Bethany’s blog was recently listed as one of EdTech Magazine’s 50 K-12 IT Blogs to Read. She was named a finalist in EdTech Digest’s 2017 Awards in the School Leader category and was listed as one of the top 100 Flipped Learning teachers world-wide. Bethany was recently awarded the VFW National Citizenship Teacher of the Year Award for VFW Post #5741 and for VFW District 8 in Missouri. She was honored with the Outstanding Young Educator Award for the Midwest Educational Technology Community (METC) in 2019 and the Secondary Teacher of the Year Award for the Missouri Council for the Social Studies (MCSS) in 2020. She has published posts on Edutopia, Fractus Learning, Sophia Learning, and Whooo’s Reading, and has presented at multiple technology conferences, workshops, and seminars around the country. 

Bethany graduated from Southeast Missouri State University in 2008 with her BSEd in Secondary Education with a Social Studies concentration. She graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2011 with her Masters in Teaching and Learning. She has earned additional hours in History from Missouri State University.

Bethany is a Google Certified Teacher, Google Certified Trainer, Apple Teacher, Nearpod PioNear, and an EDpuzzle Pioneer. Bethany conducts professional development sessions in her school district and the surrounding area.

Bethany, her husband, Issac, and their daughters, Hanna and Molly live in Missouri.

Using Google Classroom to Enhance Learning (Full-Day Workshop)

• During this full-day workshop, Bethany shares tips, tricks, strategies, and best practices for using Google Classroom to enhance instruction. In addition to Google Classroom, participants also learn how to use other technology intentionally in their classroom to benefit learning. Participants gain access to a Google Classroom section filled with templates, strategies, and other resources they can use in their classrooms immediately!

O-M-Google Chrome (1 or 3 hour)

• So, you think you know Google Chrome, but do you? This session focuses on how teachers can get the most out of their Chrome user experience, including shortcuts, browser tips, and menus, as well as extensions teachers can use in their classroom. The extended length workshop includes best practices for using GSuite tools, focusing on Forms, Slides, Sheets, Drawings, Sites, and Docs,

Top Tech Tools for the Classroom (1 or 3 hour)

• Bethany shares her top FIVE (plus a bonus, or two) tools that she uses in her classroom. Participants will view each tool from the perspective of their students to understand how their students will interact with the tool (and be able to offer troubleshooting as needed!) and from the teacher perspective while they experiment with the tool to determine how it can be used in their classroom. This is a high-energy presentation! Participants will leave with an activity they can immediately use in their classroom!

Using Nearpod to Increase Engagement(1 or 3 hour)

• Nearpod is an amazing platform for teachers to use as they deliver engaging, interactive presentations that make lessons come to life! This session focuses on how teachers can create their own Nearpod lessons as well as take advantage of the existing lessons that Nearpod offers in their library. Embed activities and additional content into any lesson to increase student engagement and provide teachers with excellent data to drive instruction. 

Designing and Utilizing Digital BreakoutEDU (1 or 3 hour)

• Have your students ever worked as a team to solve tough problems that require grit, resilience, and content knowledge? No? Try a BreakoutEDU game! While BreakoutEDU activities can require a physical kit with a variety of locks, teachers can also create their own BreakoutEDU activities with free tools including Google Sites and Forms. This session will focus on how teachers can create their own activities, as well as locate and modify existing games for their students.

Increasing Student Engagement through Collaboration (1 hour)

• Collaboration is an essential skill for our students and the classroom is a great place to practice! This session focuses on how teachers can design lessons and activities that encourage collaboration and communication among students. Collaboration activities lead to increased engagement and a deeper understanding of content!

Motivating Students During Distance Learning (1 hour)

• How do we motivate our students? That’s the million-dollar question, isn’t it? While no one has the perfect answer to this question and we’re all doing what we can to encourage our students, we can utilize a variety of strategies and activities to increase and encourage motivation in our classroom. This session will provide teachers with specific strategies and a “game plan” that they can use immediately in their classroom.

Creating Your Distance Learning Classroom (1 or 3 hour)

• Education during the COVID pandemic has helped to show the world how creative and flexible teachers are. In early Spring of 2020, teachers everywhere made the world’s biggest “pivot” when we almost immediately changed our instructional strategies and activities to meet our students where they were, which was online, in this situation. This session focuses on tools and strategies that teachers can use to continue designing meaningful learning experiences, no matter where their classroom is.

F.I.E.R.C.E. Teaching Keynote (1 hour)

• What does it mean to be a FIERCE teacher? Throughout this motivating keynote, teachers will interact with Bethany and their fellow attendees to reflect upon who they are as a teacher and how to continue growing to become even better for their students. Teachers will leave this keynote energized and ready to be FIERCE!