Andy Rowse is a Bozeman-based designer, engineer, entrepreneur, AI-enthusiast, and father of three voracious readers. He was inspired to work on education software after witnessing the learning
challenges his own kids faced during COVID and afterwards. When not working on software, he enjoys skiing, 3d design/printing, games of all sorts, and volunteering at Monforton Public School (go Wildcats!).

Denise Rutledge is a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TSVI) at the Montana School for the Deaf and the Blind. She has worked at MSDB for over 20 years and has additional certifications in special education, Deafblindness and secondary social studies. She teaches a variety of subjects but has a passion for integrating assistive technology into the daily lives of her students.

Is the founder of the Collaborative Learning Network and a ninth-generation educator focused on educational facility planning, professional development of educators, and design support for future-flexible learning environments. He is the world’s first self-certified educational furniture whisperer- capable of coaxing the greatest potential out of the unruliest school furnishings. His global practice (6 continents, 32 countries, 42 US states) includes co-facilitating Harvard’s annual Learning Environments For Tomorrow Institute.

Megan Sanford has been the archives manager at The History Museum & Research Center since 2014. She has a B.A. in History from the University of Providence. Megan has also attained a Public History Certificate from the University of Montana. She is an active researcher in Montana history and serves on multiple historic preservation committees in the Great Falls community.

Dr. Schertz is a professor in the Teaching and Learning Department at the University of Montana. He is a philosopher of education by training. He teaches many courses for the department, which include our EDU 407: Ethics and Policy Issues and Methods for K-8 Social Studies.

Dax Schieffer is the Executive Director of the Montana Council on Economic Education. The mission of MCEE is to improve economic literacy of Montana's youth and Schieffer draws on nearly 20 years of private sector business including executive level experience.

Wendy Schultz, M.Ed. is a bilingual literacy specialist in her eighth year teaching Spanish and ELA at Jefferson High School. She earned a B.A. in Linguistics from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a Masters in Language Education from Rutgers University GSE, New Brunswick, NJ. She coauthored two scholarly publications concerning the methodology in general of comparative phonological reconstruction, of Proto-Chadic in particular. She has been continuously employed for 38 years teaching the English and Spanish languages and linguistics to all ages from preschoolers to postgraduates in the United States and Costa Rica. Her career began in 1988 teaching ESL to inmates at the Boulder (CO) County Jail, and to adult family members of public school students at the Lafayette site of CU's Family English Literacy Program. In Helena, Montana she taught Spanish in preschools, elementary and secondary schools, for Adult Education, and privately. In eight years’ legal full-time residency in Costa Rica, she trained Public School English teachers for the Ministry of Education, taught English and Linguistics for the University of Costa Rica and in K-12 schools, gave invited lectures and workshops (in Spanish & English) on second language acquisition and pedagogy and Columbia School Theory (CST), and taught Spanish privately. Upon return to U.S., she taught Spanish at a public MS/HS in southern VT for six years before her husband begged her to move back to Montana for their - ahem, HIS - golden years. Since 1995 she is a professional member of the Columbia School Linguistics Society (CSLS) and a practitioner of its Theory (CST) which thoroughly informs her pedagogy. Her presentation aims to inspire similar fascination with linguistics and, as a practical matter, demonstrate activities you can try with students that reduce error and hesitation in the production of language, first or second. She currently resides in Whitehall and - when not home reading, talking or thinking about linguistics - is probably playing volleyball, shooting pool, swimming in a river, or soaking in a local hot spring, with or without her husband, grown daughter in Butte, son in Bozeman.

Liz teaches Spanish and Journalism at Laurel Middle School in Laurel, MT.

Kelly is a passionate educator focused on creating accessibility to the arts, but especially to clay. They are the Education and Outreach coordinator at the Clay Studio of Missoula, having previously worked as a K-12 educator with experience teaching all ages, including adults and pre-k. Now operating as an administrator for Clay Studio of Missoula programming, they strive to make accessible opportunities for people in the Missoula area and wherever they are able to reach. They love working with educators to unlock the potential of the arts in the classroom, both for arts itself as a tool of expression, healing, and divergent thinking, and for its incredible ability to enhance the content of core subjects via integration.

