Innovative Training for Everyday Heroes: University of Wyoming on the use of Virtual Practice for the next Generation of Educators

The newest installment of the AACTE/Mursion Education Roundtable series features high school students using VR to demonstrate their curriculum-building skills for a chance at a scholarship. 

On April 13, Sue Wiley, Business Development Director for Education at Mursion, will host Lindsay Freeman and Colby Gull from the University of Wyoming to discuss the WYTeach Contest. During the session, the group will discuss this innovative project and how the team is using Mursion VR Simulations to recreate the classroom environment and replicate a real-world teaching experience. 

In this pilot program, 48 students from six districts competed in the initial round (five Wyoming districts and one from Colorado). From there, 12 were chosen for the semifinal round. The top three students chosen will be awarded a scholarship to the University of Wyoming or a Wyoming Community College of their choosing.

Lindsey Freeman is a temporary assistant lecturer in the School of Teacher Education at the University of Wyoming (UW), where she teaches courses in Agricultural Education. Lindsey brings fresh experience from the field of secondary education as she has served as a middle school and high school agricultural education teacher and FFA advisor in Wyoming’s rural schools. Lindsey spends time in the summers mentoring agricultural youth through her role as the director of Wyoming FFA Leadership Camp. Lindsey enjoys teaching and learning with new methods and technology. Recently, integrating computer science into agricultural education has become an interest. Lindsey is passionate about progressing agricultural education to remain an integral component of the holistic secondary education curriculum.

Dr. Colby Gull grew up in central Utah, where he took part in high school sports, music, and student council. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from Southern Utah University in Elementary Education and Special Education. While teaching special education at Cedar High School in Cedar City, Utah he earned his Master’s degree in Education Leadership, also from Southern Utah University.

The board of trustees of Challis School District appointed Colby as principal of Challis Elementary in Challis, Idaho, where he worked for one year. After his initial year as principal, the board appointed him as superintendent of schools in Challis. Following a five-year term as superintendent in Challis the board of trustees of Uinta County School District #6 hired him as the superintendent of schools in Lyman, Wyoming. Colby earned his doctoral degree in educational leadership from Idaho State University. Currently, Colby is the Managing Director of the Trustees Education Initiative at the University of Wyoming.