Category: MLTI

Maine DOE welcomes Jim Chasse as MLTI Technology Infrastructure Specialist

The Learning Through Technology team welcomes Jim Chasse as the Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI) Technology Infrastructure Specialist. Jim has served many roles in public education, including teacher, coach, technology coordinator, curriculum leader, principal, and superintendent of schools, where he has led initiatives to advance technology.

As Superintendent in Hermon, Jim worked with the school committee to leverage COVID relief funds to advance the K-12 district to a 1:1 technology platform as a response to deliver remote instruction during the pandemic. As the Orono High School Principal, he implemented the high school’s first 1:1 laptop program, worked with Network Maine to enhance connectivity, and transitioned the district’s antiquated email system to Google Suite. He planned and supported a local student “Geek/Tech Squad” to work with students and staff. Earlier in his career, Mr. Chasse served as the Technology Coordinator for MSAD23/38 (Carmel and Levant), supporting learning through the first year of MLTI, new school construction, web-based student information systems, and 1:1 teacher device integration. He served as principal in Guilford, one of Maine’s nationally recognized school systems for 1:1 technology. He was the Headmaster at Bangor Christian School, a teacher in Hermon, and tennis coach at Bangor High School.

In this role, Jim will work with MLTI school administrators and educators to ensure that their technology infrastructure is robust enough to support the needs of technology integrated classrooms and 21st century learning. He will be available to provide leadership and expertise to SAUs and educators statewide around building and maintaining highly effective technology infrastructure in school buildings. Jim will work with SAUs to leverage funding opportunities for infrastructure improvements and help to build local capacity around school connectivity needs.

Besides being excited about this new job, Jim also enjoys the Maine outdoors, athletics, theater and playing guitar. He and his wife, Charlene (a special education teacher in Belfast), love to spend time with their grandchildren, five and counting!

Spring Training Continues in April – Check Out This Lineup of MLTI Professional Learning Offerings

Active learning, student engagement, technology integration, digital instructional design, and digital citizenship and online safety are the main topics for an ongoing professional learning series offered by the MLTI Ambassadors. This series features daily offerings that can be attended live via Zoom and are open to all interested educators. The sessions are now available as asynchronous versions through our website. To attend one of the live sessions via Zoom, be sure to register through this April calendar. Please note that the times of these offerings vary from day to day. Asynchronous versions of these sessions will be available through MLTI Professional Learning as well as the MLTI Youtube channel. 

Some topical offerings:  

MondayMonday – Technology Integration with Rob Dominick 

The Technology Integration series has dug into some data describing the effect of technology in the classroom, discussed the foundational integration strategies of TPACK and SAMR, and introduced three other useful strategies of TIM, PICRAT, and Triple E.  

Coming up in April, we will continue to discuss those strategies by analyzing each one and looking into what they actually look like in practice in the classroom. The series will culminate in the last week of April by evaluating some example lesson plans which integrate technology so that participants can apply that skill to their own planning. 

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

TuesdayTuesday Tech – Student Engagement with Erik Wade 

The student engagement series has been engaging audiences far and wide with professional development about integrating graphic design, inquiry, citizen science, and 3D design and printing. If you would like to view these past professional development opportunities, you can find them by clicking this link.  

Coming up in April, we will explore engaging students through virtual reality, math and science simulations, and the use of technology in outdoor education and agriculture.    

WednesdayWednesdays with Werner – Digital Citizenship & Online Safety with Jonathan R. Werner 

This six-part series on Digital Citizenship and Online Safety will draw on the incredible resources Common Sense Education (CSE) has curated to provide educators with a framework for and tools to teach students about Digital Citizenship. April will include the last two offerings: Relationships and Communication (Week 5) and Cyberbullying, Digital Drama, and Hate Speech (Week 6).

Please note, educators can choose any or all of these sessions and do not need to be able to attend all six. After April Break, we will tackle the sixth CSE focus area, News and Media Literacy, in a multi-week series focusing on issues such as Finding Credible News, the Four Factors of Fair Use, and Creator’s Rights and Responsibilities. 

ThursdayThursday – Digital Instructional Design with Kate Meyer 

This series of workshops will explore the creation and implementation of high-quality, engaging, interactive digital learning experiences for your students. Each week we will explore a new digital strategy that you can easily implement into any unit of study. This month we will be exploring Digital Poetry, Design Thinking Infographics, and Podcasting. 

If you missed March’s workshops on Hexagonal Thinking, Silent Discussions, or Curation Projects, you can view them asynchronously on MLTI’s YouTube channel on the Digital Instructional Design playlist. 

