Five Maine Education Programs Highlighted in National Webinar on Educational Innovation

In December, five Maine educators leading school innovations and working towards systemic change to create powerful outcomes for Maine students were featured in a webinar hosted by The Regional Education Laboratory (REL) Northeast & Islands with nearly 100 educators from across the country present.

The goal of the webinar was to deepen understanding of different types and purposes of educational assessment within the context of implementing an educational innovation. These educators shared a variety of data sources they used to establish evidence of efficacy as they worked toward systemic change.

Students Laughing - outdoor learning — Students from Portland Public Schools

Portland Public Schools

The first team of educators to present in the webinar were Brooke Teller and Katie West of Portland Public Schools. They shared assessment tools to measure the desired outcomes of increased exposure and engagement for all students, teacher joy, knowledge and commitment to outdoor and experiential learning, and a greater awareness and understanding of Environmental Literacy Practices and Indigenous Worldview. They have a district-wide innovation for 3,200 K-5 students. By examining student field journals, conducting interviews, and surveys, these innovators were able to begin to capture the impact of their innovation on not just students but the larger community.

“We’ve been doing interviews and collecting anecdotes and stories because we know how powerful a story can be,” said Brooke Teller of Portland Public Schools.

Falmouth Middle School

Katie Coppens of Falmouth Middle School shared their Rethinking Responsive Education Ventures (RREV) Pilot: The Navigator Program. The goal of this innovation is to foster empathy and responsibility for the community by immersing students in the natural, cultural, and historical elements of the community and to use these as a foundation for the study of science, social studies, and other subjects across the curriculum. The People & Places of the Presumpscot unit was the first step in creating district-wide place-based programming. Katie shared creative pre and post unit assessments that demonstrated student growth.

“When you think of the Presumpscot River what word comes to mind?”

word cloud comparison

“This simple snapshot is a measurement that shows the impact this place based unit has on student understanding and connection to the Presumpscot River,” Katie Coppens, Falmouth Public Schools.

Agnes Gray Elementary School

MSAD 17 Outdoor Learning in the Oxford Hills was the focus of Sarah Timm’s presentation. As a result of capturing outcomes of increased engagement and motivation, improved student behavior, and academic achievement, the program began the second year of implementation by moving from one elementary school in the district to all 8 elementary schools in the district. The success of the innovation with the elementary schools has informed their decision to provide outdoor learning opportunities to preK-12 students.

“We are collecting data about how student behavior in the woods compares to student behavior on metal and plastic playground equipment.” Sarah Timm, Outdoor Learning Coach describes one data measure at Agnes Gray Elementary school a school with a forest playground for students.

Maine Indian Education Schools

Gen Doughty, the RREV Leader for the Maine Indian Education Schools, has been supporting the implementation of Extended Learning Opportunities, Place-Based and Project-based learning in order to increase meaningful student participation and to strengthen connection to the community. It only makes sense that as their innovative pilot focuses on a shared way of life, culture, customs, and traditions, that they assess educational outcomes in a way that aligns with Wabanaki Culture. Gen shared that while they originally tried to measure connection to community and culture through surveys but it wasn’t meaningful information. That led Gen and her team of educators to the challenge of examining how the Wakanaki culture would go about a quest for knowledge. That led to the use of storytelling through small and large talking circles which provided a much deeper understanding of how to respond to student needs.

“The school is a place where many gather , not just a place for our students, our families are involved and we have community meetings and different sorts of activities that happen for our entire families to join in with our students.” Gen Doughty.

The Maine Demartment of Education (DOE) encourages all schools and districts across the State of Maine to learn more about RREV innovative educators and their pilot programs through the RREV website and the online RREV collaborative platform known as EnGiNE. It is through EnGiNE that we hope to continue the momentum to change students’ lives through innovative and responsive educational programs.

Madawaska Shows the Power of Summer Learning Opportunities, Apply for 2024 Funding Today

Last summer, elementary school students throughout Madawaska were provided project-based extended educational learning opportunities with a focus on celebrating the region’s French-Acadian heritage.

