West River Teacher Center

Resources

Roughrider Education Services Program

Services supported and offered by the West River Teacher Center (WRTC) include professional development courses (EDUC 2000), resources and referrals, distance learning, teacher education graduate-level credit courses (applicable to earning a graduate degree), teacher in-services and programming, and curriculum enhancement. These services assist educators as they work to improve their professional lives and reach their desired potential.

Teacher Education

The SoE offers EDUC 2000 - Supervision of Student Teachers. The State of North Dakota requires that pre-service teachers (student teachers) be placed with teachers who have completed a course in Supervision of Student Teachers. DSU offers this self-paced course online on a semester schedule. To check course availability, visit the registration page. 

The WRTC offers face-to-face classes, online classes, and other programming so that teachers may earn professional development graduate credits (EDUC 2000) to strengthen their knowledge and skills and meet state licensing requirements. Continuing education is provided by DSU faculty/staff or in collaboration with other organizations, such as state agencies, RESP, and area schools. 

If your school or organization would like to offer continuing education for teachers, please contact the WRTC for information at 701-502-2081.

Teacher Resources

The Discovery Dome is a portable full-dome theater surrounding students with roaring dinosaurs, fascinating planets, and explosive storms – all immersive, engaging, and realistic. Developed by the Houston Museum of Natural Science and Rice University, this new theater offers a state-of-the-art visual learning experience that can address many different fields of science for any grade level. Most shows are 20-25 minutes long.

Local demonstrations

For 1 ½ hours after school, we will offer area teachers an opportunity to experience the dome, preview the shows, and ask questions.

Request the dome to visit your school

Teachers and administrators can request that the dome be brought to their school. A technician travels with the dome, sets it up, and runs the programs. The dome requires the use of a gymnasium or similar facility which can accommodate the 5-meter circular footprint. The dome seats approximately 25-30 students at a time. Multiple shows can be done the same day for the same school.

Teachers can choose from the shows offered by DSU. FIN

There is no charge for the dome to visit a school.

STEM Camp

6th – 8th grade students

This three day camp will gives students entering 6th – 9th grades, the opportunity to explore different fields in STEM through hands-on activities and presentations from business and industry.

Camp Invention

1st – 6th grade students

Invent Now created this camp for children entering grades one through six. The exciting Camp Invention program is a weeklong adventure in creativity that immerses its participants in engaging, hands-on activities in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), as well as history and the arts. Camp Invention is funded by participant registration fees.

BEST Robotics

The BEST program is a 6th – 12th grade robotics competition that tasks teams with designing, building and marketing a product to meet a real-world challenge. Through participation in this project-based STEM program, students learn to analyze and solve problems utilizing the Engineering Design Process, which helps them develop technological literacy skills. It is these skills that industry seeks in its workforce.

Science Olympiad

Over 100 DSU students come together with faculty to offer this science competition to 6th -12th grade students. Students compete in a wide range of rigorous standards-based science challenges. This program is funded through the university and team registration fees. Enhancements will not require additional funding.

Students embark on an exciting three-day exploration into the different areas of engineering through real-world, hands-on challenges and field trips to see engineers in action. 

STEM and the West River Teacher Center have a collection of equipment available for K-12 educators to use in their classrooms.

  • Vernier LabQuests, various Probes and lab books
  • 20 unit iPad II Lab 
  • 10 Garmin GPS units, 20 Garmin eTrex
  • Microscopes
  • 20 Flip Cameras
  • Project WiLD teaching trunk and books
  • Life Size Baby Whale and teaching manual
  • Prairie Grouse Trunk
  • STAR Lab

During Nurse Camp, students are exposed to hands-on activities and encouraged to use thinking skills that are required to become a nurse. Areas of nursing practice covered include geriatrics, obstetrics, medical/surgical, emergency room care, critical care, operating room nurse, sports injuries care and nurse educator. Students also experience the walk-in display of the “Giant Colon” and may also receive an ambulance tour.

Marketplace for Kids is a unique educational program offering encouragement for developing young entrepreneurs. It works to encourage youth to explore entrepreneurship and self-employment skills through the recognition and development of their innovations, inspiring them to use creative thinking processes, and to also utilize effective problem-solving skills.

The Career Expo is sponsored by RESP Succeed 2020 and Dickinson State University. Sophomores and juniors from area school districts attend breakout sessions on many different careers.