FridayFriday – Active Learning with Holly Graffam 

The first series of workshops focused on integrating Problem-Based Learning in the classroom, including an overview of Problem-Based Learning as well explored applications across a variety of content areas from literacy to science.  

Beginning in April, Computer Science across the curriculum will be the subject of the second series of workshops. Sessions will discuss the critical need for computer science in our classrooms and examine engaging, creative ways to integrate computer science into your existing curriculums. 

 

MLTI Student Conference Sessions Announced!

The 19th Annual MLTI Student Conference will be held virtually on Thursday, May 26, 2022, from 8:30am-2:00pm, and will be open to all MLTI 7th and 8th grade students. MLTI is excited to share the conference sessions for this exciting and innovative day!

Registration
Registration for the 2022 MLTI virtual student conference is now open until April 8, 2022. Please select a lead teacher from your MLTI school to fill out the online registration form. We will be asking for lead teacher contact information, school information, as well as a physical shipping address so we can deliver or ship conference materials directly to the attending school. We will also need the total number of students attending in each grade, and the totals for shirt sizes. We ask that schools complete the registration form by April 8, 2022. For questions regarding registration please reach out to Brandi Cota at Brandi.M.Cota@Maine.Gov.

Session Information Now Available
For a list of the sessions available to MLTI students, please visit our website! Once you have registered for the conference, we will send you a link to sign up for the sessions of your school’s choice the week of April 11th. If you have questions about sessions, please join us on Wednesday, April 6, at 3:30pm for a session Q&A. Sign up here!

Session Style
We have redesigned the conference to be classroom-based. Workshop leaders will teach your class new skills, provide time for students to practice these new skills, and then support them as they create something new with what they have learned. This new design will allow students to work together as they explore new resources and applications, create with new digital mediums, and collaborate to complete tasks. For more information on our new conference model please watch our video!

This virtual conference, as with past years, will be hosted on Zoom. The sessions will be 90 minutes, with the morning session running from 9:30am-11:00am, and the afternoon session running from 12:00pm-1:30pm. All necessary materials will be provided to schools before the conference so students will have them to create with during the conference.

Important Dates

  • March 10th Registration Opened
  • April 1st Sessions Announced
  • April 6th Session Q&A with MLTI
  • April 8th Registration Closes
  • April 11th Session Sign Up Opens-Form will be sent to registered schools
  • April 28th Session Sign Up Closes
  • May 12th Session Assignments Finalized

Further Information
For more information, please visit the MLTI Student Conference page or contact Brandi Cota at Brandi.M.Cota@Maine.Gov.

MLTI 2.0 Summer Professional Development Opportunity – In Person at Nokomis June 27-29th

Combine creative thinking with the right equipment and you can build opportunities that go beyond traditional education. In this FREE professional development event, Kern Kelley guides educators through the process of developing classroom environments that use teamwork, technology design, prototyping, and production. Teachers leave the program with $2,000 kits with everything from power tools, 3D printers, robotics, and virtual workspaces.

This opportunity is offered in person at Nokomis Regional High in Newport on June 27th – 29th from 8:30am to 1:00pm.

The professional development experience includes:

  • A free ‘STEAM Roller’ cart of equipment valued over $2,000.
  • Training for integrating this equipment into your classroom.
  • Being part of the statewide SLAM community of students and educators.
  • Available travel and lodging grants.

Space is very limited. For more information and to apply, please visit www.MLTI.me.

Download the flyer

MLTI Announces the Student Winner of the 2022 T-Shirt Design Competition 

Introducing the winner of the MLTI t-shirt design contest, Penny Graham, a 7th grade student at Waterville Junior High School! The 2022 MLTI t-shirt design competition was open to all MLTI 7th and 8th grade students to submit their talented digital designs.

Penny

Penny’s design was chosen by a panel of judges and will be printed on t-shirts and worn by all the Maine MLTI students and educators across the state on Thursday May 26, 2022, who attend the MLTI Virtual Student Conference!  Penny will also be featured on an upcoming MLTI SLAM Show to share the process she went through to digitally create her design.

Registration for the 2022 MLTI Virtual Student Conference is open to all 7th and 8th grade students. The conference takes place on Thursday May 26, 2022 and you can register here!

For more information, reach out to MLIT Project Manager Brandi Cota at Brandi.M.Cota@Maine.Gov.

MLTI Launching New End of Year Expo to Celebrate Educators!

End of Year Expo InfographicMLTI is launching an End of Year Expo event to celebrate educators! The End of Year Expo is a chance for MLTI educators to share the awesome work that they do to support the use of technology in teaching and learning.

