Looking for Educator Leaders who are “Designing for Learning with Technology”

The Learning Through Technology team at the Department of Education is looking for educator leaders! The theme for next year is: “Designing for Learning with Technology.” We want educators to learn from other educators and to build a network of educators who can leverage technology to get to better learning outcomes for all students.

There are a variety of different opportunities to lead: online learning facilitators; leaders of learning labs, dine and designs, and regional events; and creators of digital artifacts (blogs, short videos, webinars, etc.). More information about each position, stipends, and contact hours can be found here: http://maine.gov/doe/mlti/educatorleadership/index.html

Applications are due June 4th by 12:00pm and can be found here: http://maine.gov/doe/mlti/educatorleadership/index.html

A webinar will be available to go over these opportunities and answer any questions folks might have as they complete applications:

Thursday, May 17th, from 3:30-4:30pm

To join via video conference: https://zoom.us/j/934994748
To join via phone: 1-408-638-0968 (Meeting ID: 934 994 748)

The Department is looking for a wide-variety of educators to be leaders from:

regions across the state
all different content areas
all different grade levels.

We would like representation from each of the different educator roles – for example:

administrators
teachers
librarians
technology integrators

The Department would like to hear from educators who have:

created environments where innovative teaching and learning can thrive,
leveraged technology to make sure all students can participate in the learning to their fullest potential
shown the generosity of spirit to share their work with others
inspired others as they design learning opportunities for their own students.

Please share this opportunity with other educators!

For further information or questions, please reach out to Amanda.Nguyen@maine.gov

LTT Educator Leader Poster v.5

Computer Science Day: Save the date and invitation to present

The Maine Department of Education, Maine State Library, and Project Login are partnering to host Computer Science Day this summer. The event will be open to the public, applications for presentations are now being accepted.

Date: Monday, August 13th from 9am – 4pm

Location: Maine State House (Hall of Flags), Maine State Library (Atrium), and Various Committee Rooms in the Maine State House

Attendees: Open to the public

Activities: Attendees can join presentations, hear from panelists from multiple industries, and visit booths with hands-on learning opportunities

Topics that will be explored include: What is Computer Science? What is it not? Where do we see it both in Maine and in our everyday lives? What is the skill set our students need to be successful in an evolving workforce that is coming to rely more and more on Computer Science? How can we foster more partnerships, collaboration, and access to resources between educators, non-profits and businesses? What resources exist to help educators integrate computer science into their teaching and learning practice?

Presenters: K-12 schools, Higher Education, Businesses with Employees Engaged in Computer Science Work, Non-Profits, Informal Learning Providers, Companies that have Computer Science Education Products, etc.

If you are interested in presenting at Computer Science Day, please submit the following application by June 4th, 2018!

Application to present: http://bit.ly/csday2018presenters

For more information or questions, contact any of the following event organizers:

Amanda Nguyen, Maine Department of Education, Digital Learning Specialist (Amanda.Nguyen@maine.gov)
Jamie Ritter, Maine State Library, Maine State Librarian, (James.Ritter@maine.gov)
Jason Judd, Educate Maine, Program Director, Project>Login (jason@educatemaine.org)

Concussion training program to be held June 22

Concussion training for school staff has been a requirement since 2012 pursuant to 20-A MRS § 1001. The Department of Education has partnered with the Maine Concussion Management Initiative (MCMI) as well as the Maine Principals’ Association to promote policy development, trainings for staff, and increased awareness and improved management of concussions.

MCMI will be holding a training program on June 22 in Waterville at Colby College. It is appropriate for athletic administrators/directors, school nurses, coaches, athletic trainers, physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. More information and instructions for registration can be found at: https://mcmi-colby.org/page-18087

For more information contact MCMI – Membership and Education Committee – Chair Jan Salis at jsalis@aol.com (207) 577-201.

