Category: Professional Development

Social Studies Standards Revision- LD 283

On April 19, 2019  Governor Mills signed LD 283, which contained the revised Maine Learning Results for Social Studies. While personal finance has always been included in the standards, this bill and the subsequent revision of the standards were designed to make explicit the importance of this content area.

The signed bill is currently going through the Maine Administrative Procedure Act to officially become law through the Secretary of State’s office. It is anticipated that the law will go into effect near the end of this school year. This timeline allows schools to begin planning for implementation during the summer of 2019. Planning is underway for a series of professional development opportunities around the state in 2019 and 2020, as well as online resources, to help support schools as they transition to use of the revised standards.

In the meantime, a new Social Studies: Standards & Instruction website has been created, along with links to related pages and resources, to help educators and districts begin planning for any curricular changes that are deemed necessary in light of the revised standards.

#DigCit4ME Challenge Highlights Top-finishers and Concludes with Webinar Opportunity on May 9th, 2019.

Since January 2019, educators across the state of Maine have been participating in a blended learning experience designed to support schools as they integrate Digital Citizenship concepts into various student learning opportunities. In particular, participants learned how the Health Education and Physical Education Standards intersected with the Common Sense Media Framework, as well as opportunities to explore these concepts within other content areas.

The #DigCit4ME Challenge featured in-person workshops (agenda and resources)  and an online game designed collaboratively between the Maine Department of Education and Alludo Learning.

Several educators asked questions about the process of designing a blended learning opportunity, so the Department will co-host a webinar where the team from Alludo Learning will discuss the pedagogy behind their design (including gamified learning, evidence-based learning, choice-based learning, and digital badging) and the Department will talk more about our process of designing this blended learning opportunity. Educators will have the opportunity to ask questions at the end of the presentation.

Webinar Details:

Additionally, the Department would like to celebrate the participation and success of educators who joined the #DigCit4ME Challenge. Educators and districts competed in the online game, and the results are in:

Districts:

  • First Place: RSU18
  • Second Place: MSAD 17
  • Third Place: Boothbay Region Schools
  • Fourth Place: Falmouth Schools
  • Fifth Place (tie): RSU 10 and Yarmouth School System

Educators: *There were some educators who would have placed with high scores, but we didn’t have permission to print their names!

  • First place: Tim Hebda (Wayneflete School)
  • Second place: Matthew Drewette-Card (MSAD 46)
  • Third place: Maria Reinstein (RSU 10)
  • Fourth place (tie): Kelly Fraser (MSAD 44) and Carisa Hammer (MSAD 17),
  • Fifth place (tie): Allison Braley (RSU 25), Chris Kierstead (RSU 18), Ryan Palmer (MSAD 75), and Nick Shuman (York School Department)

Congratulations and thank you for everything you did to provide evidence of your learning!

Overall participation:

Credit: https://www.alludolearning.com/maine-doe-pilot?rq=digcit

For answers to questions or more information, please contact:

Amanda Nguyen
Digital Learning Specialist
Maine Department of Education
Amanda.Nguyen@maine.gov
Office: 207-624-6656
Cell: 207-441-5757

Maine’s Transformational Leaders’ Network Summer Conference Registration ENDS SOON!

Register Now! Closing May 10,2019!

WHO:  YOU if you are a building principal

WHAT:  Maine’s Transformational Leaders’ Network  Summer Conference

WHEN:  Sunday, June 23, 2019 (check in 4:00)– Wednesday, June 26, 2019 (ends 2:00)

WHERE:  The Senator Inn in Augusta (Lodging is available Sunday night for those who need it; there are no formal activities that evening)

The Maine Department of Education invites you, as the leader of a Maine school, to take advantage of a great opportunity to join the Transformational Leaders’ Network (TLN) for a yearlong experience. The Network brings principals together to support school improvement and, most importantly, to promote leadership growth.  The TLN is part of DOE’s commitment to support schools trying to improve. Principals from across Maine have been TLN members for the past five years and have found it extremely helpful in their leadership of school improvement.

