Category: Professional Development

Antiracist Education for all of Maine – A Series of Free Workshops and Crucial Conversations for Maine Educators

This series has reached its capacity – registration is no longer open. 

The Maine State Teacher of the Year Association (MSTOYA) is thrilled to offer an important, timely and free professional development series: Antiracist Education for all of Maine.  This series kicks off with a keynote by Cornelius Minor, an author, teacher, instructional coach, and self-proclaimed “book tiger.”  There are also many other powerful speakers and “collegial conversations,” which are designed to be equity focused discussions with educators across Maine to help Maine educators build capacity as equity leaders in Maine schools and communities.

Speaker: No More Excuses: Why It Has to Be Us And Why It Has To Be Now

Cornelius Minor
February 9th, 7:00-8:00 pm

Collegial Conversations: Navigating The Challenges of Antiracist Work In Maine Schools

February 25th, 7:00-8:00 pm

Speaker: Voices From Our Classrooms

Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine
March 2nd, 7:00-8:00 pm

Collegial Conversations: Rehearsing Important Conversations About Racism Through Scenarios

March 18th, , 7:00-8:00 pm

Speaker: Literature as a Lens: Using Texts As A Tool to Broaden Perspectives

Monica Washington, Nesrene Griffin, Iris Eichenlaub
March 23rd, 7:00-8:00 pm

Speaker: Decolonizing The Curriculum

Fiona Hopper, Starr Kelly, Joe Schmidt
April 6th, 7:00-8:00 pm

Speaker: What Comes Next?

Cornelius Minor
April 14th, 7:00-8:00 pm

Collegial Conversations: Equity Leadership From The Classroom

April 15th, 7:00-8:00 pm

All events are free to Maine teachers. Contact hours will be awarded for each session upon completion of an exit ticket. Space is limited, and will be offered to educators across the state, so sign up early!

Events made possible with major funding from Unum. Additional support from Lee Auto, Educate Maine, and The Maine Teachers of the Year Association.

Register here. All sessions are full!

Do the best that you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better. – Maya Angelou

For questions or more information, email Talya Edlund at talya.edlund@gmail.com

Nesrene Griffin
Fiona Hopper
Starr Kelly
Cornelius Minor
Monica Washington

Virtual Presentation 1/13 – Returning to School: Mitigation and Mental Health Strategies

On behalf of the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), Office of Safe and Supportive Schools (OSSS), the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE) invites you to please join a presentation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on how to optimize mitigation strategies and mental health to facilitate a safe return to schools in the new year.

Date: Wednesday, January 13, 2021
Time: 3:00-4:00 pm EST

The presentation will include 1) user-friendly tools and information for schools to inform the selection and implementation of COVID-19 mitigation strategies; and 2) information about how to support and promote mental health for students and school staff, both in-person and virtually.

Speakers

Cria Perrine, PhD, is a Commander in the U.S. Public Health Service and an epidemiologist in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Dr. Perrine joined CDC in 2008 as part of the Epidemic Intelligence Service, CDC’s front-line training program of “disease detectives.” She is currently serving as the Task Force Lead for the Community Interventions and Critical Populations Task Force in CDC’s COVID-19 response.

Marci Hertz, M.S. Ed., Senior Behavioral Scientist, Division of Adolescent and School Health, CDC. Since 2003 Ms. Hertz has worked for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a Lead Behavioral Scientist in the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control and in the Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH). She is currently a Senior Behavioral Scientist in DASH focusing on promoting mental health and preventing substance use and violence in school settings.

Registration

Everyone must register for the interactive presentation using the link below in order to gain access to the meeting room.

https://air-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_kAeRfoqNQS63Fvq6NTLI7w

Please contact NCSSLE if you have any questions, contact information is provided below. We look forward to sharing this information with you and hearing from you about the important work you are doing in your schools, communities, and states to meet the needs of your students and staff as they return to school either in person or virtually.

National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE)
American Institutes for Research
Phone: 800.258.8413
Email: NCSSLE@air.org
Website: http://safesupportivelearning.ed.gov

Join the Maine Audubon Junior Duck Stamp Challenge: A Scientific and Artistic Opportunity for K-12 Students

Maine Audubon is collaborating with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the 27th annual Federal Junior Duck Stamp Program, and they are looking for Maine students to submit creative, innovative, beautiful waterfowl art!

