ND Curriculum Initiative

Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Assessment and Grading - June 10-11, 2009

Peg Portscheller

Stephen White

Peg Portscheller is the President of Portscheller & Associates, an education consulting firm dedicated to providing training, mentoring, performance coaching and on-site support to education leaders around the country. 

She previously served as the Chief Learning Officer for the Leadership and Learening Center, a nationally renowned education consulting and publishing company based in Denver and Boston.  In that capacity, Peg oversaw 50 consultants and the work they do with school districts across the country.

Peg has a breadth and depth of education leadership experience that is unequalled.  She is one of the few educators in the country who has been both a union leader, serving as a state president for two terms, and a superintendent.  In her tenure as both a teacher and a superintendent, Peg boasts “educator of the year” and “superintendent of the year” honors.

In the course of her “almost four decades” in education, Peg has taught at the middle and high school levels as well as in the higher education arena.  In addition, she has rich experiences in leadership, curriculum, instruction, staff development, assessment and data, and system reform.  She served for 15 years as a member of the board of McREL (Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning) and led their policy work during the reauthorization of the federal No Child Left Behind act.  Peg also served as the Executive Director of the Colorado Association of School Executives and as the Executive in Residence at Adams State in Colorado.

Peg is a skilled presenter, facilitator, speaker and trainer.  She has been active in the profession at all levels including having served as the state affiliate ASCD president in who different states as well as serving as a leader in Phi Delta Kappa, the American Association of University Women, and the American Association of School Administrators.

Peg is a native North Dakotan, having spent many years as a teacher and administrator in Minot, and serving as a two-term president of the North Dakota Education Association.

Her experiences in very diverse school systems give her credibility with all audiences and groups and her warmth and sense of humor put people at ease while inviting them to explore new possibilities.  As Peg puts it, “This is first and foremost a ‘business’ of the heart.  When the heart is engaged, the mind can deal with changes that need to be made in service to kids.”

Dr. Stephen White is an internationally known educational consultant whose expertise in data analysis, systems, leadership assessment, and school improvement are helping to change the way educators view themselves and manage data in an era of high-stakes accountability and testing.
He is the author of several books, including his Leadership Maps (in press, 2009), Beyond the Numbers, Show Me the Proof, and School Improvement for the Next Generation (in press, 2009). He has authored numerous articles, and two invited chapters for bestselling authors, including “Data on Purpose” in Ahead of the Curve (2007).  As a former superintendent and high school principal, Dr. White brings over 35 years of experience at all levels.  His home state is Montana and his education experiences have included work in Montana, Wyoming and Colorado. He has worked for Dr. Douglas Reeves since 2003.  He is the primary author of the PIM™ school improvement framework, the Leadership Map, and has reviewed over 2,300 school improvement plans since 2005.  He is active in his church, The Rock, Real Community, in Castle Rock, CO and lives with his lovely wife, Linda, and youngest of eight children, Jonathan.

Agenda_-_Draft.pdf

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Science and Mathematics - Rescheduled June 29-30, 2009

Anne Tweed

Kathleen Dempsey

Inquiry Science Instruction:  How can we make our lessons more inquiry based?
with Anne Tweed Principal Science Consultant at McREL and ND Liaison for the North Central Comprehensive Center

Inquiry-based instruction is a productive way to cultivate understanding of science concepts. Inquiry-based learning:
    Engages students in the lesson and arouses their interest.
    Promotes teamwork and making sense out of what seems mystifying.
    Prepares students to successfully defend findings before an audience of critics.
(Layman, Ochoa, & Heikkinen, 1996)
Begin by learning about research on effective inquiry science instruction. Review the five features of inquiry and then review sample lessons to see how inquiry based they are. We will use video clips to observe teachers implementing inquiry approaches to help their students learn.  Then we will look at practical ways that you can revise existing lessons to make them more inquiry-based.  We will model the process and then let participants practice on a lesson of their choice. Participants should bring a sample lesson to revise.
Anne Tweed is a Principal Science Consultant for McREL (Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning) and former president of the National Science Teachers Association. At McREL, Tweed provides professional development to science educators both nationally and internationally. Her work with the North Central Comprehensive Center includes serving as a consultant to the NDCI Steering Committee to support their ongoing professional development planning. Tweed has written numerous articles and publications related to issues in science education and she continues to support STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) initiatives.

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Engaging Students Mathematically K-12:
How can Teachers Motivate Students to Learn Mathematics?
    Investigate the research associated with how students learn mathematics
    Gain insights into how the classroom environment impacts student learning
    Investigate strategies to help student and parents understand the importance of mathematics
    Learn strategies to motivate students and build confidence for learning mathematics

Presenters: Lori Gibson, Janeen Norland, Judy Thomson and Kathleen Dempsey

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To register or for more information please visit http://ndcurriculuminitiative.org.

A block of rooms has been reserved for this event. Please make you reservations directly with the hotel.
Radisson Hotel
605 E Broadway Ave
Bismarck, ND 58501
701-255-6000

or

Expressway Inn & Suites
180 East Bismarck Expressway
BIsmarck, ND 58504
701-222-3311 or 1-888-774-5566

One graduate credit will be made available by attending both days of the conference. The credit will be EDUC 600 through North Dakota State University. The cost of this credit will be $50. A copy of the syllabus will be available at the conference.