“I’ve left the TLN feeling really energized and feeling that I can continue this hard work with my staff, with fresh ideas and fresh focus…”

“When we go to these meetings, it is very positive. There is a lot of support for each other and we are not sitting there saying, ‘Poor us.’ We are looking at the work that is being done by schools and the positive things that are going on in schools and we are using that to help each other, in order to raise the aspirations of kids, but also of teachers, and let them know that we are all in this together.”

DOE will cover the costs for the conference registration, hotel lodging, daily breakfast and lunch (dinners will be on your own), and required texts. Contact hours for the conference and for TLN sessions throughout the year may be used for recertification.

Principals will bring their own school improvement goals to the conference and, in a variety of formats, draw up plans for their leadership work in the coming school year.

What are the objectives of the TLN?   

  • Establish a supportive learning network
  • Develop knowledge of the resources available to you and your staff to assist in successfully transforming teaching and learning
  • Reduce the isolation that you may often feel by connecting you with other leaders engaged in improving their schools
  • Provide a forum for celebrating successes and addressing challenges with your colleagues

What are the objectives of the Summer Conference?

  • You will be guided to develop two workable plans:
  1. Goals and initial actions to improve teaching and learning at your school
  2. Goals and initial actions for your personal leadership growth that will help make the goals of school improvement a reality
  • You will come to know and trust fellow principals as learning colleagues in order to support each other in the hard work of improving your school
  • You will deepen your understanding of how school leadership can contribute to school improvement
  • You will expand your skill set and your strategies as a school leader

What can you expect to come away with after the Summer Conference?

  • Two workable plans that connect your leadership growth to facilitating school improvement in the coming school year
  • First Steps that you can work on over the summer
  • A feeling of support, authenticity, and safety within the TLN that will sustain you and your work over the coming year.

REGISTER BY Friday, May 10, 2019! Space is limited so we ask you to register right away using the following link:

https://forms.gle/MsVvi82drf8UP6yv8

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to one of the following individuals who will be working with you at this conference:

Stephen MacDougall                                                Fran Farr

(207) 754-5436                                                         (207) 439-9659

smacdougall831@gmail.com                                  franfarr522@gmail.com

 

Gordon Donaldson                                                    George Marnik

(207) 667-2382                                                           (207) 461-6047

gadjr11@gmail.com                                                  george.marnik@maine.edu

 

Sally Mackenzie                                                          Linda Bowe

(207) 798-9619                                                           (207) 322-7256

sarah.v.mackenzie@maine.edu                              lbowe23@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

Assessment Capable Learning for the 21st Century -Save the Date!

Join the Maine Department of Education as we explore knowledge, skills, and dispositions that are necessary for 21st century careers and the intentional actions of educators to support students developing the skill and will to fuel their learning. Participants will delve into the principles of assessment capable learning as they examine strategies for building units of instruction that integrate multiple content areas. Sessions will be led by teams of the Department’s content specialists. Units will integrate combinations of world language, social studies, visual and performing arts, science, English language arts, health education and physical education, and mathematics. Units will also incorporate strategies for technology integration and family engagement.

School districts are encouraged to bring teams of three or more people. We will gather as teams at the beginning of the day for a panel and some discussion. Then, each team member will attend a different breakout session where they will experience integrated lessons and units incorporating the principles of assessment capable learners. Finally, at the end of the day, teams will reconvene to share, process, and apply what they experienced in the breakout sessions. Teams may include educators, administrators, instructional coaches, and special education instructors.  Schools are encouraged to include representation from multiple grade levels and all content areas when forming their teams.

When:

Elementary (Pk-5):

July 9th at the Ramada in Lewiston

July 24th at Jeff’s Catering in Brewer

Secondary (6-12):

July 10th at the Ramada in Lewiston

July 25th at Jeff’s Catering in Brewer

Cost:

$130/ team of 3 or $50/ person; lunch provided. Individual registrations are accepted but teams are preferred.