Educators can download a free dynamic, multidisciplinary curriculum that teaches wetland and waterfowl conservation to students in kindergarten through high school. The program encourages students to explore their natural world, invites them to investigate biology and wildlife management principles and challenges them to express and share what they have learned with others. This program and curriculum lend themselves to learning in a variety of forms, remote, hybrid teaching and in-classroom instruction.

Click here to see the winners of the 2019-2020 Maine Junior Duck Stamp Challenge!

Join Maine Audubon on Zoom on Jan 14 for information on the curriculum and background information on waterfowl and Jan 28 on drawing tips and techniques. Click here for For more information, to register for the free training and to download the curriculum.

For more information, contact Linda Woodard at lwoodard@maineaudubon.org.

Thoughts from a Virtual Session with 2020 National Teacher of the Year Tabatha Rosproy

On Wednesday, December 2, 2020, the Maine Department of Education welcomed 2020 National Teacher of the Year Tabatha Rosproy for a virtual question and answer session with Maine educators. Joining from her home in Kansas, Tabatha introduced herself and greeted a group of early childhood educators from the public, private, and special education sectors in Maine and beyond.

Ms. Rosproy spent the one-hour session discussing early childhood topics of interest in Maine, as well as responding to questions from participants. Tabatha’s honesty and passion for the field was evident through her down-to-earth and personable demeanor with session participants. By the end of the hour, it was apparent that Maine and Kansas aren’t all that different. And, although early childhood education has gained some traction nationally, there is still room for growth.

Key takeaways from the session included the value in making connections with colleagues and families, promoting classroom inclusion, and growing school leadership. Tabatha also emphasized the importance of early childhood educators “bring(ing) their seats to the table.” She encouraged each educator to, “Be an advocate for your students and get involved in your classroom, school, district and state.” She went on to inspire educators to think of leadership as an “activity, not a position.” Tabatha suggested it takes courage to do the right thing but that educators should feel empowered to be advocates, not reliant on individuals in positions of power. She also reminded participants that early childhood is not just the early grades of public school, but birth through eight years old. This time in a child’s development is critical and special. and they need a whole system of supporters, not just teachers.

When interacting with families, Tabatha shared that engagement and communication are crucial to building positive relationships and learning atmospheres. “Think of it like a bank account, you make deposits and withdrawals. The deposits are those positive daily comments about each child. The withdrawals are the occasional conversations of concern and goals for growth. Let’s make regular deposits!”

By the end of the hour, participants were thankful for Tabatha’s insights. While Tabatha has many doors open for her now, she shared she “has a hard time not seeing herself in the Pre-K classroom.” When asked what final advice she has for early childhood educators, she responded, “Keep speaking up! In some way, keep using your voice.”

For more information about Tabatha Rosproy and CCSSO’s National of Teacher of the Year Program, visit https://ntoy.ccsso.org/. You can also follow Tabatha on social media at: @NTOY20 on Facebook, @NTOY2020 on Instagram, and @TabathaRosproy on Twitter.

Any questions or comments about this opportunity can be directed to Nicole.madore@maine.gov.

Computer Science Education Week Starts Dec. 7th

Monday Dec. 7th kicks off the start of Computer Science Education Week, 2020! Join the computer science community in celebrating computer science in education. Whether you’re new to the world of computer science or have been involved since its inception, you’ll find many interesting events and activities that are ongoing throughout the week.

Computer Science Education Week began in 2009 to encourage and increase participation and offerings of computer science in education. CS Education Week’s 2020 focus is social justice. To learn more about computer science in education, and social justice in computer science education, check out the Computer Science Education Week website and explore the #CSEdWeek2020 and the #CSforSocialJustice hashtags on social media.

Events & Activities

Social Media

  • Follow @mdoenews on Twitter and Maine Department of Education on Facebook for #CSEdWeek posts throughout the week.
  • Use the #CSEdWeek and #CSforSocialJustice hashtags to share and engage with the computer science community.
  • Check out the #CSEdWeek2020Photos challenge on social media to see what teachers are doing in their classrooms during #CSEdWeek2020.
  • Interested in learning more about CS in Education? Check out #CSforAll #CSforGood #CS4Maine #ComputerScience

For more information contact Emma-Marie Banks, Secondary Digital Learning & Computer Science Specialist for the Maine Department of Education at emma-marie.banks@maine.gov.

