Dr. Daniel R. Conn
Associate Professor & Department Chair
Office: Swain 218M
Email: daniel.conn@minotstateu.edu
Phone Number: 701-858-3267
Curriculum Vitae
Educational Background
Ed.D. Educational Studies, University of Northern Colorado
M.A. Curriculum and Instruction, Adams State College
B.A. History Education, University of Northern Colorado
A.A. Agriculture Journalism, Northeastern Junior College
Courses Taught at MSU
Associate Professor
- ECE 411: Early Childhood Leadership
- ED 250: Foundations in Education
- ED 260: Educational Psychology
- ED 284: Teaching Diverse Learners
- ED 320: Curriculum and Planning
- ED 411: Clinical Practice in Remedial Reading
- ED 502 Qualitative Research Methods
- ED 519: Globalization and Diversity in Education
- ED 521: Integrating Technology into Teaching and Learning
- ED 522: Curriculum and Assessment Design
- ED 570: Curriculum Theory
- ELED 352: Foundations of Reading
- ELED 422: Language Arts Methods
- ENGL 536: Enriching Reading in the Content Area
- ENGL 540: Professional Issues and Methods in English
Graduate/Teaching Assistant
- EDF 366: Conceptions of Schooling
- EDF 370: Social Foundations of Education
Adjunct Instructor
- HIS 201: U.S. History to Reconstruction
- HIS 202: U.S. History Since the Civil War
- POS 111: American Government
Biography
Dr. Dan Conn is an Associate Professor and Department Chair of Education and Inclusive Services at Minot State University. Originally from Colorado, Dan spent his early years riding bucking horses and competing on the rodeo circuit. After retiring from rodeo, he dedicated a decade to teaching various subjects across multiple grade levels in a rural K-12 school. During this time, he earned the Patricia A. Behring Colorado Teacher of the Year Award (2013) and led his 6-man football team to back-to-back state championships (2011-2012).
Since joining Minot State University seven years ago, Dan has received multiple accolades for his contributions to teaching, including two Professor of the Year Awards (2014-2015; 2016-2017) and the Souris Valley Saber Dogs Educator of the Year Award (2019).
Beyond teaching, Dan is deeply passionate about research. His work has been published in numerous academic journals, including Teaching and Curriculum Dialogue, Current Issues in Education, and Curriculum Theorizing. In recognition of his contributions to curriculum research, he received the Minot State University Board of Regents Achievement Award for Scholarship (2021).
Dan is also an accomplished author. He co-authored Unraveling the Assessment Industrial Complex: Understanding How Testing Perpetuates Inequality and Injustice in America (2021, Routledge), which was honored with the O.L. Davis Jr. Outstanding Book Award (2024) from the American Association for Teaching and Curriculum.
Dan currently serves as President of the American Association for Teaching and Curriculum and the North Dakota Association for Colleges of Teacher Education. Additionally, he is an active member of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), where he serves as Treasurer for the Elliot Eisner Special Interest Group.
In addition to his academic work, Dan is the co-founder of Drop the Knowledge, an initiative dedicated to innovative approaches in education. Alongside his colleagues, he developed the CP2R Classroom Observation Tool and the CP2R Administrative Evaluation Tool, which provide a respectful and research-based framework for evaluating teachers and administrators. These tools have been approved by the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction.
Beyond academia, Dan is engaged in community-driven initiatives. He serves as Co-Principal Investigator for the CIRCLES Alliance, a collaborative 6-state effort aimed at broadening Indigenous participation in STEM fields. He is also actively involved in transforming the former site of Erik Ramstad Middle School into Plum River Native Prairie, an outdoor educational space designed to support environmental learning and community engagement near Minot State University.
