Maine Professional Learning Community: The Rural Experience in America – Info Sessions Nov. 14 & 15

The Rural Experience in America - Free, three-part professional learning opportunity to help teachers develop place-based interdisciplinary units that connect students to their rural communities.

Funded by a grant from the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources program, NCHE (National Council for History Education) is proud to announce a 3-part colloquium for teachers focusing on Rural America. These free professional learning opportunities will help teachers develop place-based interdisciplinary units that connect students to their rural communities.  Additionally, the Maine Department of Education will be hosting a bi-weekly professional learning community to support educators through these NCHE modules.  The Professional Learning Community will incorporate the work developed by the Maine DOE interdisciplinary instruction specialists.

The program is designed to:

  • engage rural teachers in a deep examination of rural history and the impact of agricultural change on children, families, and communities in the United States:
  • connect teachers with the Library Congress’s collections on rural history and with local rural historical societies so they can situate local history in the larger human experience;
  • support teachers in the design and implementation of works of public value that connect rural students to their community’s history
  • The Right Question Institute will be leading a 4-week session on the Question Formulation Technique (QFT) with a focus on working with rural students

Educators may complete all or part of the 3-part colloquium.

  • Part A – Free, asynchronous, online modules. (Dec 1-March 31)
  • Part B – Free, synchronous, online colloquia. (Feb 25, April 15, May 6)
  • Part C – Summer Colloquium.  Details TBD

Register here for these NCHE events. When you register with NCHE, you will receive a follow-up from the Maine DOE to register into our Maine PLC.

Information Sessions with the NCHE will be held on:

For more information, please contact Jaime Beal, Interdisciplinary Instruction Specialist, at  jaime.beal@maine.gov.