2012 Maine STEM Summit

MMSA is a proud member and sponsor of Maine's STEM Collaborative, and encourages you to sign up for the free STEM Summit on March 20 at Colby College.  The program includes excellent speakers and for the first time, encourages groups and individuals to design their own conference sessions (or "unconference" sessions).  We hope to see you there!

Registration link :  http://www.epsregister.umesp.maine.edu/Registration.asp?23

2012-stem-summit-flyer-1.pdf

Congratulations to Lynn Farrin!

The National Science Teachers Association recently announced Lynn Farrin, K-8 Science Specialist (MMSA), as their newly elected District II Director.  Lynn begins her three-year term in June and will be representing Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont in this valuable leadership role. We're certain she will be a terrific representative!

Experts Share Ideas at Reach Center Design Conference

Experts Offer Recommendations to Engage Thousands of Students in STEM Programs through the Reach Center

PORTLAND- The Reach Center, a joint project of the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance (MMSA) and the Maine School of Science and Mathematics (MSSM), brought together dozens of experts for a design conference February 8-10, 2012. The purpose of the design conference was to collaboratively develop “STEM intensives” that will deeply engage Maine students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The conference concluded with a listening session attended by distinguished Maine education, business and community leaders. The attendees, who are education experts from Maine and around the country, made recommendations that will help the Reach Center achieve its goal of engaging thousands of Maine students in science and math related activities.

“The number of people who volunteered their time over the past few days is very illustrative of how important STEM education is to Maine's future,” said Tom Keller, co-director of the Reach Center. “By taking this very collaborative approach, we are building this initiative to be successful and ensuring that we meet our ultimate goal of getting kids who are interested in science and math to grow into adults who are interested in science and math.”

Some of the recommendations for The Reach Center include:

• Provide the “connective tissue” between the many excellent existing STEM programs in Maine for students in grades 5-12 
• Develop an online clearinghouse of STEM opportunities and act as a resource for students seeking additional opportunities in STEM, including collaboration  with the University of Maine EPSCoR and others
• Tie together consecutive experiences over several years to foster and build upon individual student interest and enthusiasm for a specific STEM topic

Based on the recommendations gleaned from the conference, the Reach Center will launch a statewide slate of outreach efforts in the spring. 

Participants in the working conference, which took place at the Portland Harbor Hotel, took part in small discussion groups asked to design model criteria in areas such as marine technology/ocean studies, biotechnology, and energy/sustainability/environment. Sessions focused on building the various elements of hands-on programs as well as ways to measure outcomes. The groups also emphasized virtual learning opportunities and ways to connect with students through social media.

“If you really love science, distance isn't going to be a problem. If I hear about this great thing to do, I can go to the program and work with kids from all over Maine. When I go home, I can get online and share it with my friends and stay in touch with the people I met. I'll get involved and have fun,” said Liva Pierce,seventh-grade student at King Middle School.

“As far as we can tell, no one else is doing this anywhere else in the country. This conference was about getting a lot of very bright people in one room, downloading their collective expertise, testing ideas against experiences and, ultimately, creating a pathway for thousands of Maine youth to get involved with science and math programs,” said Jerry Pieh, co-director of The Reach Center and chairman of the board of the Maine School of Science and Mathematics. “With input from a group of this caliber, we will get the students involved, keep them engaged, and ultimately enhance the STEM workforce in Maine.”

Those participating in the conference represented various organizations including Foundation for Blood Research, FIRST Robotics, University of Southern Maine, Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance, Maine Department of Education, IEEE of Maine, Expeditionary Learning, Casco Bay High School, Lesley University, University of Maine System, Island Institute, Illinois Math & Science Academy, Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, King Middle School, Chewonki, Maine EPSCoR, University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Maine School of Science and Mathematics, KIDS Consortium, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, National Science Foundation, Harvard University, Deer Isle-Stonington Science Center, The Jackson Laboratory, Boston Museum of Science, American Psychological Association, The Concord Consortium and Efficiency Maine.