More details about this opportunity and the registration will be provided after April school vacation week.

For more information please contact Lee Anne Larsen, leeann.larsen@maine.gov or Beth Lambert, beth.lambert@maine.gov.

Exciting Summer Agriculture Opportunity for Teachers!

Teachers of all grades:  Looking for an exciting and informative summer opportunity related to agriculture?  Consider the upcoming July 29 – August 2, 2019 “Agriculture for ME on Land and Sea” Summer Teachers’ Institute. Located at the University of New England, on their beautiful coastal Biddeford Campus, and offered by Maine Agriculture in the Classroom!  With stimulating local trips, talks featuring hands-on activities, and high quality lesson plans to take home with you, this event promises to be a great success.  The cost of the 5-day training (registering through July 1st) is just $200, including lodging, travel and meals, with scholarships available.  Participants will receive 36 contact hours, or 3.6 CEUs, from the University of Maine for re-certification credit, as well as many valuable materials.  For further information, and to register, please go to https://www.agclassroom.org/me/programs/summer_inst.htm For any additional questions, please contact Maine Agriculture in the Classroom at maitc@mainel.gov or (207)287-5522.

Maine DOE Data Team Announces Annual Data Entry Training

August 6th thru August 15th, the Maine Department of Education Data Team will be hosting regional data entry trainings. This annual training is geared toward district and school level staff who are tasked with reporting student/staff data to the Maine DOE. Administrators are also strongly encouraged to attend. Our session this year will be focused on sharing resources that will assist districts with their required state data reporting tasks. Please help us create content that will be most valuable to you, by providing us with your suggestions via the link below.

Please click here submit your suggestions

Training Dates & Locations

All sessions will begin will registration at 8:30, presentations beginning at 9. We will serve a light lunch and will finish no later than 4:00. Coffee and water will also be provided throughout the day.

  • August 6th – Caribou High School
  • August 7th – Brewer High School
  • August 8th – Ellsworth Elementary-Middle School
  • August 12th – Cony School (Augusta)
  • August 13th – Mt. Blue High School (Farmington)
  • August 14th – Mt. Ararat Middle School (Topsham)
  • August 15th – Buxton Community Elementary School

For further questions, please contact the Maine DOE Helpdesk at 207-624-6896 or MEDMS.Helpdesk@maine.gov.

 

(On Hold) Free Training, Technical Assistance, Equipment and Materials as Part of Pilot for 3 Public Preschool Programs

The Maine Department of Education will be holding off on this opportunity while we sort out a few remaining logistics. We have taken this notice down for the time being to minimize confusion.

We hope to offer it again very soon. Thank you for your patience.

For more information, contact Nicole Madore at Nicole.madore@maine.gov

Professional Learning Opportunity: Leveraging Free Technology to Create More Inclusive Classrooms

The Maine Department of Education and Microsoft are collaborating to offer educators the opportunity to participate in a program in March 2019. The program will focus on leveraging free technology tools available to Maine educators to create more inclusive classrooms. A Microsoft Learning Consultant will lead these sessions.

Technology can create opportunities for students to have more independence and agency over their learning.  Leveraging technology to remove barriers to learning can result in and also lead to improved student achievement. During these sessions, educators will learn to integrate several free technology tools to better serve students. These sessions are free for Maine educators.

Program Details:

Educators will receive on-going professional learning support related to the following tools that are designed to support the development of inclusive classrooms: Learning Tools, Accessibility Tools, Sway, Office Lens, One Note, Microsoft Teams, Translator, and Microsoft Inking. They will:

  • Attend an in-person workshop
  • Participate in a facilitated online Professional Learning Community in Microsoft Teams

Educators who participate in all parts of the program can earn up to 16 Contact Hours.

Register by 3/8 if you want Microsoft to bring a device for you to use, otherwise, register by 3/20 and plan to bring a device with Microsoft OneNote, Word, Powerpoint, etc.

