Category Archives: Science & Technology

Discover two pathways to an engineering degree in Maine

Posted on May 16, 2013 by | Leave a comment

The University of Maine and Southern Maine Community College have partnered to provide two unique pathways to a degree in engineering: SMCC Pre-Engineering and UMaine Brunswick Engineering, both available at the SMCC Midcoast Campus at Brunswick Landing. These programs will be hosting an information session Thursday, May 23, at 6:30 p.m. on-site at the Maine Advanced Technology & Engineering Center. Families, teachers and administrators are welcome to attend.

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Posted in Dispatches, Higher Ed, Science & Technology, Students

Maine FFA Association hosts 83rd state convention

Posted on May 16, 2013 by | Leave a comment
Maine FFA State President Isaac Wortman (left) presents honorary state FFA degrees to Commissioners Bowen and Whitcomb.

Maine FFA State President Isaac Wortman (left) presents honorary state FFA degrees to Commissioners Bowen and Whitcomb.

The Maine FFA Association (formerly known as “Future Farmers of America”) held its 83rd annual state convention May 9-10 at the University of Maine.

Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen and Agriculture Commissioner Walter Whitcomb spoke at the FFA award banquet, as did visiting National FFA President Clay Sapp. Gabrielle Cyr of Ashland High School was named Outstanding Student Chapter Officer, and Kevin Marquis of Easton was named FFA Chapter Advisor of the Year. Maine FFA specially recognized Thomas Hale, Caribou Regional Technology Center agriculture teacher, who is retiring after 38 years of teaching and numerous accomplishments.

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Posted in Career & Technical, Featured, High School, Images, Middle School, Science & Technology, Students

Maine Charter Commission approves contracts with three new public charter schools

Posted on May 8, 2013 by | Leave a comment

The following is a news release from the Maine Charter School Commission.

AUGUSTA — The Maine Charter School Commission in a public meeting held Tuesday in Augusta discussed, voted and signed three public charter school contracts – culminating months of work on the part of the schools and the commission. The Maine Charter School Commission has the responsibility to approve up to 10 public charter schools in the State in 10 years. The three schools are the Baxter Academy for Technology and Sciences to be located in Portland; the Fiddlehead School of Arts and Science in Gray; and the Harpswell Coastal Academy in Harpswell. These three schools will open September 2013. Continue reading →

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Posted in Charter schools, Cumberland County, Featured, Mathematics, Press Releases, Science & Technology, Students, Visual & Performing Arts

Hands-on learning a success in Oxford County

Posted on May 3, 2013 by | Leave a comment
Eighth grader Ken Stump shows Commissioner Bowen a solar panel they created to heat the indoor greenhouse at Roberts Farm in Norway.

Eighth grader Ken Stump shows Commissioner Bowen a solar panel Oxford Hills Middle School students created to heat the indoor greenhouse at Roberts Farm in Norway.

I had the chance visit three Oxford County schools yesterday as part of my Promising Practices Tour, just a day after releasing the new A-F school grading system designed to improve transparency. As a state, we need to move beyond the one-size-fits-all models of teaching and embrace student-centered models like the ones many Maine schools, like the ones I visited in Oxford County, are doing. Governor LePage and I made reference to that Wednesday when we unveiled the new school report cards, which showed a majority of Maine’s elementary and high schools earned an A, B or C.

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Posted in Career & Technical, From the Commissioner, Governor LePage, High School, Listening Tour, Middle School, Oxford County, Science & Technology, Students

Governor’s STEM academy meets for second time

Posted on April 30, 2013 by | Leave a comment

This week the Maine DOE, in collaboration with the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance, convened the second meeting of the Maine Governor’s Academy for STEM Education Leadership.

The Governor’s Academy has been supported by state leadership at the Governor’s Office since 1999 and is supported by federal Title II funds and participating districts. Twenty-five teacher leaders from across the state are participating in the academy. Continue reading →

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Posted in Governor LePage, Mathematics, Professional Development, Science & Technology, Teachers

K-8 educators invited to summer iPad retreat

Posted on April 23, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Registration for iPadagogy, a summer retreat for educators on using iPads in the K-8 classroom, is now open. This relaxing, casual retreat, held June 23-25 at the University of Maine at Fort Kent, will include cutting-edge presentations by teachers, school technology staff, guest speakers and educational administrators, all sharing their expertise and experiences in the use of iPads as an educational tool.

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Posted in Elementary School, Featured, Middle School, Professional Development, Science & Technology, Teachers, Technology

Two Maine schools invited to participate in AP STEM Access program

Posted on April 17, 2013 by | Leave a comment

The College Board shared the following news release with the Maine DOE for publication.

AUGUSTA—Hampden Academy and Scarborough High School are among 800 schools across the country invited to participate in the AP STEM Access program, created to increase the number of traditionally underrepresented minority and female high school students that participate in Advanced Placement® courses in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) disciplines. Continue reading →

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Posted in Assessment, Cumberland County, Funding, High School, Penobscot County, Press Releases, Science & Technology, Students

Sign-up fifth grade classes for hurricane awareness webinars

Posted on April 17, 2013 by | Leave a comment

The University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography’s Hurricanes: Science and Society (HSS) project will present webinars for fifth grade classes in the Northeast region on May 8 and 15. Teachers may register their classes on the HSS website.

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Posted in Elementary School, Featured, Science & Technology, Students, Technology

FEMA seeks young applicants for preparedness council

Posted on April 11, 2013 by | Leave a comment

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Youth Preparedness Council provides an opportunity for young leaders to serve as a member of a distinguished national council; to complete a youth preparedness project for their choosing; to learn about youth disaster preparedness from the leadership at FEMA and other national organizations dedicated to youth preparedness; Continue reading →

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Posted in Dispatches, Safety, Science & Technology, Students

Science standards Maine helped develop are released

Posted on April 10, 2013 by | Leave a comment

AUGUSTA – A new set of science standards that Maine took a leading role in helping to develop were released Tuesday evening. Earlier in the day, the State Board of Education was briefed on the Next Generation Science Standards by Anita Bernhardt, the Maine Department of Education science education specialist. The Board anticipates voting on adoption of the standards later this spring.

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Posted in Next Gen Science Standards, Press Releases, Science & Technology, State Board of Education