About The Reach Center: Created by a $3.2 million grant from an anonymous Maine benefactor, the Reach Center is a project of the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance in collaboration with the Maine School of Science and Mathematics. The goal of the Center is to challenge Maine students in grades 5-12 who demonstrate an uncommon enthusiasm for math and science and help to connect them with opportunities to learn new concepts in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Announcing Family Energy Nights

Family Energy Night (FEN) is an informal energy education program, being developed by the MMSA with funding from Efficiency Maine. Modeled after nationally recognized Family Science and Family Math programs, FEN targets middle school age students and their families.

THANK YOU FOR ALL RESPONSES! Our goal has been met to host 8 Family Energy Nights.

Consider joining us!

Who is hosting a FEN in Maine?

What happens during a Family Energy Night?

Families come to the event together and investigate energy ideas at their own pace through a variety of hands-on activities.  FEN is based on the belief that family involvement and exploration of concepts in a nonthreatening and enthusiastic way are important components of meaningful, lasting learning.  A FEN is often held on a weeknight (6:00-7:30 pm) or on a Saturday morning (9-11 am).  Hosting a FEN is a great way to introduce and reinforce concepts being taught in the classroom and engage a broader community in learning about energy and its conservation. The event is free for families to attend and our goal is to reach 20-40 parents per event.

To learn more and get a sneak peak presentation of a FEN, click here>

LEARN Mathematics! Teacher Accepted for the Teacher Sabbatical Internship Program at The Jackson Laboratory

Learn, Experience, Apply in a Regional Network (LEARN) Mathematics! Teacher Accepted for the Teacher Sabbatical Internship Program at The Jackson Laboratory 

MMSA is pleased and proud to announce that teacher participant in the LEARN Mathematics! MSP Project, Ms. Emily Spaulding of Bangor Christian School in Bangor, has been accepted into the prestigious Teacher Sabbatical Internship Program at The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine.

The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations recently awarded a $100,000 grant to fund the innovative program, which provides mathematics and science teachers in Maine public secondary schools hands-on research experience during a semester at The Jackson Laboratory. The new grant will help to support the next four years of teacher internships.

Randy Smith, Ph.D., director of Jackson’s educational programs, said, “We believe this gift is the best possible way to support effective, innovative science teaching and to make a huge difference in the education and future careers of Maine students.”

The Laboratory launched teacher sabbatical internships in 2006 with generous funding from The Foundations and Howard Hughes Medical Institute. The semester-long program provides secondary school teachers with a unique opportunity to conduct real-world scientific research in the labs of Jackson scientist-mentors.  LEARN Mathematics! Project Director Meghan Southworth of MMSA was chosen as a teacher intern in 2007 and says of the program, “My experience at JAX was truly life changing and a high point in my professional career as a mathematics teacher.  I strongly recommended Ms. Spaulding as a candidate and am so proud she has been accepted.”

“To date,” says Smith, “this program has trained eight Maine teachers who are now implementing their experiences in the classroom to the great benefit of their students and their schools.”

The teacher-interns also take a three-credit course taught by University of Maine faculty on the Jackson campus that explores the pedagogical strategies that help students learn to think independently. As part of the curriculum, teachers read background literature, write a research proposal, conduct research and summarize their findings orally and in a written research paper.

MMSA continues to collaborate with Randy Smith at The Jackson Laboratory on the development, field-testing, and evaluation of such innovative educational programs as GENIQUEST, Geniverse, and the newly developed Mouse Room.  These “virtual” laboratories aim to bring current bioinformatics concepts and biological data sets into secondary science and mathematics classrooms.  The result is an intriguing environment that spurs student investigation and inquiry.

For more information on the Teacher Sabbatical Program, click here.

MMSA Welcomes KIDS Consortium to Augusta!

Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance is delighted to welcome KIDS Consortium to Augusta, where they will share office space with our group. KIDS is known for the in-depth work they do with K-12 teachers to integrate rigorous disciplinary learning with high quality service-learning. Our organizations have been working together on the Youth as Citizen Scientists (YACS) Project, which brings together service-learning and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) as teachers implement in-depth environmental science projects with their students. We are looking forward to having KIDS as our neighbors, and continuing to work with them on STEM/service- learning projects.

Summary of the K- 6 Engineering Conference

Summary of the K-6 Engineering Conference

On December 16, 2011 the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance brought over fifty educators together to talk, write, and learn about using notebooks to support the teaching and learning of engineering practices.

