LA PUENTE, CA – More than 700 southern California educators took a peek at virtual reality headsets, hovering drones and bee coding robots during San Gabriel Valley’s Computer-Using Educators (CUE) conference on Oct. 14 hosted at Bassett High School.

Bassett High School math teacher Bruce Durflinger, who has taught at the District for 32 years, had the opportunity to innovate his lessons and learn about the latest tools, technologies and teaching practices during the conference.

“Without opening my eyes to the bigger world of technology, I would’ve been more limited to what I could offer my students,” Bassett High math teacher Bruce Durflinger said. “There are so many great tools that students can use and I need to be prepared for my students to use these devices and programs.”

The daylong conference offered more than 150 workshops, including one led by Bassett Unified teachers on special assignment (TOSAs) Michael Jephcott and Tom Covington, highlighting the inner workings of their podcast, TOSAs Talk Tech, and capturing student voices through audio technology.

“CUE provides a community of innovative visionary expert teachers and leaders who are pushing the boundaries of education and exploring ways to be innovative,” keynote speaker Fullerton School District TOSA Ann Kozma said. “Michael and Tom are utilizing the power of their podcast to share the incredible things happening at Bassett Unified beyond the boundaries of the school district.”

Workshops showcased digitized learning materials and platforms to boost classroom technology interaction for every subject throughout all grade levels, including programs to improve reading and math comprehension, green-screen projects and animation.

“Thank you to CUE for bringing together innovative, educational thinkers who all have the same goal in strengthening our students’ academics and ensuring their success,” Bassett Unified Interim Superintendent Debra French said. “This conference provided an opportunity for our teachers and educators to refresh their skills and connect with like-minded professionals.”

Presenters showcased Bassett High’s state-of-the-art technology in modernized classrooms, featuring 80-inch interactive display boards, surround-sound audio equipment that amplifies teacher and student voices, and flexible modular desks and chairs that foster collaboration. Touchscreen displays enhanced workshops by providing presenters with an actual example on using digital platforms and applications on high-tech equipment.

Bassett High leadership students were guiding attendees to different workshops, showcasing their school and its technology.

“Bassett is more advanced in tech than any other school in the area,” Bassett High senior Antonio Alvarado said. “It feels good knowing that Bassett’s preparing us for college.”

PHOTO CAPTIONS:

110117_BASSETT_CUE1: Bassett Unified Technology Integration TOSA Michael Jephcott explains how to record a podcast using a smartphone application while leading a workshop on the power of audio in the classroom, highlighting the tools and equipment used in their TOSAs Talk Tech podcast during the San Gabriel Valley CUE conference on Oct. 14 at Bassett High.

110117_BASSETT_CUE2: An education technology presenter uses Bassett High’s state-of-art technology, including touch screen displays, enhancing workshops by providing an actual example on utilizing digital platforms and applications on high-tech equipment during the San Gabriel Valley CUE conference on Oct. 14 at Bassett High.