This year the data team will be hosting a series of webinars to cover end of year reports. All webinars will be on Tuesdays at 10am, no registration is required to join. The Join Live event links below will be active on the date and time indicated for each webinar.
After each webinar, the recordings will be posted to the Webinars and Presentations page on the Helpdesk Website. It may take a few days to get the recordings posted, however they will be available as soon as possible.
If a webinar is cancelled, there will be a notice posted on the Helpdesk Website at the top of the page.
Homeless Data Entry Webinar:
April 25 @ 11am <-Please note the time of this webinar is 11am.
Arts Integration, A Trip to Town Hall, STEAM Powered Makers Learning from Success, and Dig into MOOSE are the professional development topics that our Teacher Leader Fellows will be offering during the week of April 24-27, 2023. These sessions will be delivered live over Zoom and then archived on our website. Please click on the registration links below to join!
Dig into MOOSE: What Impact Do Invasive Species Have on Our Environment?: This session will be an exploration into the MOOSE module while bringing in other resources and materials with connections to the theme of invasive species. As we explore the additional resources, we will be paying specific attention to how this topic can be explored through different lenses of STEAM. Offered April 24, 2023,at 5pm. REGISTER HERE.
A Trip to Town Hall: This session will provide guidance in how to plan a meaningful visit to your local town or city hall for any grade level. Local government sites are an often-overlooked opportunity to get students thinking about themselves as decision-makers. We’ll discuss how to work with students and local officials to plan a fun and educational experience. Offered April 25, 2023 at 6pm. REGISTER HERE.
Arts Integration: In this session we’ll discuss strategies, opportunities, and resources to support arts integration across contents. Offered April 26, 2023. REGISTER HERE.
STEAM Powered Makers Learning from Success: This session will begin our ongoing effort to expand our definition of STEAM. On this trip we will start Learning from Success, understanding how Teamwork (collaboration) and video tools are used to establish roles to use on all STEAM courses. Offered April 27, 2023. REGISTER HERE.
This event is open to all school personnel as it does not just apply to HE & PE.
This is the second offering of the Heath Education (HE) & Physical Education (PE) Inclusive Teaching Practices Professional Learning Opportunity. Here is a little more about the workshop:
Have you taken a look at your curriculum and teaching practices with the lens of inclusion?
Are your materials representative of all students and their families?
Are your practices and the language you use inclusive of all your students and their families?
Do you know what to look for?
The Maine Department of Education (DOE) Health Education & Physical Education Program is hosting a second training opportunity focused on learning about diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and the impact better understanding what it means has on teaching practices within HE & PE…or any discipline! This 2-day interactive training will focus on understanding foundational concepts in DEI then review a tool and process for conducting a deep dive into curriculum, instructional strategies and classroom management practices. Following the 2-days of training, virtual Community of Practice sessions for conversations and technical assistance will be held. Please note, educators outside of the HE & PE disciplines are more than welcome to attend and all will find great benefit!
We are excited to again have the fabulous Dr. Sarah Benes (she, her, hers), as our trainer and consultant on this initiative. Sarah is an assistant professor at Southern Connecticut State University in health education and physical education, co-owner of Lighthouse Wellness and Health Education Consulting, and SHAPE America President. We are pleased to also have Maine HE & PE Teacher Leaders co-training with us this spring.
Event Details: Friday, May 5 and Thursday, May 11 at Thomas College in Waterville from 8:00 a.m. – 3 p.m. each day. The fee for this training is ONLY $45* to assist in covering the cost of food and facility. All other expenses are funded by the Maine DOE.
Register Now – Attendees must commit to both days of this training.
Email susan.berry@maine.gov with questions or before registering if using a PO for the discount code to bypass the credit card payment.
The Maine Department of Education (DOE) launched Maine’s Teacher Leader Fellows today with an inaugural class of five extraordinary educators from across the state. Waterville Senior High School social studies teacher Jessica Graham, Fryeburg Academy national-board certified teacher James St. Pierre, Nokomis Regional Middle School Integrated Technology teacher Keith Kelley, Mattanawcook Academy mathematics teacher Sarah Krause, and national-board certified music teacher Dorie Tripp will work with Maine DOE staff to support Maine’s educators in cross-cutting, interdisciplinary concepts of civics, STEAM, and humanities.
The Teacher Leader Fellows will provide educators across Maine with weekly updates on resources and materials, host monthly professional learning opportunities, and maintain webpages with rich and informative content. To receive weekly communications and monthly professional learning around civics, STEAM, and/or humanities concepts, click here.
“Taking on this new position offers so many opportunities to engage with exactly what I love about teaching—meeting other educators, making connections with community partners, and celebrating community centered student learning. I truly believe that building strong communities and educating engaged citizens is the core mission of schools, and that civic learning happens in every grade and every content area. I am so excited to help connect, celebrate, and create with educators and learners around Maine,” said Waterville Senior High School social studies teacher Jessica Graham.