Registration for 2018 School Nurse Summer Institute is now open

Registration for 2018 School Nurse Summer Institute is now open. This year’s theme is, “The 21^st Century School Nurse: Making a Difference Today & Preparing for the Future” and provides Maine School Nurses with increased knowledge of evidence-based best practices of current complex medical, social, and emotional needs of children from preschool through 12th grade.

Location: Bates College

Dates: Tuesday July 24 – Thursday July 26, 2018

For more information visit: http://www.maine.gov/doe/schoolhealth/professional/index.html or you may contact Emily Poland, School Nurse Consultant at Emily.Poland@Maine.gov, 207- 624-6688.

Register Here

2018 Summer Literacy Institute

The Maine Department of Education invites educators to register for the 2018 Summer Literacy Institute. Proven Practices: Accelerate Student Literacy with Visible Learning is a two-day event that builds from Dr. John Hattie’s ground-breaking research which identifies effectiveness of strategies and influences on education. Drawing from materials developed by Doug Fisher and Nancy Frey, certified consultants Marisol Thayre and Olivia Amador-Valerio will help participants better understand how to:

apply the most effective Visible Learning practices highlighted by John Hattie’s research;
enhance close reading and small group instructional practices to honor surface, deep, and transfer level learning; and
use resources effectively to support continuous learning progress.

Content will be drawn from Text Dependent Questions: Pathways to Close and Critical Reading (K-5 and 6-12), Teaching Literacy in the Visible Learning Classroom, and Engagement by Design as well as other Fisher and Frey texts.

The Institute will be on August 7 & 8 at Jeff’s catering in Brewer.

Read more about this learning event. Register today as seats are limited. For more information, contact morgan.dunton@maine.gov.

Registration now open for 2018 Commissioner’s Conference

Registration is now open for the 107th Commissioner’s Conference for Superintendents.

Location: Augusta Civic Center

Dates: Wednesday, June 27 – Thursday, June 28, 2018

2018 Highlights:

The keynote speaker will be Duke Albanese, a nationally sought-after adviser and speaker on educational issues. His career in education has spanned over forty years, including service as the Commissioner of Education for the State of Maine (1996–2003) and a long tenure as the superintendent of schools for the Messalonskee School District in the Belgrade Lakes Region of Maine.
Discussion and meeting topics include: Career and Technical Education, Student Health/Safety, Educator Workforce, Certification, Regionalization, and much more.
This year’s conference will include a cracker barrel session where conference attendees will have a chance to talk informally with Commissioner Bob Hasson and other staff members of the Maine Department of Education.
The Annual Awards & Recognition Banquet.

Download a draft agenda.

Register here »

Find additional resources including pricing, lodging options, further details about registration, including guest registration, and more on the Maine DOE Commissioner’s Conference webpage.

Synergy summer training survey

The Maine Department of Education’s Help Desk staff is preparing for a summer training session and feedback is needed to ensure the training needs of Data Managers, Superintendents, CTE Directors, Tech Directors and others entering student data for the State Synergy System are addressed.

Please take a few moments to answer the following survey so we can better understand the training needs those entering student data for the State Synergy System.

DOE Summer Training Survey »

For further information and questions, please contact the Data Help Desk at 207-624-6896 or medms.helpdesk@maine.gov.

Edward Little High School teacher selected for Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship Program

High School teacher Erin Towns from Edward Little High School in Auburn, Maine has been selected as one of this year’s Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellows in recognition of her commitment to geographic education. The 2018 Fellows, a group of 40 highly respected educators from the United States and Canada, will embark on global expeditions on board the Lindblad Expedition ships for a hands-on experience for professional development.

Starting later this year, the 2018 Fellows will begin their 10 to 17 day expeditions to locations including the Canadian High Arctic, Antarctica, Southeast Alaska, Arctic Svalbard, Norway, Iceland, Greenland and the Galápagos Islands. Accompanied by Lindblad-National Geographic expedition experts, ranging from undersea specialists to National Geographic photographers, the Fellows will experience landscapes, cultures and wildlife unique to their regions of exploration.

