Thomas College

Center for Innovation in Education

Thomas College is in the midst of gearing up for the 2018 CIE Summer Institute scheduled for June 26 – 28, 2018. The theme  is “Innovating In Education for Maine’s Diverse Population of Students,” with a focus on Digital Learning, STEAM, and PBE.

You can learn more at the CIE Summer Institute website and on the Thomas College CIE homepage. More information will be added as it becomes available.

Early bird registration costs $175.00, and ends February 1st, 2018. The regular event ticket price will be $195.00, and this cost takes effect starting on Feb 1st, and will run through June 1st, 2018. Registration is available at Eventbrite.

CIE Summer Institute

Superb learning opportunity

I just returned from Thomas College where Catherine Ring and I worked as a team to create a resource for STEAM at the Center for Innovation in Education Summer Institute. The conversation on STEAM appears to be happening across the state in a small way but after three days of talking STEAM, proficiency-based education and digital learning I am sensing that we are at the edge of a giant leap forward. The most interesting part is that the conversations were not just with visual and performing arts teachers but with teachers of all grade levels and content representing all regions of the state.

From a participant: STEAM is important because it engages the whole brain in learning.

Tim McNamara

The summer institute opening keynote was provided by Tim McNamara, director of High Tech High School in Chula Vista, California. He works in a true student-centered environment where students are not only surviving but flourishing, as they find and explore and learn through their passions. His stories were so inspiring!

The inspiration continued throughout the three days with a very moving performance by Brook Haycock. Her docudramas encourage questioning and thinking.

The final engaging activity was facilitated by Explo. Yes, they brought 35 moose into the room. Teams collaborated to create anything you can imagine for the moose to transport all kinds of goods.

In between participants chose from a variety of workshops. Some of them: Innovative Learning Experiences, Interdisciplinary Unit and Course Design, STEAM Power – Why it Works, How it Looks, Flipping’ Fake News, and A=Arts. All teAms cAn steAm with Music.

Hope Lord “playing” a note on a bottle.

In between attending workshops each team continued work on their project. Catherine and I will continue our STEAM resource work and provide it for you in the future when it is ready to be launched. It will be a living document so if you have any STEAM resources that you’d be kind enough to share please email the link or the resource at argy.nestor@maine.gov.

Providing feedback to each other on plans.

From a participant: The arts breathe life into everything that they touch – STEM is no different. The A in STEAM makes practical solutions beautiful – a chair becomes a sculpture, sound becomes music. When the arts are in the mix, it elevates the process and the product. A deeper, almost emotional connection seems to be made – kids get excited, I get excited. ~Chip Schwehm, Boothbay Region High School

Senior Showcase

Thomas College

What a treat to visit Thomas College recently for their senior showcase. The somewhat nervous dressed up seniors were gathered at the Center for Innovation in Education to share research they had each conducted as part of their semester.

In the words of Dr. Katie Rybakova, assistant professor of education at Thomas:

“On April 26th at 4:00 pm, our senior pre-service teachers gathered together in a research conference poster presentation format to showcase their unit plans and data analysis. Over the course of the semester, our pre-service teachers created a research-driven unit that they then taught in their student teaching placement. They utilized pre and post test data collection to show their student learning gains, learning in the process about how to collect and assess data to help them become more effective teachers! During our senior showcase, they presented a snapshot of their units using research posters and we could not have been prouder of this group of teachers.”

Shauna Gordon

Each student was articulate and poised while sharing information and answering questions about their research. The connections with the arts was evident in several of the research projects. Shauna Gordon worked with grade 3 students and provided a lesson called “Just A Bill” where students listened to a School House Rock song called “I’m Just a Bill” that told the steps of turning a bill into a law. Shauna shared how much the students connected with the song and the direct impact of learning the song. Because of the lesson 91% of the students correctly answered the question about the bills and laws.

You can learn more about the education program at Thomas College at THIS LINK.

CIE Summer Institute

Thomas College professional development

Bring a team from your school to the Center for Innovation in Education Summer Institute at Thomas College, June 27-29. Great opportunity to collaborate on planning for your students!

Docudrama, song writing, invasive European green crabs, and an all hands-on deck problem solving challenge—what a combination! Only at the Center for Innovation in Education’s Summer Institute: Weaving a Tapestry of Learning this June will you get to explore the connections among these activities and create powerful metaphors for learning related to the role the Arts play in STEAM curriculum and instruction.

For more information CLICK HERE.

• PreK-12 participants are encouraged to come in teams to work on projects specific to your school.

• Grants are available to defray registration costs for up to 5 people on a team.

• Format: Nationally known speakers, concurrent sessions by outstanding Maine educators, and team time with a coach to work on individual projects.

• Interactive, reflective, & practical

• CEUs available

• Graduate credit available (must pay the Thomas graduate course fee)

Of special interest to Arts educators:

• Brooke Haycock from the Education Trust uses a docudrama format to stimulate participants’ thinking: “…transform research into performance, exposing the stories behind the data and driving straight to the heart of debate around equity in schools.” https://edtrust.org/team/brooke-haycock/
• Members of the EXPLO organization will lead us through a hands-on, interactive challenge that integrates the arts into the problem solving necessary to meet the challenge. https://www.explo.org/our-history/

Coaches include:

• Lindsay Pinchbeck from Sweet Tree Arts http://sweettreearts.org/teachers.htm
• Monte Selby, Education’s Songwriter https://www.monteselby.com/