Curriculum Vita
Melanie Valentine Durfee
Business Address:
Cedar Middle School
2215 W. Royal Hunte Drive
Cedar City, UT 84720
(435) 586-2810
Email: melanie.durfee@ironmail.org
Home Address:
2173 W. Sunset Pointe Drive
Cedar City, UT 84720
(435) 592-5704
EDUCATION
Ph.D.
December 2018, expected PhD.
Curriculum and Instruction, Emphasis in Math Education and Leadership, Utah State University
Logan, UT
M.A.Ed.
May 2003
MED Learning and Technology, Western Governors University
Certificate
May 1991
Secondary English, Math, University of Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX
B.A.
May 1986
English, Brigham Young University
Provo, UT
RESEARCH
Research Interests:
 Integrating math into the social studies curriculum to help motivate students with interdependent beliefs to
choose mathematical-related careers
 Creating curriculum and establishing pedagogy that utilizes the existing social structures in classrooms to
motivate secondary students to achieve higher in math.
 Creating curriculum and establishing pedagogy that promotes social justice in math
The Utah Middle School Math Project (September, 2013 to present)
Piloted 7th grade math textbook, edited Chapter 4 of 7th grade text, compiled technology links for all 7 th and 8th grade
chapters, compiled research regarding usage of text throughout the nation
Presentations:
Durfee, M., Arp, M. (2014, November). Everything is Hard Before It’s Easy: Teaching effective responses to
setbacks. Utah Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Layton, UT
TEACHING
Employment:
Secondary School Math Teacher, Grade 7 (2013 to present)
Iron County School District, Cedar Middle School
Cedar City, UT
Responsibilities include planning and teaching 7th grade math and co-teaching 7th grade math with a certified special
education teacher and working collaboratively with academic and grade-level teams to coordinate remediation and
enrichment for students.
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Secondary School Teacher, Theatre, English, Computer Technology (2005 to 2013)
Iron County School District, Cedar High School
Cedar City, UT
Responsibilities included all aspects of running a high school theatre program (producing several major productions
yearly, coaching students as they prepared plays for publication, training all technical personnel, instructing students
on sewing and prop making), teaching English Common Core (11 th and 12th-grade), and teaching Computer
Technology (including piloting the Microsoft Office Certification programs).
Technology Trainer (1999 to 2005)
Southwest Educational Development Center
Cedar City, UT
Responsibilities included giving technology integration presentations in Beaver, Kane, Garfield, Iron, and
Washington counties using Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Dreamweaver, Photoshop, Pioneer Library and UEN on-line
tools; co-teaching with classroom teachers in south west Utah to model technology integration in a classroom setting;
and presenting technology integration with K12 core subjects at state and national conferences.
Secondary School Teacher, Grade 10, 11, 12 (1991 to 1997)
Jordan School District, Brighton High School
Salt Lake City, UT
Responsibilities included teaching 10th and 11th-grade English, journalism, and coaching the school newspaper staff,
The Barb.
Endorsements:
 Mathematics Level 4 (highest K-12 certification), Utah State University, May 2013
 Secondary Theatre (6-12), Utah State Office of Education, May 2008
 Computer Technology, IC3, Exam, May 2006
 Web Development, Exam, May 2003
SERVICE
American Institutes for Research (June, July, 2014)
Assisted in reviewing 7th grade SAGE math rubric and wrote test items for 7th grade SAGE math test
Referee:
NCTM’s Journal of Research in Mathematics Education - journal referee – January 2015 to present
Webmaster:
Utah Theatre Association
Professional and Academic Association Memberships:
 National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
 Utah Council of Teachers of Mathematics
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