Created by Maine educators for Maine educators and students, the Department of Education is proud to announce that the work of creating the Maine Learning Platform has begun. To provide anytime, anywhere learning options and resources for educators, students and their families, the Maine Department of Education, in collaboration with curriculum coordinators, Maine educational community organizations, museums, learning centers, and Maine educators, is creating a library of asynchronous learning modules that are aligned to Maine’s Learning Results.
Developed by the over 400 Maine educators who have answered the call to create innovative lessons, these modules will be integrated to ensure that learning is synthesized across subject areas, and are project-based to encourage learning that is active and engaging.
The Department is developing a custom web-based platform to house these modules. The platform will provide educators and families with a bank of resources, with which they can provide students robust learning opportunities. These modules could be utilized for enhancing lessons, remediation, enrichment, credit recovery, or for use during remote learning – whenever a student cannot access classroom instruction.
Each module will be designed around the essential question, “How do I Interact with and Impact My World?” The format will organize modules by grade level in grades pk-5, and by grade span for grades 6-8 and 9-12.
The essential elements of each of the modules include:
- A project-based format
- Best practices in asynchronous lesson design
- Embedded formative assessments and opportunities for students to check for understanding
- Standards in two or more content areas, three preferred
- Opportunities to demonstrate growth in one or more of the Guiding Principles
- Content that is inclusive of the experiences and multi-cultural backgrounds of students.
- Considerations in accommodations for special education and English Learners
- Embedded elements of social/emotional/behavioral learning and trauma-informed practices
During the first planning meeting that was held on June 15, 2020 the elements, format, and timeline were reviewed with the dynamic group of teachers, and the brainstorming and collaboration began for creating modules for a quarter of a school year.
The platform will be launched at the beginning of September, and feedback on the modules will inform the continued development process throughout the 2020-2021 school year. We are excited by the professional collaboration and creativity that the platform will ignite with Maine educators, and by the development of organic, Maine-based learning resources and opportunities.