Kelly is also a professional mixed media artist comfortable with a great variety of tools and techniques. Though their major focus is teaching and administration, they hope to soon have artwork on display in Missoula galleries.

Bethany Shehan is a high school math teacher at Glacier High School with 15 years of classroom experience. She has taught courses ranging from 7th grade math through Pre-Calculus. Since 2014, she has also served as an online instructor with Montana Digital Academy, working in the Original Credit, FlexCap, and IPC programs. Bethany is passionate about helping students build confidence and experience success in mathematics.

Kurt is in his 32nd year of teaching math at North Middle School in Great Falls. He spent his first 26 years teaching 7th and 8th grade math classes, 4 years teaching math intervention, and is currently in his second year of teaching 8th grade Financial Literacy. He is a Amplify Classroom Fellow (Cohort 5) and has presented on the Desmos, Polypad, and Amplify Classroom tools that he uses every day in his classroom at local, state, and national workshops.

Mark Shogren, Professor (Digital Filmmaking, Media Arts)
Mark Shogren graduated from the University of Washington School of Drama in 1997. After producing and directing several short documentaries, Mark was accepted into the Ohio University School of Film in 2000. Mark’s short film, Waterlillies (2004) was nominated for the prestigious Conrad Hall ASC Heritage Award for excellence in Cinematography. Mark’s films have been seen in numerous film festivals in both the United States and abroad including the Ohio Independent Film Festival, The DC Independent Film Festival and the Motovun Film Festival in Croatia. After Graduating from OU, Mark Moved to Washington D.C. where he continued to work as a cinematographer for short films and commercial projects as well as crewing on major television and Film projects such as the “West Wing” and HBO’s “The Wire”. In 2005 Mark relocated to NYC where he continued to work as a freelance filmmaker and teacher at Ramapo College of NJ. In 2006 Mark moved to Montana to teach in the University of Montana’s innovative School of Media arts where he became head of the undergraduate filmmaking area. Mark’s collaboration as cinematographer with his fellow Media arts faculty has resulted in several short films including The Leonard Suite Hotel (2008), directed by Professor Michael Murphy. The Leonard Suite Hotel received an award for editing and cinematography at the 5th annual Montana Cine International Film Festival. Career Opportunities in Poetry, (2008), directed by Professor Andrew Smith, was selected for screening as a part of the Cinema Lounge Series, sponsored by Film Independent, in Los Angeles and in October 2008 the film was selected for it’s festival debut in the Austin Film Festival. Mark recently served as cinematographer on the short film, “Be Again” which won Best Made in Montana Film at the 2010 Montana Cine International Film Festival.

I am an educator serving in Hardin, Montana, where I teach various STEM classes in a rural, American Indian‑serving high school. Born and raised in the Philippines, my journey from a small island classroom to the wide landscapes of Montana continues to shape my identity as an educator. I carry with me the belief that every learner deserves access to meaningful, hands‑on, and culturally responsive STEM experiences that honor their strengths, stories, and communities.

Throughout my career, I have focused on creating learning environments where curiosity is encouraged and students feel empowered to explore science with confidence. I coach students in statewide and national STEM competitions and facilitate educator workshops centered on NGSS‑aligned instruction, digital tools, and inclusive, community‑anchored pedagogy. These roles allow me to support both learners and fellow educators in building equitable, engaging STEM pathways.

In 2026, I was honored to receive the DISES Distinguished International Teacher Award, the DDEL Excellence in Professional Practice Award, and the Montana Environmental Education Association Formal Environmental Educator of the Year. These recognitions reflect the collective work of my students, colleagues, and community, who continually inspire me to teach with purpose and humility.

I am currently pursuing MEd in STEM Education, deepening my commitment to accessible and transformative learning. My story is one of movement, service, and gratitude—rooted in the hope that education can open doors for every student I meet.

My name is Tabitha Marie-Maust Smail and I have been an educator in Montana for 11 years. I graduated with my degrees in English and Spanish Education from MSUB and graduated with my Masters in Spanish Language Education from Southern Oregon University. I currently live in Helena, Montana and teach in East Helena. I earned my National Board Certification in 2025. I have presented professional development at the state, regional, and national level.