding Principles for Using AI to Empower Students Room #244Nicole Johnson • Braxton Thornley Rural STEM Learning Pathways and Effective Educator Support: Strategies for Success Room #137Milo Maughan • Michelle Berg The Pressure is on: Using SEEd to Design Highly Effective 3D Lessons Room #143Jan Hermansen • Kaylei Jones • Westen Miller What's Next in Google Workspace? Essential Updates for Every Educator Room #131JoLynn Torgerson AI and I: Exploring Generative AI for K-12 Education Room #245Matt Winters AI and Privacy: What Every Teacher Needs to Know Room #241John Lyman • Nicole Sanchez • Jeremy Zabriskie Amplify Classroom Voices with Adobe Podcast Room #147Rob Bentley Commemorate America250 with National History Day Room #136Wendy Rex Atzet • Tatiana Chudy Elevate Your Institution's Competetive Advantage with Family Engagement Room #238 From Past to Press: Teaching News Literacy Strategies through Social Studies Historical Thinking Room #134Jodi Ide • Gretchen Zaitzeff How Nature and Movement Can Impact Educator and Student Wellness Room #144Sarah Roundy • Teri Davis Introducing K-2 Computer Science using Robotics Room #242Nathan Wilson Leaving the Classroom for Leadership: Lessons in First Year School Leadership Room #231Doug Stump Let Them Count Room #237Jaci Keetch Maintaining Privacy Through the Whistleblowing Process Room #133Mark Meyer Pathways to Success: Positive School Experiences Supporting Students with Disabilities Room #142Andrea Rorrer • Crystal Emery Raising Up Readers: Scaffolding Grade Level Text for All Room #235Dr. Jennifer Throndsen School Improvement In Successful Schools: Making Good Schools Great Room #232Quinn Kellis Taming the AI Dragon: Practical Gemini & Notebook LM for Educators Room #135Clint Stephens Trigonometry in Motion Room #141Josh White SchoolAi: Using AI in the Classroom Room #233Jeff Couch Keynote Breakout: Fundamentals of Leadership Coaching (A Growth Model) Eccles Center TheaterJim Knight Understanding Weather: Heat, Water, and Air Room #146Thomas Quayle • Jason Trump Discover Hidden Gems in Utah’s Online School Library Room #138Kayla Towner Empowering Rural Schools Through the Statewide Online Education Program (SOEP): Navigating Opportunities and Challenges. Room #243Meagan Johnston Thank You for the Feedback Room #132Paula Carlson • Melissa Metcalf • Shelley Halverson • Greg Maughan Tier 1 Text: Scaffolded Reading Techniques to Engage Every Student Room #148Breyanna Evans • Rachelle Packer “AI-Powered Literary Circles: Unlocking Eragon, The Book Thief, and Catching Fire” Black Box TheaterVanessa Torgerson Computer Systems Troubleshooting Practice With AI Black Box TheaterKimberly Hancock InstaTeacher: Teacher Leadership in the Age of Social Media Black Box TheaterKelbie Jackson • Jamie Marble Kindergarten Storytelling with AI Animation Black Box TheaterHeather Heath PD: Walking with You Through the APPEL Orchard Black Box TheaterLorissa Nelson The Crime at Vista Heights Middle School - An AI Math Mystery Review Black Box TheaterRachel Pitt USBE AI in Education Showcase - Teacher-Created Lesson Plans in All Grade Levels & Curriculum Areas Black Box Theater Using an AI Chatbot to analyze lab data Black Box TheaterJessica Stant What’s Said and What’s Meant: Writing Dialogue That Reveals Character Black Box TheaterJoseph Wiederhold Every Seat Matters: Creating Classrooms of Belonging Black Box TheaterAlaina Marti

