Episode Details

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. It is one of the highest and most prestigious honors given each year, recognizing school districts who are transforming education through the use of cutting-edge technology like artificial intelligence in the classroom. Competing against school districts from all corners of the world, Jordan School District was a top 2024 winner in the International Society for Technology in Education or ISTE Awards.

On this episode of the Supercast, we talk to members of the Digital Learning team helping Jordan be a changemaker, shaping the future of education with the proactive and innovative use of technology.

We're here at the Salt Palace today on the last day of the UCET Conference to talk with a couple of the participants from Jordan School District, and when I say participants, they were a serious part of what's happening here and will be going into the future. So introduce yourselves and talk a little bit about your role here at UCET.

Kiera Beddes:
Hi everybody, my name is Kiera Beddes. I'm on the Digital Teaching and Learning team, and I'm also on the UCET Board, and what Dr. Godfrey was hinting at, going forward, I'm going to be the UCET President. So next year's conference I'll be heavily involved in, and this year's conference I obviously worked with the board to help organize everything and to see this fine event as you have now experienced.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yes, I've experienced it for a couple of years in a row now, and it really is fabulous, and I love the number of Jordan School District teachers and coaches and district personnel that I run into in the hallway. We have really good representation.

Kiera Beddes:
Yeah, it's almost like a family reunion, because like every corner you turn you're like, “it's someone else from my district”, and it's amazing. And speaking of people in our district, our other guest today.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yes, Krista.

Krista Gibbons:
I'm Krista Gibbons. I'm a teacher and a coach, and this is my first year I came and actually presented. So I always love coming to UCET and all the wonderful things you learn here, but I braved out this time and I decided to do a presentation on coaching.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell everyone what your role looks like in Jordan School District before we talk more about what you did here at the conference.

Krista Gibbons:
Yeah, for sure. So I am a virtual middle school teacher at the new JVLA Academy. So I work with a lot of students in the online virtual environment, which is tons of fun. And then I'm also a coach at my school and digital specialist at my school.

Anthony Godfrey:
And I heard you packed them in today at your presentation. Tell me about that.

Krista Gibbons:
I did. It was actually very surprising for me. I thought I was going to be in a small room with a couple of people. And then all of a sudden it was a huge room. I had around 100-plus people that were in there, which is amazing to realize how important coaching is and how it is a field you can rely on others. So that was fun. But yeah, it was a packed house. It made me a little nervo