The Association of Computer Technology Educators of Maine’s (ACTEM) annual Fall 2020 conference will be held virtual online this year and is coming up in a couple of weeks on Oct. 20-21st.  ACTEM’s mission is to influence and enhance education in Maine through the use of technology. Our conference offers workshops, keynotes and exhibitors centered around this mission. The conference is a popular event for Maine educators each fall.

ACTEM is offering our conference this year for FREE to all current members.  If you are not a member of ACTEM you can join for the $20 annual individual membership fee and attend.  We know school budgets have been impacted in these difficult times, so we want to provide this valuable PD experience for a very modest cost to Maine educators.

Workshop schedule and information:

This year’s schedule has been changed to an afternoon & evening format so no subs would be necessary.  We have also shortened the online workshop sessions to 45-minutes as we all spend more time online. ACTEM has a great lineup of over 60 workshop sessions plus two outstanding keynote speakers.  Click the links below for detailed schedule and workshop session descriptions:

Tuesday, Oct. 20th Program

Wednesday, Oct 21st Program

Feature Keynote Speakers:

Anthony Johnson, Jr. — Tuesday, Oct. 20th at 6:30 PM

Currently an Apple executive and formerly a North Carolina teacher that transformed his science and social studies classrooms into “Johnsonville,” a world where each student must find a job, pay the bills, pay mortgage and taxes, and learn by doing projects.

Keynote:  My Journey from High School Dropout to Teacher of the Year
In my school years, I was a terrible student and a teacher’s nightmare who stayed in trouble. During that time, I failed 4th, 7th, 8th, and 9th grades before dropping out of high school at the age of 16.  I received my G.E.D. and moved from job to job for nearly a decade.  In 1998, I lost both my parents six months apart and spent time reflecting on my life and decided to make a change.  A year later, I enrolled at Livingstone College and graduated in 4 years with a degree in Elementary Education.  My goal is to teach with enthusiasm and give my students a different experience from my own in grade school. Teaching is my passion, and my desire to help young people succeed has allowed me to travel the world as an educator.

Kerry Gallagher — Wednesday, Oct. 21st at 6:30 PM

Assistant Principal for Teaching and Learning at St. John’s Prep in Danvers, MA. She is also the Director of K-12 Education for ConnectSafely.org

Keynote:  The People in Your School are the Key to Cybersecurity
How do we keep our students safer in the digital age and in the virtual classroom? Cybersecurity and student data privacy are increasingly important as more of our educational, social and work environments move online during this time. How can we incorporate these best practices in the virtual classroom and how will we work with both parents and students to increase awareness?

Registration for ACTEM 2020 is open at the following link: http://www.actem.org/event-3932165

This upcoming training offers wo half-day interactive sessions that are relevant for staff working remotely, in-school or hybrid plan.  It is offered on Wednesdays, October 28th and November 4th from 12:00-2:45 pm OR Fridays: November 6th and November 13th, 8:15- 11:00 am.

You and your team CAN create a positive climate and culture during a pandemic!

Participants will learn:

• strategies to build positive climate, improve school culture and decrease chronic absenteeism whether remote, in-person and 6 feet apart
• examine how to build healthy relationships within the school community even when behind the screen (staff with students, staff with staff, and staff with families)
• explore strategies for difficult conversations among staff, students, and/or families
• access a framework (including staff survey) to assess your own school climate and culture through consensus decision-making
• leave the workshop with tools to help create a thriving school where all students and staff can feel welcome and be successful

Everyone is welcome. We strongly encourage schools to register teams of 3 – 5 staff.  During the training, you will work closely with your team-whether you are in-person or working remotely.

The cost is $80 for each member of the school team (minimum of 3 team members) and $105 for an individual registration.  The same team should attend both sessions. The cost covers training and materials.  Zoom link will be forwarded after registration.

To register and for more information:  Click here or go to https://countmeinmaine.org/newsite/attend-upcoming-trainings/  If you have any questions, contact Susan Lieberman at slieberman@countmeinmaine.org

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is pleased to announce the opportunity for Maine leaders to participate in the 2020-2021 Maine Leadership Development Program (LDP) cohort!  The Maine LDP is an initiative designed to build and strengthen instructional leadership skills among Maine’s educational leaders at the school, district, and state levels. In our ongoing efforts to support and foster the educational expertise in Maine, educators who aspire to do the same are invited to take advantage of this high impact opportunity!

The Department will re-open the application process for a limited time.  Applications will be due by September 28, 2020 in order to ensure that selected participants are prepared to participate in Unit 1 on October 19 and October 20. A link to access more information and application materials can be found below.

