Expansion and Revisions to Computer Science Integration (CSI) Initiative

In an effort to be responsive to the feedback we’re receiving about the Computer Science Integration (CSI) Initiative, the Maine Department of Education has redesigned the CSI Initiative to better meet the needs of Maine’s education field. Please find the new design and expectations below. We hope that this will help to alleviate concerns that folks had in participation.

In this new design, we’ve shortened the duration of our first cohort to January 2023-September 2023 and we’re offering two tiers of engagement:

CSI Educators can engage in Tier 1 only or;
CSI Educators can engage in Tier 1 and Tier 2 (CSI Educators who engage in Tier 2 must engage in Tier 1)

Tier 1

In Tier 1, educators will engage in CSI PD and work to create “Artifacts” (model lessons, support resources, coaching models, etc.) for their school and to share statewide. Educators will be provided a stipend of $1,500 to engage in computer science integration PD and work with educators within their school to contribute to a repository of computer science integration artifacts that will be available to educators statewide.

Tier 1 will engage educators in Maine DOE provided CSI PD; work will be virtual/remote and meetings will occur outside of school time; Tier 1 PD will consist of virtual meetings and asynchronous activities and discussions.

By September, Tier 1 CSI educators will feel confident in their understanding of computer science integration and will have successfully worked with other educators in their school to integrate computer science into existing lessons and class time. CSI educators will contribute to a repository of computer science integration artifacts that will be available to educators statewide.

Tier 2

In Tier 2, CSI educators will engage in the Maine DOE’s CSI Summer Institute and CS Showcase. Educators will be provided a stipend of $1,000 and travel expenses, to attend the CSI Summer Institute and present at the Computer Science Showcase. These are in-person events that will take place during the summer of 2023, dates and locations TBD.

Tier 2 will consist of a multi-day summer institute and the CS Showcase. Educators will engage in a multi-day institute where they network, collaborate, and work together to grow computer science across the state and in their own schools. These educators will also take part in the CS Showcase, showing off some of the awesome work they’ve done throughout the past few months of CSI.

Expansion of the CSI Initiative

Additionally, we’re excited to announce that we’re able to expand this opportunity beyond one educator per school! This will allow schools who have more than one educator interested in this initiative to take part!

To nominate an educator to be a part of this exciting opportunity, please complete this brief form.

If you have already completed a nomination, there is no need to resubmit. We will be contacting all nominees that have already been submitted to provide next steps before the end of the day on Friday, January 6th.

If you have questions or would like more information, please reach out to Maine DOE’s Computer Science Specialist, Emma-Marie Banks, at emma-marie.banks@maine.gov

Winter Virtual Events Hosted by the National Center for Community Schools

The National Center for Community Schools is hosting the following virtual events this winter. For more information about these events email them at nccs@childrensaidnyc.org.

Webinar: Essential Resources for Driving Community Schools Forward
Thursday, January 12, 2023, 3-4 PM ET | Virtual | Free

The Community Schools Forward task force, convened by four national partners —the Center for Universal Education at Brookings, the Children’s Aid National Center for Community Schools, the Coalition for Community Schools, and the Learning Policy Institute—brought together national and local community school practitioners and advocates to identify and create field-informed resources to align, build, and scale evidence-based, effective, and sustainable community schools.

On January 12, join a webinar to launch the Community Schools Forward task force’s essential community school resources. The webinar will delve into the process of creating the essential resources and underscore their most important aspects. Following a keynote conversation and a framing presentation, a moderated panel discussion of experts—including NCCS Director Abe Fernández—will share their perspectives on what makes this a unique moment for the education field and how the work of the task force can advance community schools. – Register here

Community Schools 101 – January 5 | Virtual | Free

While a growing number of school districts across the country are adapting and scaling the strategy, there are still leaders, practitioners, and partners that have questions about what it means to be a community school and how to get started. This free virtual session, led by the NCCS team, will provide an introduction to the foundational elements of the community school strategy and how it can work for your school community. Register here

Community School Coordinator Boot Camp – January 31 – February 3 | Virtual

A professional learning opportunity exclusively for community school coordinators. Coordinators will learn foundational skills, develop an action plan, and build a network of peers. Check out our Agenda at a Glance and register today! Register here

Community School Supervisor Boot Camp – February 10 | Virtual

A half-day professional learning opportunity for those who supervise community school coordinators. Attendees will learn about coordinators and how to support them, strategies to navigate and build relationships across a school system, and collaborative practices to successfully develop the community school strategy. – SAVE THE DATE!

