2015 NDACTE Preservice Teacher Conference

The 2015 NDACTE Preservice Teacher Conference will be on Monday, April 13th at NDSU in Fargo, ND.

If you would like to attend the Conference, please let Win know by Tuesday, March 17th so we can make the necessary hotel reservations.

You will be staying at the Homewood Suites the night of April 12th, checking out before leaving for the conference the morning of April 13th.  If you are unable to drive yourself or ride with a fellow student, please let Win or Jen know so we can make alternative travel arrangements.  Parking passes will be provided.

Stayed tuned for further updates!

NDACTE 2015 Conference Tentative Agenda
Pre-Conference Meeting: April 12th — 6:00 p.m. Fargo Billiards and Gastropub, Musconi Room 3234 43rd St S Fargo, ND 58104
Time	Event	Location
8:30 a.m.- 8:50 a.m.	Check in and light breakfast	Union Ballroom
9:00 a.m.	Welcome	Union Ballroom
9:15 a.m.	Praxis Bowel	Union Ballroom
10:00 a.m.	Janet Welk	Union Ballroom
10:15 a.m.	Break
10:30 a.m. - 11:10 a.m.	Student Presentations Session 1	See program (Hidatsa, Arikara, or FLC 212)
11:15 a.m. - 12:40 p.m.	Lunch and Awards	Union Ballroom
12:45 p.m. - 1:25 p.m.	Student Presentations Session 2	See program (Hidatsa, Arikara, or FLC 212)
1:30 p.m.	Keynote Speaker: Monte Selby	Union Ballroom
3:50 p.m.	Closing Remarks	Union Ballroom

Lunch at Jack's Steakhouse, Anyone?

We're processing payment for a luncheon meeting at Jack's Steakhouse within the next two weeks. It seems like the weather has been kind of dreary and people are dragging a bit. Alicia recommends the Prime Rib Sandwich at Jack's so we're going to head there and see if she knows what she's talking about!

Stay tuned on more details for the specific date and time!

14th Annual ND Indian Child Welfare & Wellness Conference

The 14th Annual North Dakota ICWA (Indian Child Welfare Act) conference will be held Wednesday through Friday - Feb. 18-20 - at the Baymont Inn & Suites in Mandan, North Dakota. The Baymont is the former Best Western Seven Seas, on the north side of the Interstate by Mandan.

If you would like to attend this conference, please contact Jen Heid no later than Wednesday of this week (Feb. 4th). Jen will have the registration form for you to complete and Project CEDAR will pay for your registration. You may be excused from classes to attend this conference if you get approval from your instructors.

Professional conferences are a wonderful way to interact with people from a variety of disciplines (i.e. Education, Social Work, Medical, etc.). It's also a great opportunity for us to get more practice in this type of setting and give us confidence.

The topics for this conference have always been about important issues and participants have found the really interesting and worthwhile. For more information, go to this link: http://www.nativeinstitute.org/.

Remember to fill out the registration forms with Jen if you want to attend. Enjoy!

Spring 2015 Student Support

The request for your student support for the spring 2015 has been submitted. Make sure you keep on eye on your account in my.uttc.edu to find out when it is posted. As you know, once we submit the request, we have no way of knowing when the money actually reaches your account. You're the only one who can see that information.

Have a great semester!

Welcome Win O'Toole

We would like to welcome our newest Teacher Education faculty member, Win O'Toole. Dr. O'Toole recently moved to Bismarck from Wisconsin. She is a native of Chicago, IL, and has been an educator for twenty years. She has a Masters degree in Special Education from the University of Illinois and a Masters degree and Doctorate from Harvard University. Prior to coming to UTTC, she was a college professor in Beirut, Lebanon, Ireland, and, most recently, Marian University in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. When you see her, be sure to welcome her to United Tribes!

Year 3 of Project CEDAR

We are now entering Year 3 of the Project CEDAR grant. Two of your peers have completed the program and are now teaching in their own classrooms. Even though at times, you will feel overwhelmed, and as if you are never going to finish, you will.

This is the toughest year you will have in your educational career EVER and the year that will determine what you are made of. You are going to be doing a ton of homework, and learning a ton of content,  but you will survive. If it was easy, everybody would do it and you wouldn't be able to experience the overwhelming sense of accomplishment when you finish.

Not only will your family and community be proud of you, but you will feel an indescribable sense of accomplishment and self-satisfaction for what you were able to do. And nobody can ever take it away from you. If you have children, you will have provided a powerful role model for them. They will see somebody who struggled at times, who felt like taking the easy way out and quitting, but who pushed ahead and demonstrated that you can achieve whatever your goals may be through hard work and perseverance.

According to the wisdom of the "seventh generation prophecy", you are the generation of Tribal people who will "rise up and demand your rights and stewardship over the earth" and lead the next generation of Native people. As a teacher, you will be fulfilling this prophecy.

Admissions Process for Bachelor Degree Programs

According to Mona Schell in the UTTC Admissions Office, if you recently graduated with an AAS degree and now plan to continue with your bachelor degree, you will have to submit a new application to UTTC. You can do this on the UTTC website.

Mona said they will have most of your documents on file so they won't need new copies. She said you might have to update your physical.

After you submit your application, and everything is received, your application will be sent to a committee that approves all applications. Make sure that you mark "BS degree in Elementary Education" on your application so your information is accurate.

A few of you have had to get a letter from us stating that you have been provisionally accepted into the Teacher Education program. This is a separate process from applying to the college so make sure you have both completed. Most of you, as part of the CEDAR project, have all of your information submitted to us for admission to Teacher Education already.

If Admissions or Financial Aid tells you that you need a letter of acceptance from Teacher Ed, you can stop by and pick one up. Jen Heid can provide this to you. I've given her permission to sign it on my behalf if I'm not available and then initial it.

If you have any questions about this process, either Leah or me will do our best to answer your questions. The Admissions Office is doing everything they can do, too, to make this process go smoothly for you.

Enjoy the weekend!

Lisa A.