2025 Utah Rural Schools Conference: Full Schedule

Welcome to URSA 2025 at Park City High School!

1:30pm MDT

Centering On Students: PCBL In Action from Modern Classrooms In Utah

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

The traditional approach to instruction relies on all students in each classroom being at the same place in their learning journey each day. We know this ideal can be practically impossible to achieve. By leveraging innovative planning and facilitation practices that put students at the center of their learning, educators can create opportunities for truly personalized instruction. In this session, educators will share the steps they have taken and the tools they use in order to implement self-paced, mastery-based learning with their students. You can access the slide deck and activity from this session at tinyurl.com/mcp-ursa25

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

Michael Hakkarinen

Partnership Director, Modern Classrooms

Michael Hakkarinen is an experienced classroom teacher, instructional technology specialist, professional learning facilitator and former PCBL Specialist for the Utah State Board of Education. As Partnership Director with the Modern Classroom Project he now supports teachers, leaders... Read More →

Wednesday July 9, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm MDT
Room #233 1759 Kearns Blvd, Park City, UT 84060

1-Hour Exhibitor Session, Beginner

Learning Strand or Track Educational Technology, Other
Subject Area Other
Audience Everyone
Grade Level All Grade Levels

2:50pm MDT

Full Class Missions: Bridge the Gap Between Learning and Application for RISE Success

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

Room #233

Join us for an interactive session where you'll discover Mission.io, the ultimate learning adventure that’s free for all rural schools! We’ll guide you through setting up your account, launching your first student mission, and exploring data that shows how schools using Mission.io see RISE scores improve at twice the rate.

This isn’t just another ed-tech tool, it’s a game-changing experience that blends immersive learning with real-world application. Watch as students become engaged problem-solvers, mastering concepts in a way that sticks.

Come ready to explore, set up your school’s free access, and see firsthand how Mission.io is transforming education. Your students are ready for liftoff, are you? 🚀

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

Brooks Heder

Founder, Mission.io

Founder of the internationally award winning program Mission.io, Brooks is committed to making cutting-edge educational tools accessible to all, ensuring that every rural school has free access to Mission.io.

Brooks finds joy helping others experience something new and amazing. Something that makes people want to do and be better. Brooks loves making people laugh, smile, and view life with a more positive attitude. In every interaction he hopes to be more then just someone you know, but yo... Read More →

Wednesday July 9, 2025 2:50pm - 3:50pm MDT
Room #233 1759 Kearns Blvd, Park City, UT 84060

1-Hour Exhibitor Session, Beginner

Learning Strand or Track Educational Technology
Subject Area Science, STEM / STEAM
Audience Teachers, Library Media Specialists, District / School Administrators, EdTech Coach/Digital Teaching & Learning Specialists, Technology Coordinators / Facilitators
Grade Level Elementary - grades K - 6

9:45am MDT

SchoolAi: Using AI in the Classroom

Thursday July 10, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am MDT

Room #233

Discover how SchoolAI can revolutionize classroom learning across all subjects. This session will explore the dynamic role of AI in education, demonstrating how it can make lessons more engaging, personalized, and effective.
You'll get hands-on experience with SchoolAI's innovative tools, learning how to integrate them seamlessly into your teaching practice. By the end of this presentation, you'll be equipped with practical strategies to use AI to inspire and support your students' learning journey.....starting right now!

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

Jeff Couch

Director of School Growth, SchoolAI

Jeff is the Director of School Growth over Utah for SchoolAi. Jeff has previously been with Sphero, Instructure and several other EdTech companies. His kids attend school in Jordan School District.

Thursday July 10, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am MDT
Room #233 1759 Kearns Blvd, Park City, UT 84060

1-Hour Exhibitor Session, Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

Learning Strand or Track Educational Technology, Professional Learning Communities - PLC's, PLN's, etc.
Subject Area Not Applicable, Other
Audience Everyone
Grade Level All Grade Levels

11:10am MDT

Scrible 101: Free Research and Writing Platform for Newbies

Thursday July 10, 2025 11:10am - 12:10pm MDT

Room #233

Did you know that Scrible is a FREE award winning resource for all public/charter school teachers and students in Utah? If you've never used Scrible or are just getting started, come learn how to use this powerful platform to streamline research and elevate writing in your class. We'll get you set up, walk you through creating an assignment, annotating online articles and more. We'll also review how you can use Scrible to prevent AI plagairism and scaffold the writing process for students.