Free Webinar: Community Schools 101

The National Center for Community Schools at Children’s Aid is hosting a FREE informational session on the community school strategy and how it can work for your school community on Thursday, January 5, 2023 from 1:00-2:30 PM ET.

Community schools — a strategy to organize the resources and voices of schools and communities around student success — are needed now more than ever to transform our nation’s schools into dynamic, child-centered platforms that generate solutions and advance equity. While a growing number of school districts across the country are adapting and scaling the strategy, there are still leaders, practitioners, and partners that have questions about what it means to be a community school and how to get started.

During this session, participants will learn:

foundational elements of community schools
essential roles and functions associated with the strategy
resources and ideas for getting started in your community

For more information about this webinar reach out to the National Center for Community Schools. For more information about Community Schools in Maine, reach out to Julie Smyth at julie.a.smyth@maine.gov.

Announcing the Monthly Multi-tiered System of Supports (MTSS) Book Club

Interested in learning MORE about MTSS (multi-tiered system of supports)? Consider joining the MTSS monthly book club! That’s right, book club is back! Feedback from the summer book club was overwhelmingly positive, so that is the format we will use for MTSS book study for this school year. Details for signing up are below.

Here is how it works. Register for the book club or clubs that you would like to attend. Next, get yourself a copy of the text and read it at your own pace on your own schedule. Then, show up on the date of that book club and be ready to pose thoughts, questions, and other innovative ideas to your peers. While not necessary, it would be helpful to keep written notes to capture your thinking as you read the text. That’s it! You will receive 2 hours of professional learning units when you join and participate for the full 2-hour book session.

The text(s) that we will discuss are as follows:

January 30th from 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM – Leading Equity-based MTSS For All Students – This book is geared toward school principals, strategists, and other school/district decision-makers. The book outlines a process for building MTSS from the ground up and is full of templates that can be used in MTSS implementation and design. Although not required, this book is best experienced with a team. Sign up for Leading Equity-based MTSS.
February 27th from 4:00 PM-6:00 PM – Effective Universal Instruction – Back by popular demand, this is an encore book club of a past title: Effective Universal Instruction. Principals, classroom teachers, special ed teachers, strategists, and gifted and talented (GT) teachers can all benefit from this text. While mostly centered around tier 1, this book briefly touches on tier 2, and tier 3, as well as some philosophical, historical, and future planning perspectives and activities. Sign up for Effective Universal Instruction.
March 27th 4:00 PM-6:00 PM – Demystifying MTSS – This book is appropriate for classroom educators, principals, and instructional coaches/strategists, and gifted and talented teachers and is geared toward anyone who is looking for practical actions school improvement teams can take to ensure all students’ diverse needs can be met. Although not required, this book is best experienced with a team. Sign up for Demystifying MTSS.
April 25th 4:00 PM-6:00 PM – Best Practices at Tier 1 – Elementary Level – This book offers an opportunity for elementary principals, teachers, strategists, and GT teachers to come together to chat about some specific best practices in Tier 1. From Amazon, “Created specifically for K-5 educators, this book provides proven response to intervention strategies to differentiate instruction, engage students, increase success, and avoid additional interventions.” Sign up for Best Practices in Tier 1 – Elementary.
May 30th 4:00 PM-6:00 PM – Best Practices in Tier 1: Secondary Level – Calling all secondary teachers, principals, strategists, support staff, etc. This book club is just for you! This book does exactly what it says…. it explores best practices in tier 1 at the secondary level. Join this book club and can learn alongside fellow secondary educators across the state. Sign up for Best Practices in Tier 1 Secondary.
June 28th 4:00 PM-6:00 PM – The Road to Success with MTSS – This book is appropriate for classroom educators, principals, and instructional coaches/strategists, and gifted and talented teachers and is geared toward anyone who is beginning an MTSS implementation journey or is preparing to revise current MTSS practices. Sign up for The Road to Success with MTSS.

For more information about the Monthly MTSS Book Club, you can contact Andrea Logan, MTSS Specialist, at andrea.logan@maine.gov. If possible, please put “book club question” in the subject line.

Computer Science Mobile Lab – Training Webinars and Support Resources

Join us during Computer Science Education (CS Ed) Week for FREE virtual training for the mobile computer science labs! We’re excited to announce that we’ll be hosting webinars throughout next week to help folks get started with their lab equipment. These will be vendor-provided trainings and will cover the basics of unboxing, configuring, and getting started. Webinars will be live and recorded. Recordings will be posted to the website once they become available.

Additionally, we’ve put together a webpage to provide immediate resources and support for each mobile lab option. These resources offer some quick access information to help get going with the equipment

To check out these resources, learn more about the webinars, and to register, click here. You’ll see the mobile lab options and can find quick start resources as well as the registration links for the webinars.

