Program Updates From Around the State

[Ed]

This is the discussion thread for programs to share happenings in
their regions. Have a training session coming up that you would like
to share with us? How about something you recently learned that you
think others should know about? Are there changes or successes you
would like to share with others?

[Ed]

Update on the Great White North: We be Googling like crazy up in dem
der hills! Both Fort Kent and Caribou programs are looking to the
integration of Google offerings to help their programs. Each has a
slightly different take on how the tools might be used, but the basic
functionality is the same.

In Fort Kent we have investigated how we can connect our learners with
the classroom through the use of email, even to the point of being
able to email learner's cellphones and being able to receive their
texts back. How cool is that? We are currently working on setting up
collaborative writing experiences for learners in the classroom and
playing with all the possibilities that exist when learners and
teachers can connect with each other in and out of the classroom. At
the administration level, there has been much work to use the online
tools to automate much of the intake process. We have set up a
template (will share more probably in December) to allow new learners
to take multiple choice quizes, tests, intake questionnaires and have
the computer correct and tabulate that data for us so we can spend
more time meeting the individual learner's needs rather than tediously
correcting tons of bubble sheets. Exciting stuff for sure!

In Caribou, we are starting out this week to explore how course work
can be enhanced with the tools available so that the basic classroom
activities can be done remotely if learners have access. The idea is
to have ways to connect with learners that can not attend a class
session with the classroom experience. This will help promote learner
persistence and the learner can return to the next class without
feeling like they missed everything. There are hopes that entire
interactive online experiences can be created and offered to a wider
portion of the population that may not be able to travel as much.

That's the way things are shaking out as we start November up and get
our studded snow tires on. What's happening in your neck of the woods?

[Jim Burke]

Oxford Hills MARTI Steering Committee:

Discuss ISTE book, Reinventing Project-Based Learning by Suzie Boss &
Jane Krauss


Thursday November 19th
Time: 11:30 - 12:30 pm
Where: Adult Education Conference Room
Who: Clancy Allen, Ramsey Ludlow, Marianne Walton, Jim Burke, Jane
Courcy
We are the official MARTI Steering Committee (or Learning Community as
Marcia terms it in her MOU).
Purpose: To review and plan MARTI activities for the month to follow
- individual and group training, topics, focus, etc. We'll also
select certain resources and materials to discuss, from time-to-time.
THIS MEETING: We divided the work-load so we can each take a section
of the ISTE book, Reinventing Project-Based Learning. We will each
"report back" to the group on our assigned section.

Below is a link summarizing our thoughts and resources from the
meeting. We will continue to flesh it out with more reporting out at
our next meeting. The wiki is fully editable. . . so anyone may add
there thoughts, ideas, resources and so forth.

http://learninginmaineresources.wikispaces.com/Adult+Education+%26+Project-Based+Learning