HAVE YOU HEARD _ Teachers from around the country are coming together this week in Alaska for the 2025 Iditarod EDU Winter Educators Conference! This conference is extremely impactful for those who already use the race and those who want to get started. Not only are you in a room surrounded with others who are passionate about the Iditarod and education, but you get to spend several days together filled with new ideas and memorable experiences. My first conference was in June 2023 and I took 19 pages of notes. I always learn something new and find creative ways to get students excited about learning! Tuesday February 25th kicked off the four day conference at Coast Inn at Lake Hood with several incredible speakers.
Here are a few highlights from Day 1:
2025 Iditarod Teacher on the Trail™- That’s me! I got the teachers up and moving through a scavenger hunt activity that helps students learn more about the checkpoints. Checkpoint information was posted around the room (one checkpoint per page with a small amount of information and a picture) and a couple of maps of the route, then teachers needed to use the clues to eliminate checkpoints until they reached one specific checkpoint. Teachers and students both like getting up and moving around!
2023 Iditarod Teacher on the Trail, Juli Westrich- Juli shared some fun memories from her time on the trail, such as Hunter Keefe singing and dancing on his dogsled while going down the trail and Jessie Holmes shouting “pizza!” out the door of Peace on Earth restaurant in Unalakleet so he could share his pizza with the local kids. She then had teachers analyze photos of Alaskan artifacts in a small group. Each person had a different photo and using prompts, such as “What do you see?”, “What makes you think that?”, and “What more can you find?”, the teachers started a deep conversation. The Anchorage Museum is a great resource for finding photos that represent Alaskan culture.
2015 Teacher on the Trail, Erin Montgomery- Erin shared several AI tools that can be used in unique ways when tied with the Iditarod. She introduced us to schoolai.com by starting an AI conversation with “Joe Redington”, the Father of the Iditarod, who passed away in 1999. On Briskboost, we had the chance to “debate” whether or not we agreed with modern technology and how it can be used in the race while using text evidence from a specific article. She also showed us NotebookLM, where she added an article from the Iditarod website, then a podcast was created through AI. It’s amazing what can be done with the help of technology!
Jeff Schultz- Jeff is a photographer who started working with the Iditarod in 1981. His photos are breath taking and he took the time to teach us ways that we can use cameras to take better photos. He taught us about the rule of thirds, a technique to find the best placement in a photo by dividing the image in nine equal parts (3×3 area model). He showed us many photos and how just a small adjustment could improve the photo immensely.
Jon and Jona Van Zyle- Jon is the official artist of the Iditarod and an Iditarod veteran from 1976 and 1979. For 49 years, he has created the Official Iditarod Poster, which has a different theme each year. This will be his last year for creating the posters. He feels it is a good place to stop… 49 years, 49 posters, and Alaska is the 49th state. 🙂 Jon pointed out that all working dogs have a similar mentality. He enjoyed running dogs for the adventure. His lovely wife of 26 years, Jona, said, “dogs are like potato chips.. you can’t have just one!”
Liz Millman- Liz is a veterinarian and former return dog coordinator for the Iditarod. She spoke with us about sled dog training and vet care. From the moment they are born, sled dogs are handled and loved on which starts the strong relationship between the dogs and people. As the dogs get older, they will move outside, then get into their first harness around 9 months old. Once training on the trail starts, the dogs learn that when they see straw, it means a good time to take a nap, and when food is set down, it’s a good time to eat! Often you can spot a younger sled dog during a race, because while the other dogs are laying down and resting, the young pups are sitting up, looking around, and too excited to sleep. 🙂 Liz explained the process for qualifying for the Iditarod from the veterinarian side, where even if you finished a qualifying race, the Race Marshall and Race Vet must also approve based on the musher’s self care and the care of the dogs. Once it’s close to race time, all dogs get a very thorough and lengthy exam. They are given the proper vaccines, de-worming, ulcer prevention, etc. to ensure that the dogs are ready to go!
I’d love to hear from you! Email me at emailtheteacher@iditarod.com