During the 2019-2020 school year, the Maine DOE partnered with the National Institute for School Leadership (NISL) to prepare the first cohort of candidates to become certified trainers and facilitators of future cohorts.  The 2020-2021 cohort will be led by Maine leaders committed to excellence in education.

Maine’s LDP is delivered through a blended learning model including case studies, inquiry, and hands-on activities with practical applications that meet the rigorous expectations for today’s educational leaders.  Successful completion of the LDP may contribute to credit hours for participants pursuing an advanced degree or contact hours for re-certification purposes.

Benefits for Maine Schools

• Prepares educational leaders to lead for excellence and equity
• Increases student achievement, and fosters a culture of high expectations
• Enhances teacher recruitment, retention, and quality

Program Curriculum

• Nationally researched, evidenced-based, and locally delivered in a cohort model
• Improves the practice of leadership, transforms instruction and student achievement in schools
• Consists of 12 two-day units, delivered in 12 months
• Bridged with online coursework, readings, and job-embedded application of key concepts through action learning

Characteristics of Ideal Candidates

• A belief in and commitment to improving instruction and increasing achievement for all students
• Experience in a leadership role at the school, district, and/or state level with background as a classroom teacher. Ideal candidates include, but are not limited to, teachers, principals, assistant principals, instructional coaches, deans, Title I directors, department leaders, ESEA coordinators, special education directors, English Learner directors, assistant superintendents, instruction and curriculum directors, CTE instructors, CTE directors, and superintendents. Priority will be given to educational leaders from schools identified to receive Tier III support throughout Maine.
• Excellent communications skills; able to effectively facilitate professional development for peers
• Demonstrated skills in mentoring and coaching
• Experience as a successful practitioner who is able to translate concepts to actions, theory to practice, and programs to craft
• Able to participate in the entire Maine LDP Program and deeply engage in action learning
• Likely to live and work in Maine for the next five years

Please visit http://www.maine.gov/doe/educators/maineldp to hear from participants and for more information.

To view the program schedule and download the application visit:  https://www.maine.gov/doe/educators/maineldp/application.

The Department encourages educational leaders to consider applying for this exciting opportunity!

For more information please email emily.doughty@maine.gov.

The Maine Kids Rock Initiative, a statewide program that offers professional training to teachers as well as grants for instruments and equipment to schools with identified needs, enters its fourth year with the addition of the following educators to its roster:

• Kate Smith (Central School, RSU 35)
• Janice Marro (Great Works School, RSU 35)
• Michelle Snow (South Portland High School)
• Mike Hutchinson (Houlton Southside School, RSU 29)
• Sharyn Walker (Mill Pond Elementary/Hodgdon Junior/Senior High School, SAD 70)
• Scott Walker (Hodgdon Junior/Senior High School, SAD 70)

These teachers join the ranks of nearly 60 additional teachers across Maine who utilize the Modern Band approach to music education with nearly 1,000 students at all grade levels.

The Maine Kids Rock initiative continues as a partnership between the Maine Department of Education and the national non-profit organization Little Kids Rock.

Throughout the year these teachers will receive free professional development opportunities, and their schools will receive a set of classroom instruments for students to use as they explore music education through a modern music lens.  Learning opportunities for students go beyond just learning to play a guitar or drums; they also explore songwriting, the development of interpersonal skills, and boost self confidence as performers.

“The Maine Kids Rock program has helped give more kids opportunities to be a part of a music program that would not normally be in the department,” says Kevin Mania, music educator in RSU 29 in Houlton and a member of the first cohort of Maine Kids Rock educators four years ago.  “In fact, there are many kids that take this class that are looking for a place to fit in, and be a part of a collaborative learning environment. Jazz band is still very important in our school music programs, modern band is fulfilling the need for kids to play current music that inspires them today.  It breaks barriers by letting kids start out late in the game and develops lifelong learners.”

Kate Smith, a member of the newest cohort, says “Participating in the Maine Little Kids Rock Initiative is very important to me because I know it’s a critical step in ensuring my curriculum content is relevant and culturally inclusive. The training I received at the Modern Band Summit in July not only helped me understand how to teach traditional modern band instruments, it also offered workshops that helped me understand the modern band’s role in cultural expression and tradition.”

For more information about the Maine Kids Rock Initiative through the Maine Department of Education, please contact Visual and Performing Arts Content Specialist Jason Anderson at jason.anderson@maine.gov.