After the 2022-2023 school year, Principal Christian Arnold began working with her team to collaboratively develop thoughtful interdisciplinary lessons and exposure to project-based learning and real-world application, critical thinking skills, and social emotional benefits that emerge from confident learners. During a visit by the Maine Department of Education (DOE), staff observed an engaging lesson focused on preparing students for a field trip later in the week to Maine’s Acadian Village.

Throughout the read aloud, students made text to real life connections, shared personal anecdotes, and leaned in to learn more about their region’s rich cultural history. Directly following the read aloud, students and educators enjoyed ployes while listening to local French-Acadian fiddle music. Throughout their family style meal where butter and local maple syrup was plentiful, students and educators eagerly shared stories from their own personal experiences which illustrated how this delicious French-Acadian staple has connected their families and greater community for generations. Woven throughout the discussion were brief vocabulary lessons in English and French.

Madawaska’s four-week American Rescue Plan (ARP) funded summer and enrichment programming supported three certified teachers with three Ed Techs and a dedicated Family Engagement assistant. Attendance was a key focus and was a successful effort with about 20 students participating on a daily basis. Each student had a learning objectives/goals folder used to share with parents and track their progress. 89 percent of students met their growth goals as determined in STAR, and all students showed growth or maintained end of year scores as determined by DIBELS. Madawaska determined that their numbers were comparatively small, but the program was dynamic!

In her end of summer newsletter, Principal Arnold shared “the kids came in as timid students and left as motivated scholars.”

Funding is available to bring summer programming to your school community!

The 2024 ARP Summer Programming and Enrichment grant application deadline is March 29, 2024, at 5 PM EST. Please reach out to ARP Summer Programming Coordinator Jackie Godbout jackie.godbout@maine.gov with questions.

Windsor Elementary School Explores Maine Seaweeds with a Little ‘Kelp’ From Their Friends

Windsor Elementary School educators Kristel Anuszewski and Jana Diket recently collaborated with Maine Sea Grant, Chef Andrew Wilkinson from North Coast Seafoods, and other Maine businesses to bring seaweed to the classroom and cafeteria.

Since the fall of 2023, both educators have been engaged in professional learning and other efforts to bring the sea inland to their community. Why seaweed? Seaweed farming and harvesting is considered to be “regenerative” and “sustainable” as it requires zero input for growth, no chemicals, fertilizers, or pesticides are needed–only providing benefits for the ecosystem and human health. It plays an important role in combating climate change by dampening wave energy and protecting coastal shorelines, absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, reducing the effects of ocean acidification by raising the PH, and supplying oxygen to ocean waters. Seaweed is also locally sourced, delicious, and one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet.

Seaweed farming and wild harvest also help diversify Maine’s marine economy. It’s a great opportunity and source of income for fishermen and others during the winter season, enabling year-round employment opportunities.

On January 16th, 2024, Windsor Elementary students explored and identified a variety of seaweeds that grow in the Gulf of Maine, and engaged in pressing and other art-related activities. These activities were followed by culinary arts on January 18th with Chef Andrew and his delicious “Seaweed-ish Meat(less)balls,” containing sugar kelp from Maine’s waters. Students also explored a variety of products like seaweed salad and kelp burgers, donated by Atlantic Sea Farms (Biddeford, Maine), as well as a variety of “wild” harvested seaweed products like kelp crunch, seaweed tea, seasonings, generously donated by Maine Coast Sea Vegetables (Hancock, Maine).

Soon after trying the meatballs with Chef Andrew in the morning, Isaiah, an initially skeptical 6th-grader, raised his hand and shared “I didn’t think I would like them, but I really do; may I change my choice for lunch?!”

Chef Andrew shares the story of his recipe–an innovation for seaweed–the Seaweed-ish Meatball with students in the Windsor Learning Commons.

Chef Andrew prepares his meatball recipe.