If you have questions or would like additional information, please reach out to Maine DOE’s Computer Science Specialist, Emma-Marie Banks at emma-marie.banks@maine.gov

What Are the MLTI Ambassadors Cooking Up? Daily Asynchronous Professional Learning Offerings Starting 11/28

Student Engagement, Blended Learning, Project Based Learning, Supporting All Learners and Computer Science & Computational Thinking Pedagogies are the main topics for a four-week professional learning series being offer by the MLTI Ambassadors starting on November 28. These daily offerings will go live on the MLTI Youtube channel and are open to all interested educators and will include useful resources and contact hours. These are also available as a professional learning calendar with links to the video and slides going live every day!

Student Engagement
Lead by Joshua Schmidt on Mondays

The student engagement series will extend last year’s videos from Erik Wade to four additional topics to help teachers create more authentic engagement in their classrooms. We will cover the similarities and differences in game-based learning and gamification, creating breakouts and escape rooms, leveraging group work to increase classroom discussions, and strategies to make those discussions more authentic and valuable. We will also discuss tools to help with each of these strategies and speak to other MLTI Ambassadors to hear examples of what has worked in their schools.

To find the previous professional development sessions in this series, and receive contact hours for them, please visit our YouTube playlist.

Topic 1: Comparing Game-Based Learning and Gamification
Topic 2: Creating Escape Rooms and Breakouts to Increase Student Engagement and Critical Thinking
Topic 3: Leveraging Group Work and Technological Resources to Increase Classroom Engagement and Discussions
Topic 4: Making Classroom Discussions Authentic and Using Tools to Support Authentic Discussions

Computer Science & Computer Technology Integration Pedagogies
Lead by Yuhong Sun by Tuesdays

Over the past decade, there has been increasing research on computer science pedagogies. The data shows that certain teaching methods are more effective than others in computer science education. The series of Computer Science & Computer Technology Integration Pedagogies will explore the popular pedagogies for Computer Science and Computer Technology Integration, such as computational thinking, contextualized learning, collaborative learning and learning away from the computer. The series will use examples from Computer Science teachers, math and science teachers and discuss how the teaching methods are effectively used in the classrooms to support the learning process, to develop students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills and prepare them for the 21st century job market.

Topic 1: Computational Thinking Skills Development
Topic 2: Engaging Students Through Contextualized Learning
Topic 3: Building Critical Thinking and Problem-solving Skills Through Collaborative Learning
Topic 4: Cultivating Computer Science Skills by Teaching Away from the Computer

Blended Learning
Lead by Martha Thibodeau on Wednesdays

The Blended Learning Series will explore an introduction of this pedagogical strategy and tools to enhance student learning. Included in this series will be an overview of blended learning models, techniques to support student choice and pacing, and developing teacher workflows. If you like the idea of blended learning, but are overwhelmed by the details, this is the series for you. Join the MLTI Ambassadors as we discuss ways to maximize student learning and efficiently manage your role in the blended learning environment.

Topic 1: Introduction to Blended Learning Models.
Topic 2: Student Experience in Blended Learning
Topic 3: Teacher Workflow within Blended Learning
Topic 4: Tools to Enhance Blended Learning

Recipes for Project Based Learning
Lead by Tracy Williamson on Thursdays

The Project Based Learning series will offer creative ideas to help students learn to think critically, collaborate and communicate on real-world projects. We’ll share tips, digital tools and resources to help you implement engaging team-based activities aligned with content area standards like creating a student news team, a student podcast series and STEAM projects that support the Sustainable Development Goals. We’ll also share digital tools and techniques for curating resources and data for long-term projects and creating effective and aesthetic presentations to share work with the community.

Topic 1: Student News Team Projects
Topic 2: Student Podcast Series
Topic 3: STEAM Projects around the Sustainable Development Goals
Topic 4: Presenting Projects: Taking PBL to the Community

Support for ALL
Lead by Nicole Karod on Fridays

This professional development series will share tools and methods for supporting all learners. As we all know our classroom are filled with a variety of needs, both academically and behavioral. In this series you’ll discover ways to meet students’ needs through differentiation, be a trauma informed educator, create and design with all students in mind, as well as fill your toolbox with tools for modification and accommodations. I will also be joined by other MLTI Ambassadors to discuss how these strategies can look different in different classrooms. Join me on Friday each week to develop your toolbox toward supporting all students in the classroom.