For more information click here.

For Linking Science, Engineering, and Language Literacy in the K - 6 Classroom Bibliography click here.

To view slide show click here.

To download card sort click here.

New Phone number

The  phone number for Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance and the Reach Center has changed.  The new number is 207-626-3230.  Please follow instructions for connection to MMSA, the Reach Center, and individual staff extension numbers.

The Reach Center Launch Event Sparks Conversations about STEM Education

The Reach Center Launch Event Sparks Conversations about STEM Education

New Initiative Will Expand STEM Education in Maine

The Reach Center, a new initiative working to connect promising Maine students with opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), launched its work November 29 with a panel discussion on STEM education at the SEA Center at Southern Maine Community College.

Created by a $3.2 million grant from an anonymous Maine benefactor, the Reach Center is a partnership between the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance and the Maine School of Science and Mathematics.

“STEM education is critical for Maine’s economy and for the success of our students as they look to build promising careers after graduation,” said Jan Mokros, executive director of the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance and co-director of the Reach Center. “Many talented students start out interested in science, technology, engineering and math, but by the time they graduate from high school they have lost interest. We hope to turn that around and foster a lifelong interest in these important areas.”

One of the goals of the Reach Center is to take advantage of the interest many students already exhibit in hands-on science and technology to raise the bar for science and math education in Maine.

“Maine’s knowledge-based economy is driven by innovation, which in turn is fueled by a well-educated workforce equipped with STEM skills,” said former U.S. Congressman Tom Allen, who gave the keynote address at the Reach Center’s launch event. “A background in STEM is not only essential to many current and future careers, it is also a means for citizens to navigate an increasingly complex world—from understanding environmental sustainability to addressing the need for new sources of energy.”

In addition to creating new opportunities for students, the Center will connect middle and high school students with existing programs in STEM areas, helping to make the programs more accessible.

The Reach Center will work to arrange mentorship programs, online opportunities and after-school programs, and it will serve as a link to programs that already exist around the state.

The launch event included remarks by Tom Allen, now president of the Association of American Publishers; Dr. Allyson Handley, president of the University of Maine at Augusta; and a panel comprising Falmouth High School students Muna El-Taha and Shreyas Joshi; Luke Shorty, executive director of the Maine School for Science and Math; Alan Lishness, chief innovation officer at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute; and Laurie Lachance, executive director of the Maine Development Foundation.

In addition to the distinguished speakers and panel discussion, the Reach Center also unveiled a four-minute video about their mission that shares stories of how people have become engaged in science and math. That video, along with 12 individual clips of students, teachers, and STEM professionals sharing their STEM stories, is also available at http://reachcenter.me.

A press conference followed the event. The Bangor Daily News, Maine Public Broadcasting Network, WCSH, WLBZ, WMTW, and the Forecaster covered the launch.

The Center previously held a summer conference to gather teachers’ input on how best to achieve its goals of identifying, engaging, supporting, and challenging promising young people in advanced STEM topics. A design conference is planned for February 2012 to create the first student programs, slated to begin in the summer.

Connect with the Reach Center on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ReachCenterME.

A New "2020 Vision for Energy Literacy in Maine"

On October 31st, MMSA co-hosted the first Maine energy Education Forum in conjunction with Efficiency Maine, during which we designed a strategic vision for energy literacy in the state.  This forum, which was partially funded by the National Science Foundation, resulted in a "2020 Vision for Energy Literacy" in Maine, which is as follows:

Maine citizens understand the relationships among behavior, technology and energy. They know the importance of having a diversity of energy sources and solutions. They realize that energy use is an integral part of daily life and that we all share the benefits and consequences of our energy choices.

Mainers have access to reliable information and the resources they need to make locally relevant, environmentally sound, sustainable energy decisions. They are motivated to adopt and promote efficient energy practices and sustainable local production.

Current and future generations are educated about the global decisions they will face that will determine their energy future. Maine’s formal (pre-K through university) and informal educational systems support Maine learners to become energy literate.

Outcomes:

• We have clear and specific energy education standards.
• Energy education is integrated into school curriculum and community programs.
• We see an increase of demand for the services and products that provide energy efficiency and sustainable energy.
• There is a skilled workforce to meet the evolving demands of Maine’s energy economy.
• Mainers are increasing their support for local sustainable energy production.
• We are monitoring and increasing educator knowledge related to energy.

