July 2004 — SETDA
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Maine: Maine Learns'
Training for teachers began in the summer of 2002, with two days of initial staff development focused on learning how to use the tools on their new laptops. We knew that would only be the beginning and that schools and other organizations would have to help provide support. Feedback from the Teacher Leader Network meetings, however, confirmed that although other statewide projects and organizations were contributing, the need was enormous. Teachers' learning curves were steep as they struggled both to catch up to the students' comfort level with the technology and to learn how to teach effectively with this powerful tool.
The design utilized for content meetings - one in which professional development was provided during the school day and had a focus on collegial sharing - has been so successful that we plan to continue the program into future years. During the summer, content area leaders met with teacher leaders to share curriculum ideas that will be part of next year's rounds of content meetings. This sharing is statewide thanks to our virtual connections using e-mail and MaineLearns.org.
Conclusion
Our motto, "Maine Learns," speaks of the continued journey into learning in new ways. Certainly we are onto something good with our increased collaboration among students and community members both here in Maine and worldwide. But we all understand that any clearly defined "end goal" of MLTI is nowhere in sight. And as we look for markers of success, we must use the same tools we ask the students to use. Maine is focusing on the MLTI journey, clearly embarking on an unprecedented attempt to redefine teaching and learning statewide and across the grade levels. While the seventh and eighth grades are well on their way, now is the time to plan for high school and postsecondary education.
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