Topic 1: Differentiation in the classroom
Topic 2: Trauma informed classroom
Topic 3: UDL (Universal Design for Learning)
Topic 4: Tools for modification and accommodations

Inclusion for All: How to Support All Learners through Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)

The Office of Special services and Inclusive Education at the Maine Department of Education is pleased to announce our next speaker in our Special Topics Series – Dr. Katie Novak on January 4, 2023 from 3:30-4:30 pm.

Audience: General & Special Educators, Administrators, Parents, Caregivers and Community Members Interested in Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Muti-Tiered Systems of Support(MTSS)

Cost: FREE Please register for the Zoom link here

While rocking out to a co-created playlist by DJ Swiff, attendees will understand:

A big picture of UDL, how it fits within a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS),
How we can proactively design learning experiences that plan for variability and help all students reach rigorous, grade-level standards.
Be inspired as you learn about variability and barriers, firm goals and flexible means, and the power of expert learning.
How to be better prepared to design lessons and instruction that impact learners from preschool to adulthood in ways that are innovative, inclusive, and impactful (and fabulous!).

About the Presenter:

Katie Novak, Ed.D., is an internationally renowned education consultant, author, graduate instructor at the University of Pennsylvania, and a former Assistant Superintendent of Schools in Massachusetts. With 20 years of experience in teaching and administration, an earned doctorate in curriculum and teaching, and eleven published books, Dr. Novak designs and presents workshops both nationally and internationally focusing on the implementation of inclusive practices, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), multi-tiered systems of support, and universally designed leadership.

Dr. Novak is the author of the best-selling books, UDL Now! A Teacher’s Guide to Applying Universal Design for Learning in Today’s Classrooms, Innovate Inside the Box, with George Couros, Equity by Design, with Mirko Chardin, and The Shift to Student-Led with Catlin Tucker.

Be sure to be watching for announcements in the Maine DOE Newsroom of future featured guests in our series!

If there are additional questions about this webinar or the series, please email Tracy (Tracy.W.Whitlock@maine.gov), Anne-Marie Adamson (anne-marie.adamson@maine.gov ) or Dee Saucier (danielle.m.saucier@maine.gov).

Reminder: Free Virtual On-Demand Financial Education Training for Maine Educators Now Available!

The Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) and the Center for Financial Literacy at Champlain College, in partnership with the Maine Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy and its sponsors, the Office of the Maine State Treasurer, and Next Gen Personal Finance (NGPF), is offering free online and on-demand training for Maine teachers.

The Financial Educator Virtual Academy will train Maine educators on how to successfully teach personal finance in their classrooms and communities. Educators will receive contact hours for each course module attended, and the first 100 Maine classroom teachers to complete all seven hours of training will receive a $50 Amazon gift card.

The online course offering is available starting October 12, 2022 and will close on December 16, 2022. The goal of this training is to support educators as they work to ensure that all Maine students have access to high-quality personal financial education. Maine educators can earn up to seven hours of professional development training and receive suggestions for grade-appropriate personal finance classroom resources over the duration of the virtual academy.

During the virtual academy, which features nationally known experts, participants will learn how to implement the JumpStart National Standards in K-12 Financial Personal Finance Education. These standards allow for the teaching of personal finance in an interdisciplinary or stand-alone manner.

Interested educators may register for the program with this link.

Download a flyer for distribution

For further questions contact Maine Jumpstart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy at info@mejumpstart.org

USM to Host Special Performance of ‘The Thanksgiving Play’ By Larissa FastHorse (Sicangu Lakota Nation) for Educators w/ Post-show Talkback

The University of Southern Maine (USM) College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and the Department of Theatre invites Maine educators to join them on Friday, November 18th at 7:30pm, Russell Hall, Gorham Campus for a special performance of The Thanksgiving Play, with a post-show talkback moderated by USM Professor/Director Rachel Price Cooper featuring guests: Dr. Shannon Epplett (Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians) Theatre Professor and consultant on USM’s production of The Thanksgiving Play, and Dr. Margo Lukens, University of Maine, Native American Literature & Theatre.

Educators who attend the play and talkback will receive a copy of Chris Newell’s (Passamaquoddy) elementary school text If You Lived During the Plimoth Thanksgiving (Scholastic 2021). Light refreshments will be served for the talk back event. Contact hours available upon request.

RSVP REQUIRED for all educators. Deadline to RSVP is NOV 18th at 12:00pm. **Tickets will be reserved on a first come, first served basis. The play is a little over an hour, no intermission, immediately followed by the talkback.

THE THANKSGIVING PLAY By Larissa FastHorse (Sicangu Lakota Nation) Directed by Rachel Price Cooper

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

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: