Be a Part of Family Math Community of Practice

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is seeking a total of 24 Elementary School educators to participate in a Family Math Community of Practice. This opportunity will provide valuable information and resources to bolster educators’ participation in the growing movement known as Family Math.

The National Association for Family, School and Community Engagement’s Center for Family Math, Erikson Institute’s Early Math Collaborative, and the Mid-Atlantic Equity Consortium’s Consortium for Engaging Families Across Maine are excited to partner together to offer the Family Math Community of Practice for K-5 teachers and other elementary school practitioners. The opportunity is based on the emerging movement to promote math activities within the context of family relationships and everyday life. The practices inherent in family math are designed to help children strengthen their math skills and develop a sense of confidence and enthusiasm in their math abilities. The movement empowers parents, organizations, and educators with knowledge, tools, and resources that help them feel excited about introducing and exploring mathematical concepts.

This Family Math Community of Practice is being offered at no cost to participants, has limited space, and is available for school-level educators, including K-5th grade classroom teachers, curriculum specialists, coaches, and school administrators. Learners must commit to participate in four 90-minute virtual sessions. The learning outcomes associated with this professional development opportunity include:

Gaining an understanding of Family Math – what it is, why it is important, and what it looks like;
Acquiring core competencies for engaging families in children’s math learning;
Adopting and sharing Family Math promising practices in K-5 classrooms and schools.

The Family Math Community of Practice will consist of two cohorts, and sessions will be held on the following dates in 2024 from 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm ET:

	Cohort 1	Cohort 2
Session 1	Tuesday, August 20	Thursday, August 22
Session 2	Tuesday, August 27	Thursday, August 29
Session 3	Tuesday, September 10	Thursday, September 12
Session 4	Tuesday, September 17	Thursday, September 19

Participating in a Family Math Community of Practice will qualify for 8 Contact hours through the Maine Department of Education (DOE).

Please share this registration link and encourage K-5th grade educators to register for the FMCOP by August 3, 2024. By August 10, 2024, participants will receive an email confirming whether they have been selected, along with a Zoom link and calendar invite.

Feel free to reach out with any questions to Holly Kreider, Ed.D, Director, NAFSCE Center for Family Math kreiderh@nafsce.org or Melanie Junkins, Maine DOE Family Engagement and Cultural Responsiveness Specialist (melanie.junkins@maine.gov)

This exciting opportunity is being provided at NO COST with the support of the Consortium for Engaging Families Across Maine, funded by the U.S. Department of Education.

Leveling Up Literacy in Maine: Free Self-Paced Modules for Maine Educators this Summer

*Limited Time – Educator Stipends Available for Modules Completed Prior to August 23, 2024.

Are you a Maine educator seeking to better understand evidence-based literacy practices and how science can inform your ability to teach children to read and write?
Are you interested in engaging professional learning to build your expertise and support recertification requirements?
Does earning a stipend for completing professional learning appeal to you?
Would you like to engage in professional learning on your own time from the comfort of your home?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, the Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) Literacy Module Opportunity may be a perfect fit. The Maine DOE is pleased to announce a free professional development opportunity for Maine educators working in Kindergarten–Grade 5 regular and special education settings. These self-paced, asynchronous, evidence-based literacy modules will be available to educators from June 12, 2024 to June 11, 2025.

The Maine DOE has contracted with AIM Institute© for Learning & Research to offer free access to AIM Steps to Literacy Modules at no cost to Maine Educators. AIM Steps to Literacy modules, which can be taken individually or in course bundles, are fully asynchronous online courses focused on a variety of evidence-based literacy topics. Each Steps to Literacy module provides teachers with engaging learning opportunities organized in a “learn, practice, apply” introductory cycle, and contains teaching techniques, videos, and printable resources to develop participants’ knowledge and their transfer of new techniques into classroom practice. The available modules include:

Module 1: Overview of the Science of Reading (9 contact hours)
Module 2: Phonological Awareness (7 contact hours)
Module 3: Decoding & Spelling (7 contact hours)
Module 4: Vocabulary (4 contact hours)
Module 5: Language Comprehension & Written Expression (11 contact hours)
Module 6: Demystifying Dyslexia (3 contact hours)
Module 7: Growing Proficient Readers: Dr. Ehri’s Phases of Development (4 contact hours)
Module 8: Specialized Reading Knowledge Bundle: English Learners (10 contact hours)

Eligible educators must be employed in a Maine school and have a school email address. Participants may complete multiple modules, however it is only possible to sign up for one module at a time. Access to additional modules is not available until verified completion of the prior module. Educators wishing to bundle modules to earn micro-credentials from the AIM Institute© for Learning & Research and Credentials Unlimited will be required to pay any additional fees.

Maine educators who complete modules by midnight on August 23, 2024 will be eligible to receive a stipend of $25/hour per the number of contact hours awarded for each completed module.

There will be an informational session on June 11, 2024 from 4:00-5:00 to provide an overview of module content, form and function, registration, and the stipend process. Please register at this link.

For additional information and access to the module registration form, please visit the Maine DOE AIM Literacy Module landing page. If you have additional questions please contact Inclusive Education Literacy Specialist & Dyslexia Coordinator, Dee Saucier, danielle.m.saucier@maine.gov.

This opportunity was created with Federal Emergency Relief Funding and is a part of Maine’s Whole Student Pandemic Response. Please visit the Maine Department of Education website to learn more about Maine’s Whole Student Pandemic Response.

Registration Now Open for Maine Department of Education 2024 Annual Summit

2024 Annual Summit Theme: Supporting the Whole Student and School Community

Registration is now open for the 2024 Maine Department of Education (DOE) Annual Summit held August 6th – 8th at the Augusta Civic Center. Sessions take place from 7 am to 5 pm each day. Breakfast and lunch are included in the registration fee of $150 for all three days. This year’s event features an all-in-one events app, over 150 session options with contact hours, four engaging keynote speakers, in addition to several mini-summits and other training options available during the event – registration instructions are available below.

This year’s theme, Supporting the Whole Student and School Community, is emphasized through a wide variety of sessions on early childhood education, student behavior (including a session on The Regulated Classroom!), social emotional learning, interdisciplinary instruction, youth engagement, special education and inclusivity, diversity, equity, and inclusion, extended learning opportunities, outdoor learning and climate education, school safety, mental health literacy, emotional intelligence, literacy, math, technology in the classroom, and so much more!

This year’s keynote speakers are Pender Makin, Maine Education Commissioner; Jared Cooney Horvath, a Neuroscientist and Educator; Kim Strobel, a motivational speaker and Happiness Coach; and Catherine Ann Wilson, the founder of Stop Trafficking US.

There are also several mini summits and training certifications being offered during the event. Mini summits include:

As part of the School Safety Summit, there are over 25 presentations from all areas involving school and student safety. Look for their tag in the listing of sessions on the agenda page.
Educational Trip Leader Permit Course– Required for any educator taking students on field trips involving water. Maine Guide and Principal of Wiscasset Middle & High School, Sarah J. Hubert will offer this full 3-day training.
Functional Behavioral Assessments Training (FBA) fifteen (15) total hours (5 per day) during the three-day Annual Summit.
Maine Volunteer Leadership Conference Ten discreet sessions can be taken as an all-day track on August 6 or just attend those of interest! Designed for anyone who invites volunteers to help meet the needs of youth or community. The topics cover a new model for youth service, volunteering as a wellness intervention, engaging local business employees as volunteers, ensuring diversity and inclusion in volunteer systems, and more. Presenters include researchers, practitioners, and panelists from major state employers.

The Maine DOE Annual Summit is your summer destination for connecting with education colleagues across Maine to share ideas and reinvigorate over the summer. The 150+ sessions will give you the high-quality professional learning, tools, and resources you need to re-energize this summer while earning contact hours towards your State of Maine educator and/or administrator credential renewal before the 2024/2025 school year. You will also have the opportunity to meet with members of Maine DOE’s Certification Team all three days of the events!

Transportation & Travel Options

Ride-Share Option – The Annual Summit is now available on the GO MAINE trip planner, a statewide commuter program. The pre-filled event destination can be used and shared with other Annual Summit attendees by using this link.

Travel Reimbursement: All attendees are eligible for mileage reimbursement. Attendees traveling more than fifty (50) miles are eligible to receive reimbursement for lodging for the 3-day Annual Summit. Additional information related to lodging reimbursement and submitting for travel reimbursement can be located on the Maine Department of Education (Maine DOE) Bizzabo Annual Summit event website.

Registration

New this year, the Maine DOE is utilizing Bizzabo, an all-in-one events platform to support registration and attendance. Through Bizzabo, participants will be able to register and pay for the Summit, access their personalized schedule and registration information, and access to real-time conference and scheduling updates.

Register here.

Registration is open until July 19th. The presentation schedule and agenda will be released very soon. After registering for the summit, search for the Bizzabo app in your app store (Bizzabo in Apple Store | Bizzabo on Google Play) and log in with your email and ticket number to access the event.

We look forward to seeing you at the Annual Summit this year!

Asynchronous Course: Introduction to the Question Formulation Technique

The Maine Department of Education (DOE)  Interdisciplinary Instruction Team is hosting two summer courses called Question, Reflect, Repeat: Introduction to the Question Formulation Technique. 

The Question Formulation Technique is a powerful strategy to help students and adults ask their own questions, advocate for themselves, and participate in decision-making processes.

There will be two asynchronous summer sessions running from:

July 1 – August 9
August 1 – September 6

To learn more and register for this course, visit the Interdisciplinary Instruction Professional Learning page.

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

This opportunity is a collaboration between the Maine Online Open-Source Education (MOOSE) project and the Interdisciplinary Instruction Team. The MOOSE project is funded entirely (100%) through Federal money under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA) and American Rescue Plan (ARP) totaling $4,598,000 for the current 2023-2024 funding cycle.

Celebrate Success, Foster Sustainability at the 2024 Maine ELO Summit!

Calling all Maine educators! Join your colleagues for the 2024 Maine ELO Summit, taking place on August 13th at the Brunswick Hotel. This year’s theme, “Celebrating Success, Fostering Sustainability,” promises an inspiring day filled with valuable insights and discussions on Extended Learning Opportunities (ELOs). The summit is open to all Maine school personnel and supporting partners. Registration and meals are fully covered by JMG with support from the Maine Department of Education (DOE).

What are ELOs?

ELOs are a form of micro-credentialing that allow students to earn academic credit through diverse, hands-on experiences outside the conventional classroom. They emphasize community-based career exploration and are highly personalized opportunities for students to:

Engage in learning in ways that resonate with them.
Connect their learning to everyday life in meaningful ways.

ELOs combine elements of academic instruction (projects, papers, presentations) with experiential learning (project-based learning, internships, job shadows).

The Value of ELOs:

Flexible: ELO experiences can be designed for in-person, remote, or hybrid settings, allowing schools to utilize their resources effectively.
Personalized: ELOs offer the chance to customize courses for students who need additional support, specific motivation, or excel in a certain area. They cater to individual learning styles.
Relevant: Every ELO connects real-life experiences with learning standards. This format translates to highly relevant and engaging content, often incorporating valuable career exploration.

2024 ELO Summit Highlights Not to Miss –

Student Stories: Be inspired by students sharing their firsthand ELO experiences!
Dynamic Workshops: Interactive sessions will feature microlearning opportunities followed by facilitated workshops to translate insights into actionable plans.
Engaging Discussions and Networking: Connect with your peers through panel discussions, networking receptions, and collaborative planning sessions.

Don’t Miss Out – Registration is Free!

Register today and be part of the exciting future of ELOs in Maine! For more information, including a full agenda for the day, please see the event flyer.

Leading Early Learning Fellowship—A Professional Learning Series for Elementary School Administrators

As Maine elementary schools have added preschool programming and are promoting whole student approaches across the Pre-K -Grade 3 span, elementary principals have requested professional learning to support their work as educational leaders. The Maine Department of Education and several Maine educational organizations (listed below) have collaborated to design an exciting professional learning series to address identified needs and support professional growth. To date, the Leading Early Learning Fellowship series has supported three cohorts, one each year since 2021-22. We are pleased to announce that applications for the fourth cohort, 2024-25 school year, are now being accepted.

The fellowship provides participants with opportunities to deepen their knowledge of early learning pedagogy and best practices related to supporting students and teachers across Pre-K-3. Participants engage in a variety of modes of learning, from asynchronous modules to facilitated online professional learning communities to in-person gatherings.

“I really enjoyed the variety of materials and activities in which we were engaged–videos, utilizing the observation and reflection tools, and the readings. Also, it was a great group of people to interact with both online and in person,” said a participant from Cohort 3.

“Participating in the series has helped me to look at the decisions we make about our instructional programming and school community through the lens of early learning and what is developmentally appropriate for our youngest learners,” said a participant from Cohort 1.

If this opportunity interests you, please review the fellowship details in the informational guide. A link to apply for the series is included in the informational guide. The series will support up to 30 participants. Applications will be received through July 14, 2024. Once spaces are filled, a waiting list will be generated.

For additional information, please contact Lee Anne Larsen, Director of Early Learning at Maine DOE, leeann.larsen@maine.gov.

Leading Early Learning Partner Organizations

Maine Department of Education
Maine Roads to Quality Professional Development Network
Maine Association for the Education of Young Children
UMaine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies

No Cost Professional Learning Course: Visual Access to Mathematics Focused on Multilingual Learners

Visual Access to Mathematics (VAM) – Free professional learning course with a focus on English learners/multilingual learners for grades 6 and 7 mathematics teachers:

Grade 6 and 7 mathematics teachers in Maine are invited to register for a FREE professional learning course focused on visual representations to support mathematical problem solving and communication and led by Pam Buffington and Johannah Nikula from Education Development Center.

Teachers will learn evidence-based strategies that they can integrate with their current mathematics curriculum to benefit English learners/multilingual learners and all students.

The course starts with an in-person summer institute (August 13th-15th in Cheshire, CT with hotel/mileage/meal costs covered) and continues during the school year with flexible online sessions. If enough teachers from Maine sign up, then a second summer institute option location in Maine will be added for August 21st-23rd.

Benefits include an $850 stipend for teachers and the option to sign up for graduate credit for a fee.

Check out the VAM flyer for additional information about this opportunity. Share the flyer with mathematics teachers in grades 6 and 7 who may be interested. They can register here for an information session to learn more directly from course developers.

This opportunity is part of a project the Regional Educational Laboratory

Northeast & Islands (funded by the U.S. Department of Education) is conducted in partnership with the Connecticut State Department of Education. Teachers from Maine are being invited to participate in coordination with the Maine Department of Education.

If you have any questions, please contact vam@edc.org

Using Genealogy to Teach Inclusive History Workshops

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) has opened registration for the second year of the American Ancestors genealogical inquiry workshop for grade 4-8 teachers and administrators. This program trains teachers to use inquiry-based lessons incorporating authentic methodologies professional genealogists use. Lessons guide students through conducting family history research, thinking like a historian, honing their research skills using primary sources, and exploring case studies of important local and national people. Go beyond family trees and help students make real-world personal connections to history. In addition to the genealogy inquiry curriculum, there will be a focus on providing resources to support African American studies.

Two one-day workshops are available with an optional virtual professional learning community throughout the 2024-2025 school year.

Option 1: August 5th – in-person or virtual (no cost)
Option 2: August 6th – in-person at the Educators Summit (Educators Summit registration required)

To learn more and register, click this link. https://www.maine.gov/doe/learning/II/genealogy

For more information about this program, please get in touch with Jaime Beal, Maine DOE Interdisciplinary Instruction Specialist, at jaime.beal@maine.gov

Exciting Early Childhood Summer Summit Opportunity

Are you interested in exploring critical issues impacting early care and education? Are you wondering how you could work more collaboratively within your community to connect early childhood partners (e.g., childcare, schools, community-based organizations, etc.)? Are you eager to connect with other early childhood educators and consider ways of strengthening the early care and education mixed-delivery system in your community?

Consider attending the Early Childhood Summer Summit on Thursday, July 11, 2024, at Keeley’s Banquet Center, 178 Warren Avenue, Portland, Maine. The summit will run from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Lunch will be provided. Attending is no cost, and up to 60 individuals can be accommodated. CEUs will be made available to anyone attending the summit.

The goals of the Early Childhood Summit include:

To improve alignment and transitions for children and families, foster community-level coordination and collaboration across the mixed-delivery early care and education system, which includes childcare programs, Head Start, and elementary schools.
Strengthen understanding of evidence-based practices that are critical to leverage across the birth-grade 3 span to promote whole child development.
Supporting community-based planning and implementation efforts through mini-grants and ongoing technical assistance support.

What will the summit structure be like? 

The summit is funded through Maine’s Preschool Development Renewal Grant. It is jointly sponsored by the Maine Department of Education and the Office of Child and Family Services in Maine’s Department of Human Services. Individuals may register to attend independently but are encouraged to come with a colleague interested in building community collaborations. The summit’s content will include various keynote addresses and workshop sessions connected to the goals outlined previously. Topics will include promoting inclusionary practices, addressing challenging behaviors, promoting play as a foundational learning strategy, and promoting smooth transitions from early childhood education programs into public schools for children and families. Time will also be provided for attendees to work with each other and presenters to develop plans for building collaborative early childhood community teams.

What are the next steps for attendees after attending the Early Childhood Summer Summit?

Individual 2024 Early Childhood Summer Summit attendees will be encouraged to build a community team during the 2024-25 school year. They will be given preference for attending the 2025 ECE Summer Summit. Teams that attend the 2025 summit will receive $800 mini-grants to implement action plans. Details about team building will be shared at the summit.

To apply: Complete the application by June 14, 2024. Each individual who plans to attend should complete the registration form. A field is included in the application to note if you plan to attend with a colleague so that we can group you at the summit.

For additional information, please contact Renee Reilly, Maine DOE PDG Manager, at Renee.A.Reilly@maine.gov or Andrea Faurot, OCFS PDG Manager, at Andrea.Faurot@maine.gov.

State Reporting Summer Training

Mark your calendars! Registration for the Data Summer Training is currently open! Trainings are scheduled at varying locations across the state from July 29th to August 1st and August 12th to August 15th. This year’s training will focus on reporting resource updates, guidance for data reporting best practices, and assistance with student enrollment. We look forward to providing this opportunity to meet with school administrative units to network and collaborate.

Dates and Locations:

July 29th – Presque Isle
July 30th – Old Town
July 31st – Perry
August 1st – Farmington
August 12th – Union
August 13th – Auburn
August 14th – Buxton
August 15th – Remote

Register Here!

Please Save a Seat for a specific location after initial registration is complete.

Registration will close on Friday, July 26th. If you have any questions about this year’s Summer Training, please get in touch with Alexandra.Cookson@maine.gov or call 207-446-3897