Free Webinar: Addressing Challenges and Safety Concerns for Non-attending or Truant Students

The Maine Department of Education’s(DOE) Maine School Safety Center (MSSC) is pleased to offer a webinar concerning Maine schools’ current challenges and concerns for students that are non-attending or truant. The webinar will offer an opportunity for school and district staff to talk about their current concerns and issues in a forum style webinar, where stakeholder experts will be available to inform and answer questions.  Present at the webinar will be representatives from the legal field, school administration, law enforcement, and the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to walk through the legal and practical process of connecting with and re-engaging students and their families.

The two hour presentation will be hosted on December 15 from 3:00-5:00 PM.  The target audience includes school administrators, school staff, law enforcement, and DHHS staff, and other interested stakeholders.  Each presenter will explain their agency’s role, authority and assistance, and they will collaboratively address comprehensive solutions to obtain the best results for students. This will be an excellent opportunity for learning and discussion.

Please see the following registration and participation instructions:

When: Dec 15, 2020 03:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Topic: DOE/MSSC Attendance Forum

Register in advance for this webinar: https://mainestate.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ljcp9ZEoTbGRbOZ9D439xA

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. For further questions contact the Maine School Safety Center.

Student Learning Opportunity: Thomas Cup Competition for High School Students

This free online learning opportunity is being hosted by Thomas College for high school students statewide.

It has been a tough year for many students and Thomas College (and partnering sponsors) want to help by providing a fun and engaging opportunity for students that can be done from the safety of their own homes. The 6th Annual Thomas Cup will include several chances to participate from December 7th, 2020 through January 30th, 2021. It will feature five (5) FREE virtual competitions where students will engage in coding, innovation, esports, robotics, crime scene investigation, and cyber defense. Additionally, each member of the winning team from the Thomas Cup in a Box event can take home up to $10,000 in scholarships to Thomas College.

We hope that you will help us get the word out to students!

Poster with information about each event

Website (includes registration links)

One important note: We recognize the extraordinary load educators have this year, and will do everything we can to reduce the ask of educators in order for students to participate. At minimum, we do require that students have some connection to a school/chaperone — this is for safety purposes. We want to be sure all the students who are involved are truly high school students and that we have a trusted-adult we can reach out to in case something comes up beyond our reach.

Technology Requirements: Students will need access to a laptop/tablet with internet access, a Gmail account that can access our Google Classroom, and the Chrome browser. For some of the challenges, Thomas College also will provide access to Hopin, Minecraft Education Edition, and CoderZ Robotics. Students should review the device requirements for these on the registration page.

For answers to questions or more information, please reach out to Jim Delorie (James.Delorie@thomas.edu) or Amanda Nguyen (Amanda.Nguyen@thomas.edu).

Sponsors: Central Maine Power, Educate Maine, UNUM, Project Login, At&T, Thomas College Sports, Microsoft, WEX, Thomas College. These organizations have made it possible for your students to participate in this year’s Thomas Cup at no cost and have shared their time and talent to help make the competitions a success. 

Educator Learning Opportunity: Creating Circles of Wellness for Ourselves and Our Communities

Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) and the organizations of the STEM Collaborative are partnering with Partnerships in Education and Resilience (PEAR) to facilitate an event focused on celebrating wellness for educators in Maine.

About this Event

Date and Time: Sat, December 12, 2020, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM EST

Location: Online Event

We know that wellness is paramount, especially in this moment.

Join us for a collaborative endeavor where PEAR (Partnerships in Education and Resilience), out of Harvard University, will facilitate an online event focused on celebrating individual and community wellness — and it’s 100% free and open to all educators across Maine.

Our program will feature Exploration Stations — moments filled with choices of activities that bring balance, fun, distraction, and decadence. For example, some of our organizing team offered things like walking in nature, showing off our four-legged friends, sharing what’s going well in your classroom, and a hot cup of tea. To help us create stations, tell us what brings YOU balance in these times.

We hope you’ll join GMRI, the organizations of the STEM Collaborative, and educators from across Maine as we build community, gain strategies to support wellness, and practice these strategies together now and into the future.

Are you attending with others from your organization/school? (For some small group work it makes sense for colleagues to be together.) Are you willing to lead an Exploration Station around that thing that brings you balance?

Registration can be found here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/creating-circles-of-wellness-for-ourselves-and-our-communities-tickets-128889663453

Questions?

