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Educator's Edge

August 2024

NEW SCHOOL YEAR WELCOME We welcome all North Dakota educators to the 2024-2025 school year. We wanted to inform new educators that this Educator's Edge newsletter is disseminated to all ND teachers every other month throughout the year. It is a collaborative effort led by the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction (NDDPI) between multiple education organizations in the state. For anyone unfamiliar with the NDDPI, click here for a one-page handout.  It should be an eventful year with the upcoming elections and ND Legislative session beginning in January 2025. This year's hot topics include using AI in the classroom, addressing the ND teacher shortage, and implementing our new ND A-PLUS statewide assessment. Click here for a list of additional updates on key initiatives.

Teachers,

Have you considered becoming a National Board-Certified Teacher (NBCT) and earning the most respected professional certification available for teachers? National Board Certification is designed to develop, retain, and recognize accomplished teachers. Some districts provide a stipend for NBCT, and ESPB provides an annual stipend and support for Board Certification fees. National Board Certification also satisfies the reeducation requirements for ND license renewal. View the brochure for additional details or call ESPB for more information at (701) 328-9641.

Free Professional Development Book Study for Members of ND United

Teaching with AI: A Practical Guide to a New Era of Human Learning When: September 9, 2024 What: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing how we learn, work, and think. Its integration into classrooms and workplaces is already underway, impacting and challenging ideas about creativity, authorship, and education. In this groundbreaking and practical guide, teachers will discover how to harness and manage AI as a powerful teaching tool. For more information, click here.

Rewire Your Anxious Brain: How to Use the Neuroscience of Fear to End Anxiety, Panic, Worry When: September 16, 2024 What: Do you ever wonder what is happening inside your brain when you feel anxious, panicked, and worried? In the book Rewire Your Anxious Brain, psychologist Catherine Pittman and author Elizabeth Karle offer a unique, evidence-based solution to overcoming anxiety based on cutting-edge neuroscience and research. For more information, click here.

Embracing AI in Education: North Dakota's New K-12 AI Guidance Framework In a rapidly evolving digital landscape, artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer just a buzzword—it's becoming an integral part of our daily lives, including education. Recognizing this shift, the NDDPI has introduced a new K-12 AI Guidance Framework designed to help schools navigate AI's complex and exciting world! Click here to read full article.

M2C National Board Certification Opportunity

The NDDPI's Office of Indian/Multicultural Education is excited to offer a unique opportunity for educators across our state. We are committed to supporting North Dakota educators in pursuing National Board Certification.  In partnership with COMPASS (formally Technology and Innovation in Education) and experts Dr. Scott Simpson and Sharla Steever, we will provide comprehensive candidate support to teachers, administrators, and counselors with at least three years of experience who are currently serving in our state's public or BIE schools. Participants will benefit from personalized mentoring, a series of retreats to guide their progress on the components, earn graduate credit for completed components. Additionally, the NDDPI will cover all associated costs. Educators who complete the certification will also receive a $1,500 stipend each year for the duration of their certificate. This is a wonderful opportunity to advance your professional development. If you are interested in participating, please contact Joann Stephens, Facilitator of Candidate Support.

The deadline for participating in our first Fall retreat, which will be held October 11-13, 2024, in Bismarck, is September 20.

Educator Pathway Program The Educator Pathway program is designed for high school students in North Dakota interested in pursuing a career in teaching. This program offers an opportunity to take college-level courses while still in high school, helping students prepare for a degree in education. Program Highlights: Dual Credit Courses: Students can choose from five classes that count for both high school and college credit. Eligibility: Available to any school district in North Dakota that wants to include these courses in their curriculum. Course Delivery: Courses can be taught by the school district’s teachers or professors from participating universities. How Do I Access It? For Administrators: Implementation: School districts interested in offering these courses should contact participating universities to discuss course delivery options. Support: Universities can help determine if the district can teach the courses or if university professors are needed. For Students and Parents: Enrollment: Students should express their interest to their school administrators or counselors. Encouragement: If the local school district does not offer the courses, encourage them to do so. Payment: The university system will submit an expense claim to the NDDPI Office of Specially Designed Services, which will cover the cost of the coursework. Contact Information: For more details, visit the NDDPI’s Educator Pathway webpage at Teaching ND - Education Pathway Project.

The Pathway to Becoming a Paraeducator Do you have students taking courses through the Educator Pathway Program? Students who take a combination of specific courses can earn a General or Special Education Paraprofessional certification. This opportunity provides a solid foundation in educational pedagogy and enables students to actively contribute to their communities. It signifies students' early dedication to the field of education and prepares them for a fulfilling career focused on teaching and nurturing students' development. These two opportunities differ from the requirements needed to receive Title I Paraprofessional Certification. For more information, please visit the Title I Paraprofessional Certificate of Completion or contact Lauri Nord. Click here to learn more.

Family Engagement Resource Family engagement has always been an important tool in building trust with families. As we struggle to close learning gaps and empower staff and students alike, it can also be a powerful tool to solve other problems, such as chronic absenteeism, student outcomes, engaging disengaged families, or reaching hard-to-reach students. This cohort was designed to help build a foundation of trust and assist in changing the culture of your organization, one conversation at a time. Their third-year hosting, Drs. Steve and Peggie Constantino offer a 2024 family engagement cohort through an online platform called Rocket PD. This year’s edition: How to use family engagement to solve urgent challenges in K-12 schools. Peggie and Steve will present several use cases in five virtual sessions and provide practical examples and ideas for turning your family engagement plan into an actionable resource for engaging students, building stakeholder trust, and improving academic outcomes.

