Presented by DeLaina Tonks, Director, Mountain Heights Academy with Mountain Heights Academy students: Donna Trane, Kyana Trane, Kate Larson, and Emma Davis
Hosted by Christine Fox, Deputy Executive Director, SETDA
Sponsored by SETDA

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Bee-come familiar with Bees! Come and learn how SETDA’s 2017 Student Voices Award Winner, Mountain Heights Academy – an online, public charter school –  encourages students to participate in the instructional design process using an OER curriculum. In this edWebinar, see how four students created original content about pollinators and are working hard to spread their message across the United States. Join us to see how these students worked together and used technology to create, share, and have an impact.

Teachers, please watch this recording with your students to this inspirational presentation by a group of energetic and creative students who will engage you in their project to support bees. Student viewers must view the program with their teacher. If you register, you’ll receive a link to the recording if you would like to show it to your class at another time. Administrators, curriculum directors, and all educators are invited to watch this event.

About the Presenters

DeLaina Tonks has been involved in education since 1991 and has been the director at Mountain Heights Academy, the top-rated digital school in Utah, since 2009. She also taught high school French and Spanish and worked as an instructional designer in Upper Arlington, Ohio for over a decade. She is a 2014 “Best of State – Principal” winner and was named as one of Utah Business’s “30 Women to Watch.” She is scheduled to graduate with a PhD in Instructional Psychology and Technology from Brigham Young University next year. She also holds a Master of Arts in Second Language Acquisition from the Ohio State University and a Bachelor of Arts in French and Spanish Teaching from BYU. She is passionate about leveraging technology’s promise to improve education.

Donna Trane is in 9th grade and she lives in Uintah Basin Utah, in a little town called Myton. She has attended Mountain Heights Academy for two years. She enjoys the flexible schedule because it allows her to focus on dance, singing, acting, violin, and riding horses. In 2016, she and her team placed second in the state in the e-cybermission science contest.

Kyana Trane is in 9th grade and lives in the Uintah Basin in Utah. She is currently in her second year at Mountain Heights and participates in a variety of extra-curricular activities such as dance, violin, singing, acting, drawing, and riding horses. In 2016, she and her team placed second in the state in the e-cybermission science contest.

Kate Larson, 14, is from Cedar Hills, Utah and has been attending Mountain Heights Academy for three years. She is a National Junior Honor Society member, the president of the STEM Club, and has received the President’s Volunteer Service Award. In 2016, she and her team placed second in the state in the e-cybermission science contest.

Emma Davis, 14, lives in Sandy, UT, just south of Salt Lake City. She is currently in 9th grade and started at Mountain Heights Academy in 7th grade, partially because of her participation in a competitive swim team and a tramp and tumbling team. She likes Mountain Heights because it is more flexible for her schedule. She can do more with her time and can do it anywhere with WiFi.

About the Host

Christine Fox is the deputy executive director for SETDA. As Deputy Executive Director, she collaborates with the executive director in charting strategic direction, administration, planning and financial decisions involving SETDA. She also facilitates the members’ professional learning opportunities including planning and implementing the content for SETDA’s virtual and in-person events and newsletters. In addition, she manages many of SETDA’s research and product development projects from conception to publication. The management of such projects includes coordinating data collection from all states, supervising consultants and staff, ensuring member input and supervising the publishing process. Recent publications and projects include Navigating the Digital Shift, Digital Instructional Materials Acquisition Policies for States, OER Case Studies: Implementation in Action, The Broadband Imperative and From Data to Information. Christine’s background includes experience in education and consulting. She has worked as an educational consultant and curriculum developer for a national whole school reform model, ESOL coordinator and 3rd grade teacher. Christine has a Masters of Science in teaching English as a second language from Florida International University and received her bachelor’s degree in English literature from Florida State University.

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The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit membership association launched by state education agency leaders in 2001 to serve, support and represent their emerging interests and needs with respect to the use of technology for teaching, learning, and school operations. Our current work is guided by a strategic plan, Leading, Inspiring and Empowering: The 2013-16 SETDA Strategic Plan, adopted by the SETDA Board of Directors in October 2012 after extensive consultation with the membership. The SETDA mission is to build and increase the capacity of state and national leaders to improve education through technology policy and practice.

Listen to the Podcast

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