Are you or someone you know an MLTI educator using technology in cool and exciting ways? Submit an entry to the expo and join us to share these achievements at our exhibition. All entries will have the opportunity to present at the expo. The expo will be open and free for all to attend. Exhibiters will be treated to a luncheon and an awards ceremony after the exhibition.

The MLTI End of Year Expo is featuring six categories of recognition. To learn more about these categories, check out this infographic (also featured to the right).

Do you know an MLTI educator or group of educators who should be sharing the awesome work that they are doing? Submit an entry!

For more information about the MLTI End of Year Expo, check out our website.

Registration is Now Open for the 2022 MLTI Virtual Student Conference

Registration is now open for the 2022 MLTI Virtual Student Conference! MLTI wants all 7 & 8th grade students to join this innovative conference! This year’s virtual conference will have a brand-new, classroom-centered approach in an effort to make it more collaborative for students and teachers to join sessions together as a class during the school day.

Session Style

Sessions will be delivered directly into your classroom where the workshop leader will act as a type of guest teacher. Workshop leaders will teach the class new skills, provide time for students to practice these new skills, and then support them as they create something new with what they have learned. Check out our video with different scenarios to help you plan!

Teacher Role

Teachers can sign up the entire 7th and 8th grade from their school.  Then MLTI will send registered schools the sessions to choose from. Next, you can divide students up so that one classroom is participating in a session. All the teachers need to do is share the session live in the classroom and support students as they learn, practice, and create!

Session Times & Materials

The sessions will be 90 minutes with the morning session running from 9:30am-11:00am, and the afternoon session running from 12:00pm-1:30pm. All necessary materials will be provided to schools before the conference so students will have them to create with during the conference.

The 19th Annual MLTI Student Conference will be held virtually on Thursday, May 26, 2022 from 8:30am-2:00pm, and will be open to all MLTI 7th and 8th grade students

For questions, please reach out to Brandi Cota-MLTI Project Manager brandi.m.cota@maine.gov.

MLTI Launches – Space2Connect! 19th Annual MLTI Student Conference

The 19th Annual MLTI Student Conference will be held virtually on Thursday, May 26, 2022 from 8:30am to 2:00pm, and will be open to all MLTI 7th and 8th grade students. Since our first MLTI Student Conference in 2003, this event has been providing students with their own technology conference focused on issues, concepts, and subjects that matter to them. The theme of this year’s conference is: MLTI Launches Space2Connect! The intent of the conference theme is to reflect the many interpretations of space and connection as they relate to Maine students and their use of technology today.

This year’s virtual conference will have a brand-new, classroom-centered approach. Sessions will be delivered directly into your classroom where the workshop leader will act as a type of guest teacher. Workshop leaders will teach the class new skills, provide time for students to practice these new skills, and then support them as they create something new with what they have learned. This new design will allow students to work together as they explore new resources and applications, create with new digital mediums, and collaborate to complete tasks. For more information on our new conference model, please watch our video!

This virtual conference, as with past years, will be hosted on Zoom. The sessions will be 90 minutes with the morning session running from 9:30am to 11:00am, and the afternoon session running from 12:00pm to 1:30pm. All necessary materials will be provided to schools before the conference so students will have them to create with during the conference.

In past years we have asked educators to lead all of the sessions at the student conference. However, this year, since the pandemic has already asked so much of educators over the past two years, the MLTI team, in partnership with some educational partners, will plan interactive, creative sessions that we think students will be excited to attend. Having said this, if you would like to lead a session at this year’s conference, we’d love to have you! Please review the proposal submission information and fill out the proposals submission form, or reach out to Digital Learning Specialist Jon Graham.

Registration

Registration for the 2022 MLTI virtual student conference is now open. Please select a lead teacher from your MLTI school to fill out the online registration form (copy attached to review before filling out online). We will be asking for lead teacher contact information, the school information, as well as a physical shipping address so we can deliver or ship conference materials directly to the attending school. We will also need the total number of students attending in each grade, and the totals for shirt sizes. We ask that schools complete the registration form by April 3, 2022. For questions regarding registration, please reach out to Brandi Cota at Brandi.M.Cota@Maine.Gov.

Important Dates

  • March 10th registration opens
  • March 21st workshop sessions announced
  • April 3rd registration closes
  • April 4th session sign up opens
  • April 15th session sign up closes
  • May 12th session assignments finalized

For more information, please visit the MLTI Student Conference page or contact Brandi Cota at Brandi.M.Cota@Maine.Gov.

