UTOPSS Conference

Presenter

Gabriel Marquez (Red Mountain High School, Arizona)

About the Presenter

Gabriel Marquez has been teaching at Red Mountain High School in Mesa, Arizona, for 29 years, including 25 years teaching psychology. He began teaching AP Psychology in 2004 and now teaches psychology exclusively, helping students discover how psychological concepts connect to their everyday lives.

Gabe’s involvement with AP Psychology extends well beyond the classroom. He has served as an AP Reader, Table Leader, Question Leader, and, most recently, Exam Leader at the AP Reading. He also recently completed a five-year term on the AP Psychology Development Committee. He especially values the collaborative community of psychology teachers and their willingness to share ideas, resources, and experiences.

Outside the classroom, Gabe enjoys playing guitar and coaching track. He is the proud father of three daughters and grandfather of one with another grandchild on the way.

From Research to Reality: Bringing Current Psychology Studies into the Classroom

Have you ever come across a fascinating psychology study that feels especially relevant to your students and their lives? Or had a student ask a question that led you to research that would make a great lesson? In this session, we’ll explore how to turn current psychology research into engaging classroom experiences that build students’ critical-thinking and research skills. Learn ways to help students evaluate research, make meaningful connections to psychological concepts, and even conduct their own correlational studies. We’ll also explore appropriate ways to use AI to make the process more manageable for teachers.

Presenter

Dr. David Feldon (Utah State University)

About the Presenter

Dr. David Feldon is a professor of instructional technology and learning sciences at Utah State University and vice provost for graduate studies.  He has published over 75 peer-reviewed journal articles on teaching and learning mechanisms in K-12 and postsecondary education—especially related to the development of expertise and the interactions between cognition and motivation.  He is also a Fulbright scholar a fellow of the American Educational Research Association, and an assistant wrestling coach at Olympus High School.

Cognitive Load Theory: Impacts for Teachers and Students

In this talk, we’ll discuss how human cognitive architecture shapes the ways that we learn, the principles of effective instruction, and their implications for us all as learners. Specifically, you will learn about how cognitive load shapes what we retain, what we do not, and how likely we are to rely on tacit or automated knowledge that operates outside of our awareness, shaping our ability to act as experts.

Presenter

David L. Rockwood, Ed.D. (Nebo School District)

About the Presenter

Dr. David Rockwood has been teaching psychological science and pedagogy since 2003 at both the high school and university levels. He holds degrees from BYU and the University of Utah in psychological science, educational leadership, and the science of teaching and learning. He is also a published author and has presented at workshops and conferences across the country. In addition to his decades of classroom teaching experience, David has been a school administrator for six years and currently serves as the data and assessment director for the Nebo School District where he is equal psychometrician, data scientist, communicator, data coach, leader, and data detective.

Psychometrics in the Wild: Measuring Reading, Academic Growth, and School Performance in Utah

You know all that stuff we teach our students about measurement, validity, statistics, and interpreting data? What happens when those same principles are used to make consequential decisions about students, schools, and our own profession?

In this session, we'll examine how Utah measures “reading on grade level” and academic growth, and how those measures are used to judge overall school performance through the state's school accountability system. (Spoiler: None of these operate quite the way you think they do.) Along the way, we'll explore what these measurements actually measure, what can legitimately be inferred from them, and what happens when imperfect statistics become the basis for high-stakes decisions.

Participants will leave with a more sophisticated understanding of educational measurement, and, hopefully, a renewed appreciation for the importance of the psychometric principles we teach our students.

Presenter

T.J. Bertrand (Timpanogos High School)

About the Presenter

T.J. Bertrand teaches at Timpanogos High School and has been an AP teacher for 15 years, including 12 years teaching AP Psychology. He has served as an AP Reader since 2019 and plans to continue for as long as he can. T.J. especially values the professional development and connections with educators from across the country that come from participating in the AP Reading. Of course, he may be a little biased. He thinks Utah has the best group of psychology teachers around!

Presenter

Krystal Haslett (Cyprus High School)

About the Presenter

Now in her ninth year in education, Krystal has taught AP Psychology for five years, along with Psychology, Sports Psychology, and mathematics at the middle and high school levels. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in applied mathematics from BYU-Idaho and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Western Governors University.

Krystal has taught in New Mexico, Ogden, and now Granite School District and is passionate about mental health and education. Outside the classroom, she enjoys sports and the outdoors and has completed a full Ironman and two half Ironman triathlons.

AP Psychology Reading: How it Truly is a Great Experience

Although the AP Reading may sound miserable on paper, it’s actually one of the best professional development experiences you can have as an AP teacher!

Hear two perspectives: one from a teacher who recently attended the AP Reading for the first time and another from an experienced Reader who has seen the Reading evolve through different exam formats. Learn what the experience is really like, what makes it so valuable, and why you might just find yourself wanting to become an AP Reader too.