North Dakota Soybean Education Mini-Grant Program

The North Dakota Soybean Council (NDSC) is awarding grants to elementary, middle and high school teachers; the awards are worth up to $500 and will be awarded on a competitive basis to support lessons related to soybeans or soy products. Applications can be submitted throughout the 2024–2025 school year. To learn more, click here. 

ND Kindergarten Association 2024 Fall Conference

The 24th Annual Kindergarten Conference is Saturday, October 5, 2024, hosted by Mandan Kindergarten Team.
Lakewood Elementary School, Mandan, ND. Lower-grade elementary teachers, reading teachers, and interventionists are welcome to join us for a day of learning about THE SCIENCE OF READING.

Updates on School Medicaid Providers and Policies

Click here to learn how School Psychologists can enroll as North Dakota Medicaid Providers and to view other changes to support school-based behavioral health services!

Calling all North Dakota STEM Educators

From researching Earth’s environment to designing experiments for lunar and planetary exploration, schools are invited to join NASA in its mission to inspire the world through discovery. The challenge is for students in grades 6-12 to team up and develop a science or technology experiment idea for the NASA TechRise flight vehicle, a High-Altitude Balloon with approximately four hours of flight time at 70,000 feet, exposure to Earth’s atmosphere, high-altitude radiation, and perspective views of our planet.

The contest opened in August 2024. For more information, click here.

Pets in the Classroom Grant Program

Pets in the Classroom is an educational grant program that provides financial support to teachers to purchase and maintain small animals in the classroom. The Pet Care Trust established the program to provide children with an opportunity to interact with pets, an experience that can help to shape their lives for years to come. To learn more, click here.

Fall 2024 Deafblind Online Training Modules

The North Dakota Dual Sensory
Project is pleased to announce
the Fall 2024 courses including “Open Hands, Open Access” (OHOA) modules.

Click here for more information or to register, click here. 

Attention PE Teachers

ND Society of Health and Physical Educators is excited to roll out the new Physical Education Content Standards at the Fall ND SHAPE conference, September 22-23, 2024, at Simle Middle School in Bismarck. Attendees can expect to learn new activities from nationally acclaimed professionals and ND state PE teachers of the year. The new standards will be examined, along with implementation strategies, lessons, and potential assessments. Conference attendees can apply for equipment grants and win equipment from the many exhibitors.

To learn more and register, click here.

Click here for an electronic version of the standards from the North Dakota CASE server that can be exported into PowerSchool. Further directions for this process can be found here on the content standards page.

Free Professional Development for All ND Educators

The NDDPI EL Programs Office is excited to provide FREE professional development opportunities for all ND educators! There are 12 free self-paced e-workshops ranging from one to four hours in length. All 12 courses are eligible for the 2024-25 EL Café Credit and are available from September 1, 2024, through August 1, 2025, in the WIDA Secure Portal. If you don’t have a Secure Portal account, your district’s EL Coordinator can create one. Click here to view this year's topics.

Earn a ND Specialist Trained in Dyslexia Credential for FREE 

North Dakota currently offers free online courses through AIM Institute that meet the requirements of the law for obtaining the ND Specialist Trained in Dyslexia Credential. Register soon as some courses have participant caps and registration deadlines. See this guidance form to explore pathways to earning the credential. If you have completed ND SoR: Reaching All Learners or LETRS Volumes 1 and 2 you are ready for Pathways to Structured Literacy.

Additionally, districts may apply for a specialist trained in dyslexia grant to receive up to $3,000 to support a staff member in earning this credential.  Find information and the application on the NDDPI Dyslexia Webpage. 

If you have questions, please reach out to Brenda Ehrmantraut at (701) 328-1809.

PD Opportunity for CareerViewXR Virtual Career Exploration

CareerViewXR offers a professional development course to help educators learn how to use CareerViewXR in schools. 

Click here to learn more. To register for PD credit through NDSU, click here. For questions, contact Lisa Metzger.

Picturing Writing Pumpkin Life Cycle Workshop

The ND Council on the Arts is partnering with CREA to offer ND educators a highly subsidized Picturing Writing Workshop experience. The registration deadline is Thursday, September 5. For more information and to register, click here.

Registration Closes Soon for Two Free North Dakota Literacy Courses ND Literacy Professional Development This online coursework provided by AIM Institute aligns with the science of reading and the ND state requirement for professional learning for K-3 teachers and principals. ND Specialist in Dyslexia Credential Additionally, educators working toward their Specialist in Dyslexia Credential can advance with the Pathways to Structured Literacy course and become eligible for a practicum scholarship opportunity.   Registration is limited and closes once classes start on September 9, 2024. If you have any questions, please contact Brenda Ehrmantraut.

Grand Farm Invites Students & Educators to TechConnect 2024 Workshop

TechConnect 2024 is a free event offering exclusive insights into the autonomous industry. You'll connect with industry leaders from Bobcat, RDO, Aigen, Fenworks, and top institutions like NDSU, UND, and NDSCS. We encourage you to invite fellow educators, students, and curious minds to join us! Click here for more details.

• Date: Thursday, September 12, 2024
• Time: 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM (networking lunch: 12:30-1:30 PM)
• Location: Bonanzaville, 1351 Main Ave W, West Fargo, ND
• Ticket: FREE + lunch provided (registration required)
• Register Here: TechConnect Registration

If you have any questions, please contact Ruchi Bhardwaj at (701) 541-9340.