When thinking about digital tools for teaching, learning, and assessment, what lessons can be learned from Maine’s work?

Maine has been a national leader in learning through technology, being home to both the first statewide 1to1 laptop initiative and the first districtwide 1to1 iPad initiative in primary grades. What have they learned from 15 years of their efforts? It boils down to focusing on learning and putting more attention into how we use the technology than we do on the tools and devices themselves (more verbs, fewer nouns). It also mean supporting the heck out of teachers and providing the right kinds of professional learning opportunities and support.

Maine’s Initiatives

• MLTI Home
• An Introduction to MLTI
• Auburn’s iPad Initiative
• Auburn’s Leveraging Learning Institute (primary grades iPads)

Focus on Learning

• Let’s get tech leads and curriculum leads working more closely together. We must do a better job of leveraging technology to improve student outcomes.
• Let’s Focus on the Learning
• Ed Tech Research is Clear: Owning a Device Does Not Improve Learning
• Maine Learning Technology Framework
• Maine’s District Learning Technology Plans
• BrightBytes
• Are We Talking Technology or Are We Talking Learning?
• A Plain English Instructional Model
• The Advantages of a Plain English Instructional Model
• Resources to help with Student Motivation
• Motivating Students: Focus on 6 Strategies
• Auburn’s Math Collaboratory (leveraging iPads for developing primary grades mathematical understanding)
• Taking Classroom Tech Use to the Next Level: Specific Traits to Look For – the article that includes Alan November’s 6 questions to decide if technology adds value.

Professional Learning & Micro-credentials

• Proficiency-based Professional Learning
• 12 Professional Learning Buckets for Learning Through Technology
• Not All At Once: Breaking Your Initiative Into Phases
• All About Micro-credentials

Mike’s Sites:

• McMEL (Maine Center for Meaningful Engaged Learning)
• Blog: Multiplepathways.info
• Mike’s Consulting: StudentLearning.Guru
• Mike’s Day Job: GEAR UP Maine