A seaweed identification station

Keri Kaczor arrives with seaweed buckets at WES.

Keri Kaczor and Jaclyn (Jax) Robidoux from Maine Sea Grant instruct grade 7 and 8 students on how to press seaweed

Although this event primarily engaged 6th, 7th, and 8th graders, all students were offered this option for lunch on January 18th. Windsor School Chefs Missy Parsons and Kara Bailey served up Seaweed-ish Meatballs with pasta and marinara. Chef Ron Adams of Maine Farm and Sea Cooperative, and Chef Mike Flynn, the Director of Student Nutrition Services, Somerville, Maine, stopped in with some Maine marinara with tomatoes sourced from Maine growers– delicious! There was also a special meal option, a kelp burger, served to faculty.

Principal Heather Wilson (left) and Kristel Anuszewski (right) enjoy Chef’s Seaweed-ish Meatball recipe.

Missy Parsons (WES school head cook), Chef Andrew Wilkinson (guest seaweed chef for the day at WES), Kristel Anuszewski (WES teacher and event organizer), Keri Kaczor (Maine Sea Grant, UMO), Chef Mike Flynn (RSU#12 Director of Student Nutrition Services), and Kara Bailey (WES kitchen assistant)

Kristel Anuszewski (WES Librarian and STEM teacher) and Jana Diket (middle school science and social studies teacher)

Prior to this collaboration, Anuskewski and Diket introduced their students to seaweed curriculum and activities, and kindergarten through 8th grade students all helped decorate the hallway in preparation for the events. Fish and seaweed adorned the walls, fabric hung from the ceiling with silhouettes of sea-life, creating a magical “seaprise” and experience for all. An intertidal ocean mural with seaweed and other creatures was also on display, built by the 7th and 8th grade students.

Diket plans to continue this work by installing a saltwater tank in her classroom, and both teachers plan on taking students on a field trip to the sea in the spring.

Keri Kaczor, Maine Sea Grant, shared, “It is wonderful to see educators and food service staff at Windsor Elementary collaborate to provide high-quality, hands-on science, art, and nutritional experiences for their students. It’s also a gift to have Maine’s seaweed industry and Chef Andrew generously commit their time, expertise, and products to this effort.”

For more information, please reach out to Kristel (kanuszewski@svrsu.org) or Jana (jdiket@svrsu.org).

This story was submitted by Windsor Elementary School through our Maine DOE Good News Submission form. To submit a story, please fill out the form here.

Photography and Poetry Gallery at Lyseth Elementary School

Walking into the bright atrium of Lyseth Elementary School in Portland, you are met by giant black-and-white photographs of the 20 students in Leigh Quigley’s 4th-grade class. Hanging from the skylight are even more pictures, pictures that students took after learning photography elements like composition, light, and focal point from professional photographer Liz Bieber. Proud adults gather around, taking pictures of student work. As you walk to the end of the atrium, framed images of students and the poetry they wrote, the conclusion to a poetry unit designed to build empathy, understanding, and community within the classroom, hang on the wall in neat rows.

The unit began as a single-focus poetry unit where students were exposed to classic and modern poets and forms and then transferred their learning to create original poetry that captured their voices. After a visit to the Bowdoin Museum of Art, student’s curiosity and excitement transformed the single focus into a multidisciplinary unit that included original photography. Students added knowledge and skills around photography to their poetry knowledge and applied those skills by taking candid and studio pictures of their peers that would accompany their poetry. Once photos were taken and poetry was written, students created frames, chose pictures, and typed their poems, which included different fonts and effects that emphasized certain words and phrases.

4th-grade student Patrick explained his choice of purposely using lowercase letters to “make it different than the others.”

The final products were mounted in the atrium, where they would be a prominent addition and visible to every member of the school community.

“I really like taking pictures and writing poetry,” 4th grade student Grace shared. “The hardest part was figuring out what to write, but I used a poem we read before for inspiration.”

