Student Spotlight: Kristine Nichols and Julia Talbert presented at the 2025 ISfTE Seminar in Norway

Two students from the Moyes School of Education, and recent graduates from the Graduate Studies in Education program, Kristine Nichols (left) and Julia Talbert (middle), represented our School at the International Society for Teacher Education (ISfTE) seminar at the University of Agder in Kristiansand, Norway. The trip was supported by the Office of Graduate Studies, Wright Endowment, and Teacher Education Department at Weber State University. They were accompanied by their chair, Dr. Katarina Anderson (right), and some of their committee members, Dr Ryan Cain, Dr Sara Gailey, and Dr Jessie Nixon, from the Teacher Education Department. 

Julia, who is an elementary school teacher in Weber School District, recently graduated with an M.Ed. with an emphasis on educational technology. For her thesis work, which she presented in Norway, she examined high-quality professional development on technology for teachers. Julia said that she really enjoyed paper groups at ISfTE, where she had the opportunity to collaborate with scholars from other countries and receive feedback on her paper. Visiting Norwegian schools made her realize that “kids are kids” no matter where you are in the world. 

Kristine, who is a fourth-grade elementary teacher at DaVinci Academy Flex in Kaysville, graduated with an M.Ed. with an emphasis on curriculum and instruction. Her research focused on teaching science in hybrid homeschooling environments while adopting NGSS and Utah SEEd Standards. Kristine’s favorite thing about attending ISfTE was the fact that she was “connecting with educators from all over the world, making friends and sharing ideas about education”. As a teacher, she enjoyed seeing that everyone wanted what was best for their students.

This is the second European travel for both Kristine and Julia, who both went to Finland, Estonia, and Sweden with the Teacher Education Study Abroad program in the past. 

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International Society for Teacher Education (ISfTE) is an independent organization of teacher educators. It is dedicated to the improvement of teacher education in all settings by fostering discussion, critical analysis, and dissemination of ideas from research and innovative practice in teacher education. Since 1981, the Society has met in different countries for an Annual Seminar lasting about five days, at which participants present papers for discussion in small groups, visit local schools, and learn from each other. The Seminars are based on a special format which encourages constructive dialogue on contemporary issues in teacher education and are accompanied by experiences which help participants to understand the educational environment of the host country. In 2026, the ISfTE annual seminar will be held in Adelaide, Australia. TED faculty are heavily involved with ISfTE. If you are interested in attending the seminar in the future, reach out for more information.