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

Emily Shank

Exhibitor Partner, Scrible

Shilpa has over 20 years of experience in education as a teacher, school leader, leadership coach, and a customer success leader in edtech startups. Shilpa met Victor Karkar, CEO and co-founder of Scrible, and helped pilot early versions of Scrible in her classes! She is now the Head... Read More →

Scrible 101 Free Research and Writing Platform for Newbies (URSA) pdf

Thursday July 10, 2025 11:10am - 12:10pm MDT
Room #233 1759 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, Digital Citizenship & Media Literacy
Subject Area Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, World Languages, Special Education, Leadership, Instructional Coaching, Media Literacy
Audience Teachers, Library Media Specialists, EdTech Coach/Digital Teaching & Learning Specialists
Grade Level Middle School / Jr. High - grades 6 - 8, High School - grades 9 - 12

1:40pm MDT

Scrible 102: Scaffolding Research and Writing in ELA & Social Studies

Thursday July 10, 2025 1:40pm - 2:40pm MDT

Room #233

Scrible, an award winning FREE resource for all Utah public/charter school teachers and students, is chock full of features that can help students and teachers scaffold the research and writing process. Learn how to use Scrible's advanced features to strengthen students' writing and media literacy skills. We will review how to track student progress, provide timely and specific feedback, and effectively use the Scrible Writer doc add-on.

Participants MUST HAVE one of the following platforms/devices in order to participate in this session: Highly suggested to use a laptop or tablet of any kind and not a mobile device.

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

Emily Shank

Exhibitor Partner, Scrible

Scrible 102 Scaffolding Research and Writing in ELA Social Studies (URSA) pdf

Thursday July 10, 2025 1:40pm - 2:40pm MDT
Room #233 1759 Kearns Blvd, Park City, UT 84060

1 hour BYOD (Bring Your Own Device): Hands-On-Activities, Intermediate - basic core competency; some prerequisite skills required.

Learning Strand or Track Educational Technology, Instructional Coaching, Digital Citizenship & Media Literacy
Subject Area Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, World Languages, Special Education
Audience Teachers, Library Media Specialists, EdTech Coach/Digital Teaching & Learning Specialists, Instructional Coaches
Grade Level Middle School / Jr. High - grades 6 - 8, High School - grades 9 - 12

3:10pm MDT

Make Your LMS a Math Powerhouse

Thursday July 10, 2025 3:10pm - 4:10pm MDT

Room #233

Join Utah math teacher Craig Ogden as he shares how he transformed his LMS into a powerful platform for delivering high-quality math instruction. Moderated by Duane Call from Derivita, this session dives into the classroom challenges Craig faced, how he customized instruction to match his teaching style and student needs, and the results he’s seeing. From independent practice to whole-class discourse, discover how your LMS can elevate math instruction, lighten your workload, and boost student success.

Participants MUST HAVE one of the following platforms/devices in order to participate in this session: Tablet or smart phone from any provider.

Participants MAY FIND IT USEFUL to have one or more of the following platforms/devices during this session: Android Tablet / Smartphone, iPad / iPhone, Windows Tablet / Smartphone

Speakers

Craig Ogden

Secondary, South Sanpete District

Craig Ogden teaches a range of math courses in South Sanpete School District. Based in Ephraim and teaching in Manti, he brings a unique blend of classroom expertise and real-world experience as a former Lockheed Martin software engineer—helping make math meaningful, personalized... Read More →

Duane Call

Chief Marketing Officer, Derivita

Born and raised in Utah, I’ve spent the past 20 years working in education technology, helping schools leverage innovative tools to improve learning. I’m proud to live in a state long known for its spirit of industry and progress—values that continue to shape the future of education... Read More →

Thursday July 10, 2025 3:10pm - 4:10pm MDT
Room #233 1759 Kearns Blvd, Park City, UT 84060

1-Hour Exhibitor Session, Beginner

Learning Strand or Track Educational Technology
Subject Area Mathematics, STEM / STEAM
Audience Teachers, District / School Administrators, EdTech Coach/Digital Teaching & Learning Specialists, Technology Coordinators / Facilitators, Curriculum Specialists
Grade Level Middle School / Jr. High - grades 6 - 8, High School - grades 9 - 12

9:45am MDT

How to Solve the AI Plagiarism Problem: Process over Product

Friday July 11, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am MDT

Room #233

ChatGPT spawned the massive issue of "AI plagiarism." Research shows 44% of secondary students are likely to use AI to do their schoolwork instead of doing it themselves. AI detectors fail to reliably catch this problem. What to do? Assess writing as a process, not just the paper! Scrible prevents AI plagiarism by making the entire writing process visible to teachers. It does for writing what we've always asked students to do in math - show your work. Come learn how this pedagogically sound approach - “process over product” - safeguards authentic learning and academic integrity.

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