Summer Learning

Opportunities, deep and deeper

I know that considering learning opportunities for the summer may be the last thing you wish to do after such a challenging year. Thankfully there are a variety of learning opportunities happening this summer that put your emotional needs at the top of the list. Perhaps one of the resources below will fit your needs. Don’t hesitate – dated information!

Maine Arts Education Partnership in Leadership – MAEPL is offering a summer institute, July 27 and 28, Pilgrim Lodge Retreat Center, Lake Cobbosseecontee, W. Gardiner. DEADLINE to apply: JUNE 15. Join MAEPL for Reflection & Renewal, Partnering, and Individualized Goal Setting. If you are selected you will be part of the 2021 cohort and the expectation is that you integrate your learnings in your classroom, your school community, and share with other educators in your region of Maine and beyond. Full participants will receive documentation of contact hours. There is no cost to participate in this yearlong teacher leadership program, including the 2-day Institute.

Maine Art Education Association – Summer retreat at Pilgrim Lodge, August 2-5, Lake Cobbosseecontee, W. Gardiner. Indoor and outdoor spaces to create art in a beautiful uninterrupted environment. The waterfront includes a large swimming area with kayaks, canoes, prams, and access to an island. Trails to get away from it all and a large woodland labyrinth to walk when you need to do some deep thinking. All meals and lodging, use of facility for $220. REGISTRATION OPENED YESTERDAY! You must be a member to attend.

New England Institute for Teacher Education – Earn 4.5 CEUs (the equivalent of 45 contact hours) for recertification. All courses are accepted by the Maine Department of Education.

Confronting Racism in America – starting JUNE 21

Starting JULY 5

Engaging Digital Learners

Google Suite 101 for Educators

Promoting Social & Emotional Learning 

Educating Gifted and Talented Learners

Encountering the Arts: Voice, Choice and Creativity

Engaging Literature for Children and Adolescents K-12

When Trauma Comes to School

Best Practices in Teaching Literacy

Teaching Children of Poverty: Why Culture Counts

Black Authors Matter

Teaching the Exceptional Child in the Regular Classroom

Introduction to Education for Paraprofessionals

Managing Classroom Behavior

The Art of Education University – Perhaps you’d like to work totally independently this summer. The Art of Ed offers a ton of resources for you to do just that. Here are some of the readings/podcasts that you can access. Perhaps make yourself a schedule and tackle one topic a week. They have many more on their website.

10 Art Teachers Reflect on a Year of Challenges and New Opportunities

Why We Need SEL Right Now

5 Effortless Adaptive Art Strategies That Won’t Compromise Your Curriculum

Music Assessment and Technology Courses

Jake Sturtevant and Barb Vinal, instructors for NEI

The New England Institute for Teacher Education is offering two courses that arts educators may be interested in taking. Refining Assessment in the Music Classroom taught by music educator Jake Sturtevant and Technology for Educators taught be former Maine music educator Barb Vinal. Learn about the courses, registration for them, and about Jake and Barb.

EDPO 540: Refining Assessment in the Music Classroom (Online)

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Looking closely at our assessment practices through a collaborative and fine-tuned lens can provide unique opportunities for growth. Connecting new assessment practices to our instruction can bring exciting changes to how we approach our students and their learning. Participants will discuss how best to apply recent Music assessment work to their own unique situations in their own school music programs. This will lead them to create a personalized plan for implementing new strategies.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Upon successful completion of this course, educators will be able to:

• Articulate recent trends in assessment and clear connections to their own classrooms.
• Develop and implement a personalized plan of instruction and assessment in their own classrooms.
• Network ideas, resources and strategies with other music and arts colleagues in the field.
• Develop a meaningful approach to ongoing analysis and modification of their own instructional practices.
• Demonstrate a clear connection between music assessment and music advocacy in their own schools and communities.

This is an online course and the instructor will set up video conference meetings with students. To register CLICK HERE. This course satisfies a requirement for re-certification by the Maine Department of Education.

