Kiera Beddes, Language Arts teacher extraordinaire from Jordan School District, joins us in the Homeroom this week to talk about networking. Specifically, we explore how building your Professional Learning Network (PLN) can help you grow as a teacher. We talk about maintaining an online presence, reaching out and learning from others, and how a PLN can help with transitions in your teacher life.

UEN Homeroom welcomes Kip Motta, Principal of Rich Middle School and North Rich Elementary, to discuss the response to COVID-19 in our latest episode in the Learn @ Home series. We discuss topics such as: how Rich schools prepared for distance learning in a 1 to 1 computer program for students, helping students by balancing the workload during distance learning, and facilitating teacher adoption of tools like Canvas to help students in the online environment.

Jared and Dani welcome Dr. Ann Engar and Dr. Nora Wood, distinguished faculty for the LEAP program at the University of Utah, to UEN Homeroom this week. Our discussion focuses on helping students find a learning community that works for them. Topics include: how the LEAP program benefits diverse student populations, the biggest challenges for students as they enter college, why smaller learning communities are important to students, and the role that peer mentoring plays in helping LEAP students succeed.

On this episode of UEN Homeroom,Dani and Matt welcome founder and CEO, Jose Enriquez. They talk about Jose's organization, Latinos in Action, going national and how the organization has helped the Utah community over the past 20 years.

In this video, Dani Sloan describes and models best practices for virtual meetings and how to make them as efficient and effective as possible.

In this video, Dani Sloan explains section by section the different aspects of communication available in Canvas. She covers the Canvas inbox, the speedgrader tool and, the fan-favorite, "message students who" tool.

This video is made for Kindergarten through second grade teachers interesting in using Canvas with their learners. We talk about techniques and hacks specifically for our youngest students.

In this video, Dani Sloan goes through the tool Flipgrid and how it is used to connect to your students. Dani will walk us through creating a flipgrid, managing student responses and viewing student videos.

In this video, Dani Sloan informs us about the resources available in Preschool Path for our youngest learners. You will learn about preMedia, activity calendars, resources just for parents and online learning games.

On this episode of UEN Homeroom,Dani Sloan and Katie Blunt welcome past Homeroom guest, Dr. Darren Draper. Their conversation focuses on the lessons learned during the pandemic, how educators can implement those lessons moving forward and how this past year might have changed education for the better.

In our next Learn @ Home episode of UEN Homeroom we are focusing in on Jr. High with Levi Andersen, a History teacher from Mound Fort Jr. High in Ogden School District. During our conversation we explored topics such as: how Levi is connecting with students who struggle, the role of using Canvas to help with distance teaching, and what kind of babysitter Jared Covili was.

Jared and Dani are joined by Liz Arias, a Senior Customer Success Manager for Adobe Education. During the episode we discuss Adobe's statewide partnership with Utah schools to bring Creative Cloud to teachers and students.

Dani and Jared are excited to have Max Gonzalez, Program Manager at UETN, join them to share information about the new Reimagine Teaching project. As pare of our discussion we learn how teachers can qualify for a $200 stipend related to distance teaching professional development through the CARES Act.

Melanie Durfee, Digital Learning Specialist from the Utah Board of Education, drops by the Homeroom to discuss making group work, well - work. We talk about the misconceptions of groups, how to work through challenges, providing structure for student to student conversations about learning, and making personalized learning matter.

In the new episode, we share the story of Michelle Reed, the Library Media Specialist at Jefferson Jr. High. In this episode we discuss the following topics - What is a makerspace? How can makerspaces empower students? What are some suggestions for teachers looking to get started with a makerspace?

Today’s complex information landscape requires learners of all ages to take a second look at the news and media we consume. In this session, we will talk about how consuming information on a mobile device is different from a laptop (or television or newspaper) and everyday strategies to help students (and teachers) analyze and evaluate information.

UEN Homeroom continues along with our Back to School series as Utah prepares for the return of teachers and students to our buildings. This week we connect with Moe Hickey, CEO of Voices for Utah Children. Our conversation focuses on the fiver key areas of healthy development for kids: health, school readiness, safety, economic stability, and diversity. We also learn what Voices is doing to advocate for Utah students with the state legislature and local school districts.

On this episode of UEN Homeroom, Matt and Dani get the pleasure of speaking with "This Land" podcast host and activist, Rebecca Nagle about Native American culture and education. Their conversation covers storytelling, uplifting marginalized voices and how educators can learn more about Native American culture.

In this episode, Dani and Matt are joined by Heather Francis and Brenda Beyal from the BYU Arts Partnership's Native American Curriculum Initiative. They talk about the initiative, why it exists, how they built the curriculum and how it will help educators.

In the last of our Back to School episodes, Jared and Dani talk with Nicole Johnson, UEN Admin Assistant extraordinaire, about her experiences as a student during COVID. As part of the conversation we cover topics such as: what COVID required of students, how schools and educators fared providing instruction during distance learning, and what schools can do to help support students if classes go online in the upcoming school year.