Mrs. Quigley noticed an increase in student engagement but also grew professionally herself. “Working with them every day opened my eyes to new ways of thinking. They provided a fresh take on the subject matter through their unique interpretations.”

This project gave students an opportunity to share their voices, but it also has had ripple effects throughout the school. Lyseth principal Sara Goodall shared that “kids, families, and staff are asking and excited to learn more” and that “less than a week after it opened, Lyseth is exploring a photography club.”

The student voice in their poetry, the choice of which photos to use to illustrate their poetry, the community gathering to celebrate, and the ripple effects it has caused throughout the school are concrete examples of the school’s core value of “we all belong here at Lyseth.”

This story was a collaboration between the Maine Department of Education’s Interdisciplinary Instruction (II) Team and Lyseth Elementary School. If you are interested in collaborating with the Maine DOE’s II Team to showcase your school’s interdisciplinary instructional work, reach out to Kathy Bertini at kathy.bertini@maine.gov. You can also submit Maine school highlights to Maine DOE’s Good News Submission Form.

Celebrating Women in CTE: Meet Welding Student Emma Koch from Rumford

The Maine Department of Education, in collaboration with Career and Technical Education (CTE) schools throughout Maine, is celebrating CTE month this February by highlighting some of the amazing women who have found their path in life through career and technical education. We hope their stories inspire you the way they have inspired us. (Here are the other stories featured in February: Danica Wooster, Madison Jackson, Amanda Baker.)

Emma Koch is currently in her senior year at Mountain Valley High School in Rumford, Maine, and in her second year at Region 9 School of Applied Technology where she participates in the metal trades program. The two-year program combines the hands-on use of machine tools and equipment with different types of welding and fabrication of metals through lab exercises and a variety of projects.

“Originally I wanted to do lathe work and carving but they only had building construction which wasn’t what I was looking for,” explained Koch. Instead, she took a chance with metal trades to try their lathes and precision machining.

“Going into it, I was hoping to become proficient in machining but soon realized that was not for me, so I shifted to the other end of the shop where the welders were,” said Koch.

After a short time in the booth, she realized she had a natural knack and love for stick arc welding, and that love soon spread to TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) welding.

“It’s been fun to watch Emma become a welder,” said Region 9 Metal Trades Instructor Curtiss Hallock. “It didn’t take long for her to discover that machining was not for her – she was pretty clear about that by lunchtime of her first day of machining. It really validated her innate talent as a welder.”

As the only female in her class, Koch explains that the trades have always been largely dominated by men, making them quite an intimidating environment for women to try and be a part of. Looking past all that, Koch explains that she was actually excited to get into welding because her Pepere was a welder, and both her brothers-in-law knew the craft as well. “I was excited to be able to show them up,” she added.

Koch continues to develop her craft and aspires to continue being a high achiever in her program. “Last year, I passed my flat stick welding test, and I am hoping to pass my vertical test this winter,” she said. Passing this test will give her American Welding Society (AWS) certification.

“She raises the bar for everybody in the shop,” added Hallock. “But many of her natural strengths are the ones that can be hard to learn: focus, determination, and drive. She’s really good at blocking out distractions. She stays with a project until it’s done. She’ll be an outstanding welder if she chooses to pursue that path, but if not those skills will make her successful no matter what she chooses to do.”

As for the future, Koch has yet to figure out exactly what she wants to do but she has a plan to get the process started. “I know I want to go to college,” she said. “I’ll be starting at Central Maine Community College in Auburn next year to play soccer and iron out my future plans.” Koch says she is planning on participating in the upcoming statewide Skills USA competition happening next month in Bangor. This is the first time Region 9 has participated since COVID.

“We are very proud of Emma for being open to trying new experiences which has helped her discover a passion for welding,” said Region 9 Director Brenda Gammon.

When asked what advice she had for current and future CTE students, especially young women, Koch said, “The most important thing is to hold your ground and be open to their advice and help, but don’t let them believe that ‘girly’ stereotype we are given; we are strong, we are powerful, and we can do the trades just as good as anyone.”