Webinar “Utah Spotlight: A ‘State’ of Alignment”
Utah has been an education lighthouse for many years in implementing support for high-quality instruction. Attend this edLeader Panel to learn about the keys to success in Utah, showcasing their multi-year, aligned support system. Learn how they developed and implemented a vision for their Portrait of a Graduate and explore the frameworks, grant structures, and aligned professional learning that the state rolled out for its Digital Teaching and Learning work, followed by the Personalized and Competency-Based Framework for teaching and learning.
Attendees will have the opportunity to share and brainstorm strategies for their state and the chance for a Q&A with the team of partners supporting the rollout in Utah. This edLeader Panel will be of interest to K-12 school and district leaders, education technology leaders, and state leaders.
About the Presenters
Rick Gaisford has 25 years in education at the classroom, school, district, and state levels. Currently, Rick is the educational technology specialist for the Utah State Office of Education. His current state responsibilities include teacher professional development on integrating technology, the educational technology core curriculum for K-12 students, and consulting with districts on how to integrate technology tools and resources into teaching and learning effectively. Previously, he was an elementary school teacher, school technology specialist, district technology trainer, and technology specialist. He is currently on the SETDA Board of Directors and previously served as the board chair. He has also served on the state ASCD and ISTE affiliate boards of directors.
Melanie Durfee, Ph.D. is an education specialist at the Utah State Board of Education (USBE). She works with her team to manage the implementation of the Digital Teaching and Learning (DTL) Grant Program. Her specific area of expertise is helping educators write plans and collect relevant data that reinforce schools’ existing visions and cultures. Previous to USBE, she worked at a regional service center in southwest Utah, providing technology professional learning to educators in rural areas of the state. Dr. Durfee has taught secondary math, English, theatre, and computer technology. She looks forward to safely interacting with large groups of people for long durations of time.
Being the oldest of three siblings and the daughter of a middle-grade math teacher of 42 years, teaching has always been in Nancy Mangum’s blood. During her tenure in the Wake County Public School System, Nancy was an elementary educator, instructional coach, and district administrator. After leaving Wake County, Nancy spent ten years at the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation, most recently as the associate director of professional learning. She built professional learning programs for instructional coaches, principals, and district leaders in North Carolina and the U.S. As the director of learning partnerships at Leading EDge Learning, Nancy is passionate about building professional learning and communities of practice to support instructional coaches and school leaders focused on current problems of practice. With both a local and national presence, she seeks to create meaningful learning experiences that inspire educators.
Theresa Gibson began her education career as a high school mathematics teacher, shifting from the classroom to academic intervention and professional learning. Theresa earned her MBA, supporting her shift to building leadership capacity in K-12 schools. As the former associate director for strategic development at The Friday Institute for Educational Innovation, Theresa built partnerships with school districts and organizations around the country. Today, in her role as Director of Operations at Leading EDge, Theresa continues to bring her passion for building learning communities by bringing leaders together to learn, share ideas, and transfer research to practice to serve all students best.
Darren Hudgins is a passionate advocate for creating learning experiences that drive educators of all kinds and their students to think, do, and thrive. He believes in this mission so much that he conceptualized and directed Think Do Thrive. He uses his 20+ years in education, EdTech, and coaching to inspire critical thinking, champion active learning, and create opportunities for educational communities to improve. He is also the co-author of two books, the bestselling Fact vs. Fiction: Teaching Critical Thinking Skills in the Age of Fake News, and the newly released Developing Digital Detectives: Essential Lessons for Discerning Fact from Fiction in the ‘Fake News’ Era (ISTE 2021).
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Time: 2:00 pm — 3:00 pm EST
Free!
