Category: Instruction

Maine HIV Prevention Education Program comes to an end

After an almost 30-year existence, federal and state funds are no longer available for HIV prevention education. Funding from the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was previously provided to help states assist school districts in developing and implementing sustainable program activities. As a result, Maine districts were able to deliver HIV, STD and teen pregnancy prevention curricula and establish safe and supportive environments for students and staff.

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Portland’s Karen MacDonald named 2014 Maine Teacher of the Year

Maine Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen announced the King Middle School sixth-and seventh-grade teacher as Maine’s top educator in a surprise all-school assembly Tuesday

2014 Maine Teacher of the Year Karen MacDonald, of King Middle School in Portland, and Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen
2014 Maine Teacher of the Year Karen MacDonald and Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen

PORTLAND – A 24-year veteran teacher at the state’s most diverse middle school is the 2014 Maine Teacher of the Year.

In a surprise assembly at King Middle School (KMS) in Portland Tuesday morning, Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen announced Karen MacDonald, who has served students in Portland Public Schools since 1979, as Maine’s top teacher.

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2014 Maine Teacher of the Year finalists named

The annual educator recognition program is now administered by Educate Maine, a business-led organization whose mission is to champion college and career readiness

AUGUSTA – Maine Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen has announced that two elementary school teachers and one middle school teacher have been selected as the state finalists for the prestigious title of 2014 Maine Teacher of the Year.

The 2014 finalists are Mary Graziano, a fourth grade teacher at Hartland Consolidated School in Hartland; Karen MacDonald, a sixth and seventh grade English language arts teacher at King Middle School in Portland; and Suzen Polk-Hoffses, a kindergarten teacher at Milbridge Elementary School in Milbridge.

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MIT seeks math, science teachers to pilot STEM learning game

Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT’s) Scheller Teacher Education Program and Education Arcade were recently awarded a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to develop an immersive virtual learning environment to support high school math and biology instruction. The resulting Radix Endeavor, a multi-player online game, will be available for pilot during the 2013-14 academic year.  Continue reading “MIT seeks math, science teachers to pilot STEM learning game” →

New tools help teachers navigate ELA standards

New implementation resources focused on central elements of the new English language arts and literacy standards are now available to Maine educators.

They include a new set of online tools to guide teachers in analyzing texts for complexity and using them in instructional units. These resources, developed by a dozen states including Maine in collaboration with the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and Achieve the Core, include text complexity roadmaps, model text sets for instruction, tools for analyzing texts, recommended text-dependent questions and sample lesson videos.

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One of Time’s “2012 Most Influential People” speaks to Maine’s STEM educators

Freeman Hrabowski III, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), was the keynote speaker at the Maine School of Science and Mathematics’ (MSSM’s) second annual STEM—also known as science, technology, engineering and mathematics—Collaborative Educators’ Camp. Continue reading “One of Time’s “2012 Most Influential People” speaks to Maine’s STEM educators” →

Continuous improvement in RSU 16

Maine DOE’s Center for Best Practice has released its latest case study, Sustained Change, Continuous Improvement, focusing on the transformational efforts of Regional School Unit 16 (Mechanic Falls, Minot and Poland).

This is the sixth of a series of case studies researched and written by the Maine DOE, looking at school districts attempting to implement fundamental changes around proficiency-based education and learner-centered systems. Informed by the Maine DOE strategic plan, Education Evolving: Maine’s Plan For Putting Learners First, these case studies serve as resources for districts implementing proficiency-based diploma policies. Continue reading “Continuous improvement in RSU 16” →