This course is taught Jake Sturtevant who was born and raised in Maine by a musical family. He is a prolific composer, performer, and music educator. His compositions encompass a variety genres and media including jazz, funk/fusion, vocal, chamber music, orchestral, electronic, and multi-media works.  Jake currently is a music educator at Falmouth High School. He is the former music director at Bonny Eagle High School, in Standish Maine and was music educator at Washington Academy in East Machias, Maine, Teaching Assistant of the Composition department at the University of Minnesota, and he has worked as an intern and as an independent contractor for the Maine Arts Commission.  Jake has been interested in acquiring and changing his teaching and assessment practices to focus on standard based grading. He has had the opportunity to be part of the Maine Arts Leadership Initiative  formally know as the Maine Arts Assessment Initiative, and has taught a variety of workshops at since the initiative started in 2011. He is continually inspired by other teachers around the state and the country who have found a variety of assessment practices that help students achieve practical goals that will help them progress, while not stifling their creativity. Jake holds degrees from the University of Maine at Augusta’s Jazz and Contemporary music program (B.A., Music, 2003), and the University of Minnesota (M.A., Composition 2005), where he studied with Dr. Judith Lang Zaimont. Beyond his profession Jake enjoys his time with his family, and all outdoor activities especially hiking and skiing.

EDE 325: Technology for Educators

This online course is currently offered for 4.5 Continuing Education Units 

Course Description

In the 21st century, it is imperative that teachers keep up to date with technology tools for teaching and learning. This course will help educators best serve their students by learning how to use popular tech tools to help facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity. Exploration of technology applications (including Google apps) as well as the development of an online Personal Learning Network to include social media and bookmarking make the course relevant to individual educator needs and is designed to encourage continued learning beyond the course. Participants will develop a digital toolbox to help manage classroom lesson plans, schedules, and assessments and will enhance effective communication with students, administration and parents. This course helps educators to meet some of the ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) Competencies for Educators.

Materials Required:

• Ability to connect to the Internet – high speed connection preferred.
• Current browser such as Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox.

Prerequisites

• Have an active Google account. If you’ve never had an account or would like to establish a new, professional account, please use this link: https://accounts.google.com/signup?service=mail

Course Objectives

• Facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity
• Design and develop digital age learning experiences and assessments
• Model digital age work and learning
• Promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility
• Engage in professional growth and leadership

To register CLICK HERE.

Barbara Vinal holds a Masters in Technology Educationfrom Lesley University, a Bachelors in Music Education from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell and holds a certificate in online instruction through the Carolina Online Teacher program (COLT) through LearnNC, a program of the UNC School of Education. She is currently an Instructional Technology Facilitator and Magnet School Coordinator for the Wake County Public School System in Raleigh, NC. She has been an educator in Maine, New Hampshire, NC and Texas for over 30 years. Mrs. Vinal was a member of the Maine Department of Education Learning Results Review Committee in 2007, which developed the Maine state standards in Visual and Performing Arts. She has presented sessions at multiple conferences on technology integration in the classroom, assessment techniques and in developing standards-based curricula and served on the Maine Arts Leadership Initiative Leadership Team.

NEI Course Opportunity

EDPO 540: Refining Assessment in the Music Classroom
You may be grappling with the following questions:

• How do I reach every student in my music classes?
• How is it possible to assess every student in my ensemble?
• What kind of assessments should I be using?
• What does a proficiency-based music class look like?
• How do I convert from grades to a rubric?

You can get answers to these and other questions in an ONLINE course by the New England Institute for Teacher Education and taught by Maine music educator, Jake Sturtevant.  You can take this course for 3 graduate credits or 4.5 Continuing Education Units.

Refining Assessment in the Music Classroom, K-12, March 4 through June 10, 2016

“You may already know Jake Sturtevant, music educator at Bonny Eagle High School.  Jake is an excellent educator, and is a teacher leader for the Maine Arts Leadership Initiative.  The New England Institute has hired Jake because of his excellent knowledge, leadership and expertise.  Jake has now taught graduate level courses to music educators in elementary, middle and high school and to pre-service teachers.  He has helped so many educators navigate the often confusing and tedious process of moving toward proficiency based learning in the music class. And, because every school district handles it differently, he tailors the course to meet your individual needs.”  Catherine Ring, Ex. Director, NEI

Please join Jake and other colleagues in this ONLINE course.  CLICK HERE to register.