“Being a teacher leader means connecting and helping others connect. It means gathering the ideas and experiences of the teachers in the state and sharing them in manageable, practical, and efficient ways. We have such a great array of professionals whose knowledge can elevate all students, so to be one of the leaders bringing them together is a privilege,” said Fryeburg Academy national-board certified teacher James St. Pierre.
“To be a teacher you need to know the material and your students. A great teacher never stops learning and the best learning is done by teaching others. I hope, with the other Teacher Leader Fellows, to help educate others and myself until STEAM pours out of all of our classrooms,” said Nokomis Regional Middle School Integrated Technology teacher Keith Kelley.
“As a STEAM Teacher Leader Fellow, I hope to help spread important information and opportunities to the other STEAM educators in Maine. I plan to regularly provide teachers with some meaningful STEAM lessons and activities that can be incorporated into their classrooms. Additionally, as a teacher of mathematics and a fan of the arts, I would like to help others see the beauty in the world of STEAM,” said Mattanawcook Academy mathematics teacher Sarah Krause.
“I’m delighted to be working with the DOE to support Maine teachers! I look forward to working with other educators to learn, collaborate, and to create unique learning opportunities for our students,” said national-board certified music teacher Dorie Tripp.
Meet Maine’s Teacher Leader Fellows
Jessica Graham
Jessica Graham is a high school social studies teacher at Waterville Senior High School. She serves as the National Honor Society advisor and Trivia Club advisor and on the district curriculum committee. After working in museum education around the state of Maine for a decade, Jessica transitioned to classroom teaching six years ago and relishes the opportunity to build lasting relationships with students. She is passionate about civics education conceived broadly: helping students practice community in the classroom and in the wider world through conversation, action, and applied knowledge of decision-making processes. Her background in museum work leads her to approach content in an interdisciplinary and experiential way. Her greatest honor as a teacher was receiving Waterville’s annual staff Renaissance Award, a recognition bestowed by the student body.
In her free time Jessica is pursuing a PhD in history from the University of Maine, volunteers as a Girl Scout leader, and enjoys slowly converting her suburban yard into a garden retreat full of native plants and pollinator habitat.
James St. Pierre
James St. Pierre is a national board-certified teacher with thirty years of teaching experience at Fryeburg Academy where he has taught courses in English and biology and served as English department chair. In addition to his work at the secondary level, he also holds the position of Lecturer at both Granite State College and White Mountains Community College, where he has taught as an adjunct for two decades. He holds a master’s degree in English Literature from Middlebury College and has presented at state and regional conferences regarding the medium of comics. He is married with two sons and enjoys making comics in his free time.
Keith Kelley
A Maine educator for more than 33 years, Keith Kelley is currently teaching Integrated Technology. Having taught Language Arts, Social Studies and serving as the School Librarian, he is now teaching IT at Nokomis Regional Middle School. His students make Robots, Skateboards, 3D print, and build Guitars. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Education at UMaine. He has coached soccer, track, and various tech camps. In his free time, he enjoys riding around in his classic mustang with his wife and dogs.
Sarah Krause
Sarah Krause is a graduate from the University of Maine with a B.S. in Secondary Education, a B.A. in Mathematics & Statistics, and a Minor in Zoology.
Currently, she is in her twelfth year of classroom experience with AP Calculus, Precalculus, and AP Computer Science Principles as the bulk of her teaching schedule over the years. Other teaching experiences include: Algebra 1 & 2, Geometry, Math Problem Solving, Linear Algebra, Advanced Topics in Mathematics (and elective that explored advanced precalculus topics). Next year she will be adding Intro to Digital Art & Design into her course load.
Sarah is currently teaching at Mattanawcook Academy in Lincoln, Maine, where she also juggles a handful of other roles in the building. Some of those other positions include Math Team Coach, National Honor Society Advisor, Senior Class Advisor, Mentor Teacher, Mathematics Department Head, Technology Team Member, and Cohort/PLC Leader.
Sarah, is in the beginning stages of being part of the #MaineTeachesCS program as a Computer Science Integration (CSI) Educator, and back in 2019, she was a member of the Maine DOE: Mathematics Standards Writing Team.
Moving forward, Sarah is excited to be part of the Maine DOE in this new role as a Teacher Leadership STEAM Fellow with her other teammates in the Office of Innovation.