March 27th, 2019 – Augusta (Registration Form)

Note: Please communicate with your technology director to be sure that you and your students will be able to access Office 365 tools (free to schools) on your devices and network.

For additional information or answers to questions, please contact:

Amanda Nguyen

Digital Learning Specialist

Maine Department of Education

Amanda.Nguyen@maine.gov

Seeking Schools to Participate in “Youth Mindfulness” Opportunity

The Maine DOE has teamed up with OmKids and Radiant Beginnings to offer a 2-hour, in-person training on a video-based mindfulness and stress relief curriculum to support students’ and teachers’ emotional health.  This opportunity is available to a small number of Maine schools that include PreK through grade 5 and are available to implement youth mindfulness during the spring of 2018-19 school year.  Youth mindfulness has been shown to improve attention stability, compassion, and emotional balance when practiced regularly.

In a southern Maine pilot, OmKids and Radiant Beginnings found that implementing program activities for as little as 5 minutes a day for 8 weeks led to:

  • Overall stress reduction (decreased for 94% of students)
  • Emotional distress reduction (decreased for 44% of students)
  • Fewer behavioral difficulties (decreased for 31% of students)
  • Fewer hyperactivity and concentration difficulties (decreased for 63% of students)
  • Fewer difficulties getting along with other children (decreased for 63% of students)

If your school is interested in an opportunity to bring youth mindfulness to your teachers and students, please complete this interest survey for the Maine DOE to review.  The survey will close on March 1.  You will be notified if your school has been chosen to implement youth mindfulness by March 8.

For more information, please contact Sarah Adkins, Student Assistance Coordinator, at sarah.adkins@maine.gov or 624-6685.

 

Professional Development Opportunity: Fostering Musical Early Childhood Classrooms

The Maine Department of Education invites educators to be part of its upcoming professional development opportunity, Fostering Musical Early Childhood Classrooms.

Early Childhood Specialist, Sue Reed, and Visual and Performing Arts Specialist, Nate Menifield, are looking for teachers who want to energize their teaching and learning through focusing on music in the public preschool classroom.

Applicants must apply in teams of two: one public preschool teacher and one music teacher from the same district. The music teacher must currently teach at the elementary level.

Under the guidance of early childhood music experts, Catherine Newell and Danielle Collins, teams will work to build a collaborative partnership to ensure that preschool students receive a musical learning experience. Public preschool teachers will become familiar with research regarding why music is important in the preschool classroom; understand how it encompasses multiple early learning standards; and learn how to include music into their daily routines. Music teachers will learn developmentally appropriate pedagogical approaches to teaching music to our youngest learners. Teams will be expected to practice new pedagogy in between sessions and document their experiences. As a culmination of their work, participants will deliver a brief presentation to an audience of their choice.

Participating Teacher Responsibilities:

  • Attend three day-long, face-to-face professional development trainings. All trainings will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Educare, 56 Drummond Ave., Waterville, ME 04901. Dates for trainings are: March 15th, May 23rd, and May 24th.
  • Attend one online check-in support meeting between face-to-face meetings. These meetings will occur between individual teams and the trainers at a mutually convenient time.
  • Develop individual goals for music implementation in your classroom and collaboration with a music teacher.
  • Commit to incorporating music into the preschool schedule on a regular basis.
  • Develop a plan for communicating the importance of music to preschool families.
  • Present a brief presentation on the work to an audience of each team’s choice, and submit a copy of the presentation to the Department of Education.

Compensation:

Each team will receive up to $300 in music supplies (determined by individual need).

To Apply:

Interested parties should fill out and submit an application here by 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, February 28th (only one application is required per team). Applications will be reviewed immediately, and those accepted for participation will be notified by the afternoon of Monday, March 4th.

Please forward all questions to Visual and Performing Arts Specialist, Nate Menifield, at nathaniel.j.menifield@maine.gov.