UEN Professional Development Staff Information

Justin Brooksby
Associate Director

801-581-5366
justin [at] uen [dot] org (Email Justin )

Justin manages the professional development department at UEN. His expertise is in instructional design, technology integration, learning strategies, and process improvement. He began his career as a network designer for Cisco Systems in 2000. Justin started working at the University of Utah in 2005 in Business and Auxiliary Services and in 2013 he joined the Utah Education Network. During Justin’s career he has implemented several training programs designed to increase learning comprehension and improve customer service strategies. His work at UEN includes, the Utah Education Technology Endorsement Program, Leadership in Personalized and Digital Learning for school principals, professional development opportunities and Canvas LMS. Justin strives to create positive working relationships with school districts, libraries, Utah State Office of Education, Utah System of Higher Education and educational partners in order to improve student education in the state of Utah. Justin has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and a Master of Education degree in Instructional Design and Educational Technology from the University of Utah.

Nicole Johnson
Content Specialist

801-585-9038
njohnson [at] uen [dot] org (Email Nicole)

Nicole specializes in educational technology tools for school counselors and provides academic planning and advising for teachers looking to complete the Educational Technology Endorsement. She holds a Master’s in Educational Psychology / School Counseling from the University of Utah and has worked as an Academic Advisor, School Counselor, and a College/ Career Advisor in all K-12 settings. Nicole is passionate about helping School Counselors deliver comprehensive school counseling programs and increasing equitable student outcomes through technology.

Rob Bentley
Senior Technology Trainer
Product Manager for Adobe

801-585-6828
rob [at] uen [dot] org (Email Rob )
Twitter

Rob specializes in multimedia projects and resources for the classroom. He focuses on how teachers can effectively use video, images, and other media to teach their students, and also how to get students creating exciting media of their own such as educational computer games, animations, mashups, comics, zooming presentations, infographics, and much more. Rob also teaches courses that help teachers learn the basics of computer usage. Previously Rob taught Spanish and language arts in Granite School District. His Bachelors degree is in Spanish education with an English minor, and he also holds a Masters in Instructional Design and Educational Technology from the University of Utah.

Katie Blunt
Senior Technology Trainer
Product Manager for eMedia

801-585-7905
kblunt [at] uen [dot] org (Email Katie )

Katie Blunt is the UEN product manager over eMedia and the UEN Film Festival. She enjoys helping educators develop digital teaching, learning, and leadership skills. Previously, Katie worked as an Educational Technology Specialist for the Canyons School District and taught sixth grade in the Jordan School District. She served as president of the Utah Coalition for Educational Technology from 2015-2016. She has a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy and a master’s in Instructional Design and Educational Technology from the University of Utah. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Brigham Young University. Katie has K-12 administrative licensure and teaching endorsements in ESL, Ed Tech, Keyboarding, and Multimedia. She is an ISTE, Apple, Nearpod, and Google certified educator.

Jami Gardner
Senior Technology Trainer
Product Manager for Nearpod

801-587-2178
jgardner [at] uen [dot] org (Email Jami )
Twitter

Jami Gardner is passionate about helping teachers use the 4Cs in the classroom by implementing digital portfolios and educational escape rooms. She also enjoys working with teachers to effectively use Canvas LMS and integrate digital citizenship. Her instructional style is based on principles of andragogy and helping teachers make the most of their professional learning. Jami is ISTE Certified and has a Master’s Degree in Instructional Design and Educational Technology from the University of Utah. Prior to joining UEN, Jami was a high school Business and Financial Literacy teacher.

Val O'Bryan
Senior Technology Trainer
Product Manager for Canvas

801-213-8794
val [at] uen [dot] org (Email Val )

Val specializes in instructional design and is passionate about helping educators improve the design of their online courses. She earned a doctorate from Kansas State University in curriculum and instruction, and a Master's of English in Writing, Rhetoric, and Digital Media Studies from Northern Arizona University. She most recently worked as an English teacher and concurrent enrollment instructor in Washington County School District.

Dani Sloan
Senior Technology Trainer
Product Manager for Utah's Online Library

801-581-5382
dani [at] uen [dot] org (Email Dani )
Twitter

Dr. Dani Sloan is the UEN Product Manager over Utah's Online Library and Leadership training. She is enthusiastic about helping educators develop their leadership capacity, expand their research skills, and integrate digital citizenship into their daily teaching practice. Before working for UEN, Dani was a School Technology Specialist and Elementary Teacher for the Granite School District. She currently serves on Utah's Digital Wellness, Citizenship, and Safe Technology Commission and was previously the president of the Utah Coalition for Education Technology. She has a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy, a Master’s in Instructional Design and Educational Psychology, and a Bachelor’s in Elementary Education from the University of Utah, where she is currently an Adjunct Instructor for the IDET Program. Dani has a K-12 administrative license and an EdTech Endorsement. She is an ISTE Certified Educator and a Certified Educational Technology Leader (CETL).

Kayla Towner
Senior Technology Trainer
Product Manager for Utah's Online Library

801-587-2248
kayla [at] uen [dot] org (Email Kayla )
Twitter

Kayla Towner is passionate about implementing learning that focuses on student agency, which means providing students with more choices and ways to show competency. She also enjoys working with Canvas LMS and integrating Microsoft Office tools. Kayla is ISTE Certified and has a Master’s Degree in the Arts of Teaching from Westminster College. Prior to joining UEN, Kayla was an elementary school teacher in Utah and South Korea. Overall, Kayla is enthusiastic about getting students excited through technology and guiding them to critically and creatively think.

Matthew Winters
Senior Technology Trainer
Product Manager for Google

801-585-5667
mwinters [at] uen [dot] org (Email Matthew )

Matthew Winters is passionate about applying student choice, personalized learning, and competency based learning through technology to all levels of education. He holds a Master's in Curriculum and Instruction and a Master's in English Language and Literature. He most recently worked as an Instructional Technology Coach, English Language Arts, yearbook, and creative writing teacher in Weber School District. He is passionate about developing students' technology literacy alongside curriculum through use of digital media production, digital art, podcasting, and AR/VR projects. He has presented around the world as a teacher including travel to many US states, Ireland, Turkey, and Japan.