10:45am MDT

Networking & Refreshment Break Exhibitor Hall

11:10am MDT

Bringing Characters to Life Using Adobe Character Animator Room #144Rob Bentley 3 Dimensional Science: Evaluating Pool Chemistry Room #237Kaitlyn Mecham AI for a Rise and Something to Aspire to! Room #143Jason Snow Collective Efficacy: Empowering Teachers and Boosting Student Success Room #235Katie Jones Data-Driven Storytelling: Creating User Friendly Dashboards in Looker Studio Room #135Kaley King Rural STEM Learning Pathways and Effective Educator Support: Strategies for Success Room #137Milo Maughan • Michelle Berg Scrible 101: Free Research and Writing Platform for Newbies Room #233Shilpa Duvoor What's Next in Google Workspace? Essential Updates for Every Educator Room #131JoLynn Torgerson A Love Affair With Picture Books Across the Standards Lecture HallTeresa Pugmire AI and I: Exploring Generative AI for K-12 Education Room #245Matt Winters Building Foundations: Strategies for Successful Early Learning Instruction Room #142Jared Lisonbee • Cristina Barrera • Katrina Herd Celebrating Educators: Creating Meaningful Recognition Practices Room #242Kristin van Brunt Digital Skills, Analog Tools: Unplugged Coding for Kids Room #147Kelli Cannon Exploring Cultural Responsiveness: Practicum Experiences in Rural Educational Settings Room #136Laureen Graves • Heather Kennedy From Comics to Comprehension: Why Graphic Novels Belong in Every Classroom and School Library Room #241Gretchen Zaitzeff • Davina Sauthoff Important Lessons in School Safety from a Behavioral Health Perspective Room #134Scott Eyre Leading Deeper Learning with Deeper Purpose Room #232David Boren Lessons in Leadership from the Culture Code Room #231Dani Sloan Power Tools: Differentiate For All Your Learners Without Teacher Burn-Out Room #234Dari Thacker Sine Curves and Spaghetti Room #141Josh White Strengthening Leadership Capacity Through Communities of Practice in Utah Room #133Quinn Kellis • Kody Colvin Taking a Unified Approach to Meet School Prevention Requirements Room #238Cathy Davis • Clarissa Stebbing Using Nearpod to Support Multilingual Learners Room #244Braxton Thornley Learning How to be Diagnostic. Evidence-Based Interventions Made Easy and How to Intensify Them for Each Tier. Room #145Sheryl Vernon

11:30am MDT

Mindset Shifts: Actionable Growth Mindset Techniques Room #144Dani Tuttle

12:20pm MDT

Lunch (click to see details) Gym: LUNCH Hall

1:40pm MDT

Next Up in Postsecondary Transition: We’ve Got You Covered! Room #144Crystal Emery • Deanna Taylor AI for a Rise and Something to Aspire to! Room #131Jason Snow Building a STARfleet: Mentoring for Teacher Retention Room #235Katie Jones Connecting to Best Practice: Small Moves for Big Effects Room #242Meghan Everette Elevating ELA Engagement with Adobe Express Room #241JoLynn Torgerson Elevating Your Art Instruction: Adobe Fresco Room #234Steve Weller Scrible 102: Scaffolding Research and Writing in ELA & Social Studies Room #233Shilpa Duvoor Unlocking Authentic Expression: How AI Empowers Writers Room #132Naomi Watkins • Davina Sauthoff AI and I: Exploring Generative AI for K-12 Education Room #245Matt Winters Building STEM Leadership and Integration: Lessons from Utah’s SEI Cohort Room #135Kellie Yates • Kody Colvin Discovering what your students really know when “asking” the right questions Lecture HallJennifer King Energize and Elevate Teaching and Learning for All! Room #137Kathy Einhorn Leading Off the Grid: Innovation and Leadership in Rural Schools Room #231Jenna Olson • Jenny Atcitty • Heather Amado Leading with Hope: Building Resilient Communities Room #141Holly Todd Nearpod 2.0: Renaissance Next Connection Room #244Faith Smith Playful Pathways: Teaching Science of Reading Using Developmentally Informed Interactions Room #143Jared Lisonbee • Cristina Barrera • Katrina Herd Professional Development Credit Options Room #237Joey Foote Reel Rights: Curating, Streaming, and Copyright Essentials for Schools Room #134Gretchen Zaitzeff Student and Child-Centered: Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Model Lives in Rural Schools Room #147Darren Parry • Pam Powell • Sarah Allen Teaching Ethnic Studies in Utah: New Requirements, Trusted Materials Room #133Wendy Rex Atzet • Etiana Coley Mells Teaching through Modeling: DigCit in Action Room #136Dani Sloan Writing instruction for grades K-2 Room #142Christine Elegante • Courtney Bills Transform Your Canvas in 3 Minutes: Boosting Student Engagement and Reducing Failure Rates Room #238Jared Chapman Addressing Key Challenges in Educational Leadership: Insights from SUU’s Administrative Leadership Masters Project Room #232Tony Pellegrini Kinesthetic Astronomy Room #146Thomas Quayle • Jason Trump Math the Matters: Reaching Every Student Room #148Molly Basham • Mike Spencer • Melissa Garber Supporting Language Development through the Creative Process Room #243Mindy Curtis • Liz Brown CATALYST - Coaching and Alignment Toward Adaptive Leadership Yielding Systemic Transformation Room #138Andrea Rorrer • Cori Groth • Quinn Kellis • Kody Colvin Rock Band - The Secret to Building Meaningful Music Programs in Rural Schools Gym: LUNCH HallChris Woods Lead From the Classroom to the Community Black Box TheaterFangaafa Tuifua USBE AI in Education Showcase - Teacher-Created Lesson Plans in All Grade Levels & Curriculum Areas Black Box Theater