Email Jamaal Williams from PEAR at jwilliams@pearinc.org

Gulf of Maine Research Institute education programs provide thousands of Maine students with free, world-class learning opportunities — at our lab, in the field, and online.

Developing Emergency Operations Plans (EOPs) preK-12 101 Train-the-Trainer (TtT)

An overview of recommended planning processes and key considerations for creating, revising, or enhancing school emergency operations plans (school EOPs)

The REMS TA Center is excited to offer the NEW Developing Emergency Operations Plans (EOPs) preK-12 101 Train-the-Trainer (TtT) Training, Virtual Training by Request (VTBR) created in partnership with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Supportive Schools (OSSS). This 2.5-hour training presents important Federal guidance on school emergency management
planning.

TRAINING DESCRIPTION

Each school day, our nation’s schools are entrusted to provide a safe and healthy learning environment for approximately 55 million elementary and secondary school students in public and nonpublic schools. In June 2013, the Obama Administration released the Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans (School Guide) which provides an overview of Federal guidance on school emergency management planning.

The School Guide, produced by the U.S. Departments of Education; Justice, led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Homeland Security, led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency; and Health and Human Services, incorporates lessons learned from events, like the school shooting in Newtown and the tornadoes in Oklahoma, as well as years of emergency planning work by the Federal government, to present a recommended process, important content elements, and key considerations for school emergency operations plan (EOP) development.

In collaboration with their local government and community partners, schools can take steps to plan for these potential emergencies through the creation of a high-quality school EOP. With this preK-12 101 TtT VTBR, an expert team will train potential master trainers on the recommended six-step planning process to create a high quality school EOP, which includes the following:

Step 1: Forming a Collaborative Planning Team
Step 2: Understanding the Situation
Step 3: Determining Goals and Objectives
Step 4: Plan Development
Step 5: Plan Preparation, Review, and Approval
Step 6: Plan Implementation and Maintenance

Pre- and -post training activities will provide guidance on how this training is relevant to emergency operations planning and assist with the implementation of what is learned.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

Potential master trainers from participating schools and districts responsible for training site-based planning teams interested in creating, revising, or enhancing school EOPs; school staff who serve, or will serve, on their school or school district’s EOP planning team; and other interested community stakeholders, including first responders, emergency medical services personnel, law
enforcement, and others.

TRAINING DETAILS

When: Monday, November 30, 2020
Time: 9:30 a.m. ET to 12:00 p.m. ET
Training Link: https://seiservices.zoom.us/j/99674882570
Cost: NO CHARGE
Register for this virtual training session online at: https://www.remstacenter.org/TBR/TrainingRegistration.aspx?trainingsid=5354
Registration for this event closes on Friday, November 27, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. (ET).

If you have questions or need additional assistance, please contact REMS TA Center at (855) 781-REMS (7367) or info@remstacenter.org.

Learning Facilitator Program- Great Resource for Schools, Free for Trainees!

In order to be responsive to critical staff shortages in Maine schools as a result of the pandemic, Governor Mills created additional flexibilities and opportunities for educators in Executive Order #7. Based on the Executive Order, the Maine Department of Education, in collaboration with Maine Community College System and Eastern Maine Community College, has developed the Learning Facilitator Program, a fast-track training program for paraprofessional level educators to expand, strengthen and support a high quality educator workforce.

The program, which is offered at no cost to the participants, is completed in two phases in one academic year with the ongoing support of Eastern Maine Community College faculty.

  • A week-long 3-credit course “boot camp” with foundational elements of classroom management and school culture. Additionally, the core boot camp curriculum includes training in COVID readiness, bloodborne pathogens, suicide awareness and prevention, mandated reporter training, and fingerprint clearance in order to address both substitute teacher and long-term support staff preparedness.
  • The second phase of the program consists of a combination of online work, professional learning community meetings, and a structured teaching apprenticeship (315 hours).

Upon completion of the 3-credit course “boot camp,” participants will have the foundational skills necessary to fill short- and long-term substitute educator roles, as well as all paraprofessional positions. They can support instruction and provide guidance to learners in the classroom under the supervision of a mentor teacher or teaching team. Mentor teachers or teaching teams may be working remotely or in-person. Special coding for Learning Facilitators has been created within NEO for schools, so that subsidy will not be impacted.

Educators who complete all elements of the Learning Facilitator Program, as outlined above, will qualify for an Educational Technician III certification.

For more information related to the program, please visit the EMMC website, here.