More than thirty participants, ranging from university professors to legislators to community outreach staff, crafted this vision together.  Next steps involve determining an action plan to reach out goals by the year 2020.  The planning committee for this work includes Tim Vrabel of Efficiency Maine, Harold MacWilliams and Jan Mokros for Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance, and Kathryn Hopkins  and Donna Coffin of Maine Cooperative Extension Services.  Michael Kelly served as facilitator for the day.

Maine reports Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)

Maine reports Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP):

Fewer than one third of schools making arbitrary targets

On October 2^nd, The Maine Department of Education released its annual report on the progress of schools under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. 

For 2011-12, only 184 schools out of 608 in Maine, or 30 percent, are labeled as “Making AYP.” That compares to 44 percent of schools last year. The number of schools in “Continuous Improvement Priority Schools” (CIPS) status – meaning they have not met targets for at least two years in a row – increased from 137 last year to 223 this year.

As the federal law now exists, Maine schools are required each year to meet higher testing targets than the previous year in order to make adequate yearly progress. As a result, even as school performance remains the same, or even improves, fewer and fewer schools meet the increased progress requirements.

Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen said Maine will apply for a waiver from the No Child Left Behind law that allows the state to develop and propose an alternative accountability system. The new system will reward schools making progress, base measures of achievement on student growth, not straight scores, and will include educator evaluation models that help assess teacher and administrator performance and support improved teaching through professional development and other efforts.

MMSA has and continues to provide support to K-12 schools across Maine in creating and/or sustaining a CIPS plan for improvement in mathematics.  For a complete list of the types of professional development and CIPS plan components MMSA offers, follow this link.

The full AYP results for Maine schools for 2011-12 can be viewed at: http://www.maine.gov/education/pressreleases/ayp/index.html

Kick-off Event for two of our Math Science Partnerships projects

The Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance, in partnership with the University of Maine Farmington, recently held an exciting kick-off event for two of our Math Science Partnerships projects.  The day and a half long retreat style workshop took place at Point Lookout Resort and Conference Center in Northport, Maine on September 23^rd and 24^th. 

Teacher participants came together from the Bangor area project (called LEARN Mathematics!) which includes United Technologies Center, Old Town High School, Orono High School, Brewer High School and Bangor Christian Schools; and the Rockland area project (called M⁴CTE) which includes Midcoast School of Technology, Thomaston Grammar School, Rockland and Medomak Valley Middle Schools, and Oceanside High School East and West campuses. 

The opening activity Friday evening was an engineering design challenge.  Teams of two or three teachers explored the generation of wind power using found objects to design, create, and test windmills. Test data was collected and presented, along with conclusions and critiques of the process, as the activity continued on Saturday morning.

Saturday afternoon consisted of two break out sessions:  One designed to better acquaint new participants with the goals, expectations and outcomes of projects and the other tailored for returning teacher-leaders who will be mentoring the newcomers throughout the year. 

As we move in to the school year middle, high, and career technical education teachers in each project will meet monthly in regional Professional Learning Communities.  These dine-and-discuss sessions will allow pairs, triads, or even teams of four teachers to collaboratively plan multi-day lessons that integrate mathematical concepts and theory with practical, hands-on applications.  Based on the level of excitement generated by Friday evening’s activity, we expect innovative design challenges to be an integral part of this year’s lesson plans. As a way to demonstrate achievement, these lessons will provide students with opportunities to carry out investigations, collect and present data as evidence for their conclusions, and even engage in expeditionary or service learning projects. 

After the first of the year, teachers will begin bringing their respective students together to co-teach the lessons.  Typically these multi-day lessons include direct instruction in the classroom, hands-on instruction in a workshop setting, and off-site fieldwork or studies.  

A key aspect of the professional development model used in both these projects is the use of self-reflection and feedback from colleagues to help teachers refine and improve their lessons as they make sustained improvements to their practice.  Experienced teacher-leader participants, trained in earlier projects, will mentor and guide new participants. 

A final monograph collection of lesson plans, ideas, and activities will be published by MMSA and disseminated throughout Maine next year.