2:00pm MDT

Early College Q&A Room #144Christy Schreck • Cathy Gray

2:20pm MDT

Engineering Design with Sphero Blueprint Room #144Nathan Wilson

2:40pm MDT

Refreshment Break Exhibitor Hall

3:10pm MDT

URSA Board Meeting Room #244 Self-Determination is on the Menu! Room #144Deanna Taylor • Julianne Hunter • Stephen Kwiatek Try Walking In My Shoes Room #133BethAnne Chidester • Hillary Palmer Won't you be our neighbor? Free educator resources from PBS Utah Room #134Annie Frazier • Melanie Pehrson AI and I: Exploring Generative AI for K-12 Education Room #245Matt Winters Beyond the Page: Elevating Students with Digital Resources Room #242Chris Haught Building Bridges: Practical Strategies to Empower Teachers To Help All Language Learners Succeed Room #147Talia A. Casares • Patricia Zavala Enhancing Science and Engineering Practices Through Mind Mapping Room #235Emily Perkins • Michelle Kantaris From One Spark to a System: Scaling MTSS in Remote Schools Room #231Jenna Olson • Jenny Atcitty • Heather Amado From Silos to Synergy: Integrating Instructional Ecosystems Room #132Nathan Auck How to Improve Fluency through Partner Reading-Paragraph Shrinking Lecture HallMelinda Meccariello • Dina Wise Movement Integration for K-6 classes Room #234Ashley Boyack No Cap: Finding the "Joy Snacks" in Ed Tech Integration Room #241JoLynn Torgerson Radical Candor for Educators Room #136Dani Sloan • Katie Blunt Raising Resilient Kids In A Tech Heavy World Room #238Nate Webb Strategies to Reignite Your Joy of Teaching! Room #137Kathy Einhorn Strengthening Paraeducator Capacity: A Collaborative Professional Learning Model in Rural Utah Room #135Cori Groth • Kody Colvin Taming the AI Dragon: Practical Gemini & Notebook LM for Educators Room #131Clint Stephens Teaching with Heart: Fostering Compassion and Hope in Every Classroom Room #141Holly Todd Utah Out-of-School-Time Needs Assessment--Findings and Next Steps Room #237Lisa Wisham Writing Instruction in Grades 3-6 Room #142Denice Maedgen • Courtney Bills Make Your LMS a Math Powerhouse Room #233Craig Ogden • Duane Call

4:00pm MDT

USSA Meeting Room #143Lexi Cunningham

5:30pm MDT

Evening Activities Ecker Middle School