MEDIA RELEASE: Maine Department of Education Resources on Helping Young People Safely Navigate the Internet

During his State of the Union address this week, President Biden called for increased measures to ensure young people are protected on the internet and while using social media. The Maine Department of Education offers parents, educators, and students a number of free resources, by grade level, to help young people safely navigate the internet and avoid dangers that can impact their physical and mental health.

The Maine Department of Education’s comprehensive web-based social emotional learning resource SEL4ME embeds specific lessons in interest safety at every grade level. For example, the second grade module Be Fine Online helps students learn ways to stay safe when online, including the importance of never revealing their personal information; sixth graders have lesson like Be Aware What You Share in which they gain a deeper understanding of internet safety and social media and on cyberbullying; the eighth grade lesson User Beware: The Scary Side of the Internet helps students understand that not everything on the internet is safe, including how to spot online predators and the dangers of sexting; and in 11th grade, students have access to Cyber Bullying and Digital Citizenship which goes into the effects of online bullying and the virtual footprint that can follow them into the work place.

SEL4ME is free to all Maine schools, families, and community partners and offers more than 450 PreK-12th grade learning modules. Each grade level hosts lessons within the five key elements of social emotional learning (SEL): self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationships, and responsible decision making. Educators, families, and students can learn more and sign up here.

The Maine Department of Education’s Digital Learning Specialists, in partnership with the MLTI Ambassadors, also provide professional learning, resources, and support for digital citizenship, social media use, online safety, and cyber security. MLTI also partners with Common Sense Education to share digital citizenship and online safety resources with educators. Educators can also reach out to specialists directly to explore ways to integrate these skillsets into their instruction to help students stay safe online.

“The internet is a tremendous resource for students to explore and activate their passions, develop skills and knowledge, build connections, and expand their digital literacy, and Maine educators and schools are constantly integrating technology into teaching and learning in innovative ways,” said Education Commissioner Pender Makin. “We’re also committed to making sure students have the tools and resources they need to navigate the internet safely and avoid the very real dangers that President Biden outlined in his State of the Union speech that pose a threat to the physical and mental health of our young people. We encourage educators and families to take advantage of our free resources.”

Carrabec Community School P.E. Class Individualizes Learning Through New Heart Rate Monitors

Physical Education at Carrabec Community School looks more colorful as students’ wrists glow with a mix of blue, yellow, and red. The glow comes from the new heart rate monitors that students are using as part of Heidi Day’s Physical Education class. The monitors use colors to indicate students’ heart rates as they play and learn through Physical Education. 

“The goal in this process is to make the learning personal and relevant to each individual. This system should help the students make the connection between the perceived rate of exertion and their heart’s ability to adjust to the intensity they are putting forth,” said Heidi.  

Students have learned the drill. They come to class, get their assigned heart rate monitors, log them in by holding them on a scanner attached to Heidi’s computer, and keep an eye on the color. As students exercise, their heart rate data is saved on the monitor. Once the class is over, students put their monitors back on the scanner to upload their heart rate data. An e-mail is sent to them and their parent/guardian with the amount of time they spend in blue, resting heart rate, yellow, target heart rate, and red, max heart rate. Students then use a spreadsheet on their laptops to record the number of minutes in each category.

“Students will set appropriate personal goals and work weekly to achieve those standards. The spreadsheet allows tracking that averages the time the student has spent in the resting, target, and max heart rate zones. This process becomes a means of self-assessment for my students, making their experience in physical education personal and success achievable,” Heidi explained.  

The heart rate monitors are working well, and students are excited by what color their monitor is, but Heidi has worked hard for that excitement. Last year Heidi attempted to integrate the monitors, but found the process overwhelming. 

Heidi explained, “I love technology. However, I am limited in my skill set as well as my patience when trying to implement something new. I feel like it takes me three times longer than it should, and I get so frustrated I tend to avoid the trouble altogether.”  But through perseverance and help from the MLTI 2.0 ambassador program, Heidi has found success. 

“Honestly, without [the Ambassador’s] help, I don’t believe I would have been able to implement this addition to my class. He has been there to troubleshoot through the challenges, making changes and adjustments as necessary, allowing me to still focus on my students. Ask for help!  I’m so glad I did!  I am excited to have this new process in place, but I know with all the daily tasks I have to complete, there would be little chance of me learning it all on my own and implementing it without support!” 

This story was written and coordinated by MLTI Ambassador Erik Wade as part of the Maine Schools Sharing the Success Campaign. To learn more, or to submit a story or an idea for a story, email rachel.paling@maine.gov.