Google Geo Teachers Institute

We hosted a Google Geo Teachers Institute for educators led by national-level Google staff on Sept. 26-27, 2011 at USM LAC. This will be a free professional development experience designed to help educators get the most from Google's geo products and technologies. The Geo Teachers Institute is an intensive, two-day event where participants get hands-on experience using Google Earth, Google Maps, and Google SketchUp, including a focus on features like Ocean, Mars, Moon and Sky in Google Earth. Attendees will learn about innovative instructional strategies and receive resources to share with colleagues. The Google Geo Education team hopes this event will empower educators to bring the world's geographic information to students in a compelling, fresh, and fun way. Since 2009 we have worked with Google to bring workshops and related opportunities to Maine educators. Google staff are providing their services for this institute at no charge.

See the following link to learn more about Google Geo Teachers Institute.

See Video from WCSH Ch6 Google Visits Maine to Teach Educators

More Resources: Google SketchUp Blog, Google Lat/Long Blog, GTI Links and Materials

Digital Literacy Project

This project, initiated in 2009, helps students and teachers develop the online reading comprehension and information literacy skills they need in order to deal with the vast amounts of online information they encounter every day. These skills, which are listed in a taxonomy of skills called TICA, include using the internet to locate, evaluate, comprehend, create, and communicate information, as well as the skills needed to engage in collaborative, cross-cultural, and problem-based learning. There is research evidence that the teaching strategies and practices that have been developed in tandem with this framework of skills lead to improvements in online reading comprehension, problem-solving and communication skills. Don Leu of the New Literacies Lab at the University of Connecticut leads this project; we provide coordination and facilitation support in Maine.

Mainely Digital Learning Video Project

This project supports the creation of short (2-5 minute) videos of strong 1-to-1 teaching and learning practices that are occurring in Maine middle and high school classrooms. The intent is to provide teachers with more examples of good teaching in a 1-to-1 environment, particularly teachers who may not have had many good opportunities to see strong examples in the past. The deadline for Maine middle and high school students to submit videos was July 1, 2011. The student producers of the videos that have been posted on this website have received an initial payment, and they will receive a second payment in April 2012 based on the cumulative ratings their videos receive from Maine educators between September 2011 and March 31, 2012.

MAINE EDUCATORS - we invite you to view and rate these student-produced videos!

To view the videos and for more information, visit http://www.micdl.org/video_project

Acknowledgements: MICDL wishes to thank the many people who have supported the launch of this project, especially those at MLTI & ACTEM for sharing features of their WatchMECreate Project on which the design of this project is based.

World Bank Caribbean Learning Project

Bette Manchester and MICDL staff are working with World Bank staff to consult with 10 Caribbean countries on planning for improved use of technology in teaching and learning process. We will host a conference in Maine on July 18-22, 2011 for educational and governmental leaders from these countries. The World Bank is providing financial support for this project.