Upcoming Events
June 10-11, 2009 ~ Topic: Assessment and Grading

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Adolescent Literacy - January 28-29, 2009

This NDCI-sponsored one-and-a-half-day workshop will highlight vocabulary instruction across content areas that support school and district goals in reading comprehension.  Learn from ND colleagues and adolescent literacy experts during this practical session designed for teachers and administrators.  Participants will also hear about coaching models that support reading and vocabulary development and discuss what a model might look like in your school or district.  Additional speaker updates and a detailed agenda will be forthcoming.  Dates of the event
are January 28th and 29th so mark your calendars now. 

Hotel: A block of rooms has been reserved for NDCI participants. Please call to reserve your room.
Best Western Doublewood Inn
1400 E Interchange Avenue
Bismarck, ND 58501
Telephone: 701-258-7000

Registration: To register, please click here or visit http://ndcurriculuminitiative.org/

Travel Assistance: Some assistance is available for sub costs, mileage, and lodging. Please see our Reimbursement Guidelines for more information.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Professional Development Opportunities for 2008-2009

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Common Core State Standards Initiative

Monday, February 01, 2010

Junior Achievement Opportunity for North Dakota Schools

JA Finance Park Online, Junior Achievement’s newest high school program, will be made available to schools in North Dakota at NO COST this spring! This innovative new program, focused on budgeting, money management and investments, features high quality classroom curriculum and a unique online simulation.
FP_Overview_(9).pdf
Sign_up_Form_JAFP_Online_09-10_Promo.doc

The Upper Midwest JA office is one of only two in the country that have developed this exciting delivery method and, thanks to generous funding support, they are able to offer this to North Dakota schools for no charge this spring (Typical cost is $46 per student).

Many schools are using this program with their economics students as it correlates nicely and/or in their business classes.

As part of the program, all teachers will receive a curriculum guide, students will receive workbooks and will utilize an online simulation to put all their learning to the test. However, a favorite is the simulation in which the students are each given a unique identity and have to make 19 financial choices (within their budget) and manage a stock portfolio… a demo of this is at http://www.jafp.org.

Thanks again to generous funding support, this program is being offered to participants throughout the state at no cost, on a first come, first serve basis. 

A program overview and sign up form is attached for your review. Any additional questions about this program or this unique opportunity, please contact Tami Reuter at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or Jennifer Bahti at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Friday, January 22, 2010

Summer Seminars In American History

Thursday, October 22, 2009

2010 Seminar Series: Soaring To New Heights

Monday, April 06, 2009

Materials Science and Technology Professional Development

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Fully-Funded Study Tour to Korea for Social Studies Educators!

The Korean Studies Workshop for American Educators, sponsored by the Korea Foundation, provides U.S. social studies educators with fully-funded study tours of Korea.  The workshop is designed to enhance mutual understanding between the people of Korea and the United States by inviting certain U.S. educators to visit Korea and then share their experiences with fellow Americans upon their return.  In the summer of 2009, up to 60 secondary school social studies educators from the United States will be selected to travel to Korea for the 12-day workshop.  The workshop will include lectures, tours to cultural and industrial sites, and a meeting with Korean educators and students. 

Organizations such as yours play an integral part in getting the word out to local educators about this opportunity.  We very much hope that your region can have a strong representation in next year’s program and bring back the knowledge gained to the students and community.  By including information in your listserv or website, we can look forward to an increased response from eligible educators in your region.

The deadline for the 2009 Korean Studies Workshop is February 25, 2009.  Those interested should visit our website at http://www.iie.org/ksw to access the online application.  Promotional brochures are available by request.  For materials or if you have any questions, please contact 1-800-270-4317 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).  Thank you for your support and assistance in alerting your colleagues to the Korean Studies Workshop opportunity.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Professional Development in Mathematics

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

PLC’s Learning Progressions and Goals - Option 1 Assignment

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

2009 Thacher Scholars Award

Entries must be postmarked April 6, 2009. IGES plans to announce the winning entries by May 12, 2009. Entries will be judged by IGES staff. Eligible geospatial tools and data include satellite remote sensing, aerial photography, geographic information systems (GIS), and Global Positioning System (GPS). The main focus of the project must be on the application of the geospatial tool(s) or data to study a problem related to Earth’s environment.

Geospatial technologies and data have numerous uses in science research, ranging from climate prediction to archaeology. They can be used to improve our understanding of the Earth system, including interactions among the atmosphere, biosphere, geosphere and hydrosphere. They can also be used to improve the quality of our lives by supporting weather prediction, natural hazards monitoring, agriculture, land-use planning, coastal management, transportation, public health emergency response and other fields.

The Thacher Scholars Award was founded in honor of former IGES board member Peter Thacher, who died in 1999. Peter Thacher was former deputy executive director of the United Nations Environment Program, NASA advisor and, at the time of his death, president of the Earth Council Foundation/U.S. He was a leader in promoting the use of satellite remote sensing.

For more information on the Thacher Scholars Award, please visit http://www.strategies.org/ThacherScholars.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

2009 Poetry Out Loud National Recitation Contest

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

National Consortium for Teaching About Asia