During these unprecedented times that directly impact every one of us, we can look to Maine’s smallest and most remote schools for inspiration as well as practical help.
In a recent webinar, Monhegan Island teacher Mandy Metrano and Yvonne Thomas, education specialist at the Island Institute, shared stories and the lessons learned from the Outer Island Teaching and Learning Collaborative (The TLC) and the Monhegan Island School that directly apply to the current crisis.
The TLC is a 10-year-old, teacher-created collaboration between the one- and two-room Maine island schools that uses technology in innovative ways to support teachers, students, and families in order to combat extreme isolation. The same urgent need to connect and collaborate through technology that led to the TLC’s founding is now being felt by educators, students, and parents across the globe. Read more in their blog article, “Already Ready: Maine’s Outer Island Schools and the Pandemic.”
You can hear the inspiring story of the Monhegan School and the TLC, and learn tips and tools for effective teaching, learning, and collaborating online during and after the COVID-19 crisis here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySWXltInVw8&feature=youtu.be
Community Learning for Maine (CL4ME) Website Launch Party
Thursday, May 14 | 4:00-5:00 p.m
The TLC is also co-hosting a QUICK virtual tour of a brand new Community Learning for Maine (CL4ME) website, along with a Q&A session to help answer any questions. CL4ME is a Maine-based web resource that aims to support schools, organizations, and communities through crisis-schooling and beyond, working together to build long-term school-community collaborations and vitality. Check out the new website design, learn about what educational opportunities are available, and hear how you can be a part of this exciting collaboration. Register here.