For more information about Ms. Towns and the other fellows, check out the Grosvenor Teacher Fellows website.

The Maine Department of Education will be supporting a cohort of public preschool & kindergarten teachers for the 2018-19 school year using Teaching Strategies Gold©, an online and authentic formative assessment tool that aligns to Maine’s Early Learning and Development Standards for PreK and Maine’s College and Career Ready Standards for kindergarten.

Interested districts must have at least one PreK and one kindergarten teacher from the same school in order to participate, as well as principal involvement and support.

Teachers will be required to attend one 2-day training in August 2018, held in Augusta, as well as two check-in webinars throughout the year and a 1-day training in March 2019.

Those interested in participating should complete and submit the survey below no later than end of business on Monday, April 30, 2018.

Due to the limited number of student portfolios that can be supported, this opportunity is available on a first come, first served basis – per the date and time on the submitted application. Once the cohort has been set, a Memoranda of Understanding will be sent to each participating district for signature. Notification via email will be sent to those districts that were not selected.

April conference call

To learn more, administrators and teachers are invited to join a conference call that will be scheduled during the beginning of April. If interested in joining the call, notify Nicole Madore by Friday, March 30, 2018 at nicole.madore@maine.gov or (207) 624-6677.

Specific requirements of participation

New Teachers:

PK and K teachers, from the same school, attend a two-day training at the end of August 2018 (date TBD, looking at the week of August 20-24). The training will be held in Augusta.
Principals must attend the first day of this training.
PK and K teachers will attend a one day follow-up training in mid-March 2019 (date TBD, looking at March 15) in Augusta.
PK and K teachers complete the online TSG assessment with their students and submit at summative checkpoints tentatively set for Oct. 29, 2018, Feb. 18, 2019 and June 3, 2019.
PK and K teachers must participate in two webinars (one at the end of October 2018-before checkpoint 1, one at the end of January 2019-before checkpoint 2)
Administrators, as appropriate and in consultation with Maine DOE, will remove/eliminate duplicate assessments required by kindergarten teachers.

The 2018-19 TSG online application for participants
(must be submitted no later than end of business on Monday, April 30, 2018)

More information on Teaching Strategies Gold

For further questions please contact Nicole Madore at Nicole.madore@maine.gov or (207) 624-6677.

Equitable Services Training for ESEA Coordinators and Private School Officials

The Maine Department of Education will host a workshop regarding Equitable Shares for Private Schools. This workshop is designed as guidance and technical support for all ESEA Coordinators and Private School Officials that receive funds for equitable services across the state.

Participants will gain a better understanding of providing Equitable Services under ESSA through the following:

ESEA Titles including Title I, Title II, Title III, and Title IV
A review of Statute, Regulatory, and Non-Regulatory resources in providing Equitable Services
A review of the Role of State Ombudsman
A clear understanding of the consultation requirements under the law
An understanding of the impact of transferability and equitable shares
The process for disputes between public and non-public schools
How allocations are derived for public and non-public schools
Type and Delivery of Equitable Services
Allowable costs for private schools in each title

When: Thursday, April 12, 2018

Time: 9:00 A.M.-12 Noon

Where: Capital Area Technical Center, 40 Pierce Drive, Augusta, Maine 04330

Who Should attend: Private Schools officials responsible for delivery of equitable services, ESEA Coordinators, Curriculum Coordinators, Principals, Assistant Superintendents, Superintendents.Why: Under ESSA the provision of equitable services has changed. It is critical that public and non-public schools work together to provide fair and equitable services to eligible students according to the law. This workshop will help guide your decision making as a school administrator and ensure responsible fiscal stewardship in federal funding for both public and non-public schools across the state.

Register by clicking on the link below:

http://events.egov.com/eventreg/ME/event.htm?name=equitableservicesunderessa

Please register by no later than April 1, 2018. Space is limited.

For questions regarding this workshop or equitable services please contact Charles.lomonte@maine.gov