Maine ASCD

Spring Conference Cancelled

We regret that the May 8th conference with Pam Robbins has been cancelled. If you were registered for this event and have not already received an e-mail from us, please contact John Brandt at info@maineascd.org

New Moodle Course Offered - "What the Heck is a Professional Learning Community (PLC) Anyway?"

Maine ASCD is pleased to announce that a new Moodle course will be offered beginning April 21, 2008. Entitled "What the Heck is a PLC Anyway," the course will be offered by Kyle Rhoads, principal of the Acton Elementary School.

The on-line course which will mix readings, on-line discussion groups and listserv activities all provided through the Maine ASCD Moodle board, will begin on or about April 21st and run until late August. Several “breaks” will be built into the course. Participants can expect that the course content will require approximately 30 hours of contact time including readings. Participants completing the course will be awarded a certificate of completion for 30 hours.

A complete course description may be found on our website along with a bio for Dr. Rhoads.

Discounts for Maine ASCD members and teams will be provided.

For more information and to register, please visit the Maine ASCD website.

Journal of Maine Education Published

The 2008 volume of the Journal of Maine Education is has been published this month and being mailed to all members in good standing. The issue whose theme is Challenges and Opportunities of Technology's Role in Schools is both timely and comprehensive. Articles range from discussions of student writing to how to maximize learning in a digital age.

The 2009 volume of the Journal will be the 25th Anniversary issue and has adopted a unique Call for Papers. Themed, "Where Have We Been? Where Are We Going?" the 25th edition should prove to be a classic. Read the Call for Papers - Deadline is August 1st.

Leadership in Literacy Conference Follow-up

Over 80 Maine educators attending our Fall Conference Leadership in Literacy: Developing a School-Wide Partnership with Peter Lancia. Feedback from the participants was consistently positive and we are making plans for additional workshops and study groups on the topic of literacy.

Peter's handout from the October 9th conference may be downloaded here [PDF - requires plug-in]

Note that the Maine Literacy Leaders Network will be holding a Roundtable at Eggspectations on November 30th in South Portland, and we have posted several study group sessions on the website.

The Maine Literacy Leaders Network is open and free for all Maine ASCD Members

District Consolidation

Maine ASCD will continue to provide commentary, resources and support and school districts engage in the hard work of District Consolidation. Follow what's happening on the Maine ASCD Blog . You can remain connected by creating a link to our RSS feed.

Links to Educational Resources

The Educational Resources section has been updated with links to new services and materials for teachers and administrators including PodCasts.

On-line Learning 

Maine ASCD is looking for a few good educators to serve as online mentors and distance learning course developers. More information about our Mentor Program.