This week, we’re highlighting examples of work in which students have found something they’re passionate about, and used the resources available to them in school to pursue it — with impressive results.

At the Middle School of the Kennebunks, students have combined lessons from art, math, science and English as they gradually redesign every room of The Nonantum Resort on a tight budget and with environment-friendly principles in mind. The students’ Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI) laptops come in handy for planning the design, comparing prices, making purchases, and publicizing their work.

In Waterville last Friday, 250 eighth-grade girls attended Future Focus, where they learned about the careers of 50 women who have pursued a variety of career paths. To start the day, the eighth graders heard from Hannah Potter, a Yarmouth High School senior who used her MLTI laptop to connect her classmates with students in Iraq. On Friday, Hannah used Skype to connect the 250 eighth-grade girls with an Iraqi friend so they could discuss what they have in common — and the differences between life in Iraq and the United States.

And yesterday in Augusta, nearly 300 students from 24 schools participated in Maine History Day at the University of Maine at Augusta, where they confidently discussed the wide range of historical themes they had researched. They used documentaries, live performances, poster exhibits and other media to present their work.

Our students are using technology to do impressive work. In the process, they’re learning more because the technology is integrated in meaningful ways into every aspect of the curriculum — something that couldn’t be done without the help of teachers who know how to use technology to engage students and take their learning to a new level.

Continue reading “Commissioner’s Update – March 29, 2012” →

Maine legislators took a major step yesterday afternoon toward passing a bill that goes to the heart of improving our schools: effective teaching and school leadership.

In a unanimous vote, the Legislature’s Education Committee passed LD 1858, An Act to Ensure Effective Teaching and School Leadership. The bill next goes before the full Legislature.

The bill requires that school districts adopt fair and constructive performance evaluations for teachers and principals in alignment with criteria to be developed by the Department of Education in collaboration with Maine educators through a formalized Maine Educator Effectiveness Council.

The bill also takes steps to make sure our teachers are better prepared for the classroom by making improvements to teacher preparation programs and by strengthening requirements that our elementary-level teachers have math and literacy content knowledge as part of their certification.

The process that led to yesterday’s Education Committee vote illustrated how the legislative process and involvement of stakeholders can improve the quality of a proposal like this.

As a result of concerns raised during last week’s public hearing on the legislation by the Maine Education Association and others, we suggested additional language to protect teachers from evaluations made in bad faith and strengthened the provisions that assure our educators many seats at the table when it comes to developing criteria for teacher and principal evaluations. The MEA told the committee the amendment addressed their concerns.

I’m excited not only by the potential for this legislation to improve education for our students, but by how well our legislative process worked.

Continue reading “Commissioner’s Update – March 22, 2012” →