Dorie Tripp
Dorie Tripp is a national board-certified music teacher with 14 years’ experience teaching elementary music in Maine public schools. Over the years, it has been her mission to promote music instruction that is developmentally appropriate, inclusive, diverse, and engaging. In her quest to do this, she has taken on many roles as a learner and leader. Dorie spent two terms as Vice President of the Maine Music Educators Association, contributed to the Maine Arts Leadership Initiative as a Design Team member, was an active member of the Maine Learning Results writing team for the Visual and Performing Arts, and co-hosted a series of PD sessions for educators during the Covid 19 pandemic. In 2021, she was awarded the MMEA Music Educator of the Year Award. In this next step of her journey, Dorie is looking forward to working with the Maine DOE. She’s excited to practice, share, and support unique learning opportunities for Maine students and educators!
To receive weekly communications and monthly professional learning around civics, STEAM, and/or humanities concepts, click here.
For more information about this or other innovative programs at the Maine Department of Education, contact, Beth Lambert, Acting Chief Innovation Officer and Director of Innovative Teaching and Learning, at beth.lambert@maine.gov.
Debuting today, Asynchronous PD offerings to support Digital Citizenship, Tech Integration, and more
Digital Citizenship (DigCit), Podcasting, Digital Storytelling and Ap ps & Tools are among the Professional Development topic categories that the MLTI Ambassadors will be offering in the coming weeks. These will go live on the MLTI Youtube channel and are open to all interested educators and will include useful resources and contact hours. Please stay tuned to our professional learning “Now Playing” list with links to the videos, podcasts, and slides as they become available.
PODCASTING
For deep learning and real engagement, nothing beats student created content. We’ll get you and your students started with this great medium!
The podcasting series will explore at all facets of the medium within the educational context. Podcasts as an engaging and rich information source that you can introduce into your classroom. Podcasting can be applied across all curriculum topics and can increase engagement by getting your students more excited to express their learning. We will explore processes for production, resources, strategies, software, hardware options and the benefits of those various tools. Whether you are an educator looking to “dip your toe” into podcasting or you are looking to learn from the folks behind MLTI’s Teaching with Tech podcast, this series will have something for anyone hungry to learn about podcasting.
APPS & TOOLS
It’s easy to get distracted by so many different options for “amazing” ed tech. We’ve made it easy to find guaranteed winners on our curated list.
This series will look at some popular digital tools and how to integrate them into the classroom effectively. We will look from the teacher perspective to understand rollout, design, and management. We will also look through the student lens and share best practices. Information about access and related costs with any apps will be shared. We will be exploring a combination of web-based tools that are available across platforms as well as tools that are specific to MLTI-provided platforms. Some of these apps will also serve as technical accompaniments to other professional learning offerings, allowing learners to go from app to application or vice-versa.
SHARE YOUR STORY
Students struggle to gain the confidence to share their experiences. We’ll help support your work to make them narrators of their own lives.
This series will explore forms of digital storytelling and how to integrate them into the classroom effectively. We will dig into different approaches like documentaries, animation, podcasting, and interactive storytelling that are popular in classrooms. We will explore the types of digital media such as of images and graphics, timelines and charts, videos and audio that can be utilized to build a digital palette. We will explore how these elements can be pulled together to build unique and engaging narratives.
DIG CIT (DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP)
As Gen Z, and now Gen Alpha, continue to blur the line between “real life” and “online life,” supporting DigCit has now become imperative.
This series will build upon the work from the Digital Citizenship & Online Safety series and News & Media Literacy series (both from Spring 2022) and developed throughout this school year as the MLTI Ambassadors have supported work on Digital Citizenship issues. Content will include best practices for implementing Common Sense Education’s six-pronged approach to Digital Citizenship education. “Left to Their Own Devices” will also offer ideas for educators about why and how to teach Digital Citizenship in their classrooms WITHOUT adding additional work to their plates. And be sure to check out the forthcoming updates to these topics for 2023.
Are you planning a project or place-based unit and looking for primary sources? Historical societies throughout the state are available to help you find and utilize these primary sources. To learn more about this, join Kathleen Flynn Neumann from the Maine Historical Society for a webinar that focuses on finding primary sources and how you can partner with historical societies to create authentic learning experiences for students.
During this presentation hosted by the Maine Department of Education’s Office of Special Services and Inclusive Education (OSSIE), Heather George, PhD will focus on how to support all students with a PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports) framework in schools:
PBIS has been shown through research to be effective for a wide range of student outcomes
The whole school intervention approach used by PBIS has been shown to establish a safe and predictable environment that increases success for all students including those with disabilities.
During the webinar, free resources will be shared to help schools build systems that are inclusive, robust, and supportive of all students.
Date/Time: April 26, 2023 – 3:30-4:30 pm
Audience: General & Special Educators, Administrators, Parents, Caregivers and Community Members Interested in Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) and inclusive classrooms
Contact Hours: Each attendee will be awarded a certificate for 1 contact hour
About the Presenter: Heather Peshak George, Ph.D. is a Research Professor in the Department of Child & Family Studies at the University of South Florida. She co-directs the National Technical Assistance Center on PBIS, the state-wide Florida PBISProject, the federally-funded Florida Connect model demonstration grant, and is Past-President of the international Association for Positive Behavioral Support (APBS). ). Over the past two decades, she has secured over $42 million in external funding, published over 30 peer reviewed articles and chapters, including over 100 practice briefs and evaluation reports, and has delivered over 400 invited presentations on PBISShe has extensive experience in providing training and technical assistance in PBIS at the national and international levels and thanks her two teenagers for the daily reminders on the need to bridge the research-to-practice gap. You can learn more about Dr. George at https://www.usf.edu/cbcs/cfs/faculty-staff/peshak-george-h.aspx and follow her on Twitter at @HeatherPGeorge. Shared resources may be available at www.pbis.org and www.flpbis.org.
Attendance, Behavior, Bullying, and Truancy reports for Quarter 3 (January, February, and March) open on April 1st.
These reports are due on Sunday, April 15th.
These reports will need to be reviewed, validated, and certified. Superintendent certification is required for all quarterly reporting, with the exception of Attendance data, which is Validated in Quarters 1, 2, and 3, then certified in Quarter 4.
In preparation for this reporting, please update student data in State Synergy and review data in NEO.
The Maine Department of Education’s Data Team will be hosting a webinar on Tuesday, March 21st from 10-11am. This webinar will review April 1 Enrollment which collects data used to calculate tuition rates.
Required to Report: All school administrative units (SAUs) and private schools with publicly funded students should ensure that their enrollment data is current – this includes Charter Schools and Education in Unorganized Territories.
For questions about this webinar or April 1 Enrollment reporting please contact MEDMS.Helpdesk@maine.gov or call 207-624-6896.
The Maine Department of Education is accepting applications from individuals interested in learning more about the competitive grant process. Selected applicants will be trained to serve as peer reviewers who assist the Department in reviewing, assessing, and scoring competitive grant proposals for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) Program. The 21st CCLC program is a federally funded education program that helps schools and communities develop before-school, after-school, and summer educational programs that support students and their families.
This year’s Request for Proposals (RFP) for the 21st CCLC program was released to the public on January 10, 2023 and is available online here. The Department anticipates receiving proposals from local education agencies, community-based organizations, and other eligible entities seeking awards under this RFP.
Qualifications:
Peer Review applicants will be selected based on their experience in providing effective academic support, enrichment, youth development, and related support services for children and youth. The most qualified candidates will be individuals who have experience in the administration of high-quality youth development programs within schools and communities. Examples of the experienced individuals sought include, but are not limited to:
21st CCLC program directors and site coordinators
Teachers and principals
College and university staff
Youth development workers
Community resource providers
Required Tasks:
Selected applicants must be able to participate in an online training and review grant proposals through a web-based system. Applicants will work individually to read each assigned proposal and create detailed, objective, constructive, and well-written comments on approximately 8 proposals based on the criteria established in the RFP. These comments will be submitted to the Department prior to participating in the scheduled consensus scoring sessions. It is anticipated that peer reviewers will have a three (3) week window in which to complete their individual review of assigned proposals. Following the individual review of proposals, each successful applicant will be required to participate in a series of two (2) online/virtual consensus scoring sessions hosted by the Department. It is during these consensus scoring sessions that the peer review team will score each application.
Selected applicants must complete the following tasks during the following date(s):
Task
Date(s)
Time(s)
Participate in an online training webinar
April 5, 2023
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Review grant applications through a web-based system and provide individual, written comments on each application (which must be submitted to the Department)
April 17, 2023 – May 5, 2023
Any Time
Participate in online/virtual consensus scoring sessions with other members of the peer review team
May 8, 2023 – May 9, 2023
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Compensation for Services:
Selected reviewers who complete the required tasks will be provided an honorarium of $100 per assigned application.
Previous participants have also found that serving as a member of the peer review team is an excellent opportunity for professional development and growth. It is likely that, if selected, applicants will be exposed to new program models, strategies, and practices. These new concepts may provide ideas and support for ongoing work as well as future grant writing efforts. Most importantly, the time given to this effort will help ensure the funding of quality education programs for the children and families of Maine.
How to Apply:
Interested parties must contact Travis Doughty at travis.w.doughty@maine.gov to obtain a copy of the 2023 peer reviewer application and then return the completed application along with a current resume or CV.
Pursuant to Title IV, Part B of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015, peer reviewers may not include any applicant, or representative of an applicant, who has or will submit a proposal in response to the current grant competition.
Deadline:
The Maine Department of Education will continue accepting peer reviewer applications through March 29, 2023, or until the needed positions are filled. Interested parties are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
Contact:
For more information, contact State Coordinator, Travis Doughty at travis.w.doughty@maine.gov or 624-6709.
APPS & TOOLS
SHARE YOUR STORY
DIG CIT (DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP)
Maine DOE Newsroom 