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MEGAT's Fall Newsletter
Fall 2020
MEGAT's Member Newsletter
Countdown to MEGAT's 2020 Virtual Conference
MEGAT is excited to offer a two-day virtual event for our 2020 Fall Conference!
Both days will include a keynote presentation and live Q&A interactive session designed to support social emotional wellness, promote advocacy for gifted learners, and nurture student/teacher partnerships during these challenging times.
This year's event is being offered free of charge.
Registered attendees will have digital access to recordings and shared resources.
Register for this year's FREE conference HERE
View the Conference Schedule HERE
From the Desk of Sue BC (MEGAT President)
In the spring of 2020 I “zoomed” with Andrea Logan at the DOE about her job. Andrea is helping to draft the legislation that will update Chapter 104, the rules that govern gifted education in Maine. She is not allowed to discuss how that is going or what it might look like at this time.
What is your position at the DOE?
- My job title is Multi-tiered Support Specialist. This focuses on RTI as well as acceleration and other programming. It is taking a holistic view of the child and deciding the best course of action.
What is your educational background?
- I graduated from USM in linguistics and received a Masters in teaching and learning also from USM. I have taught in both regular and special education. Currently I am a doctoral candidate in transformational leadership out of UNE.
What is your experience in gifted education?
- I have minimal GT experience but I am learning as I go. I really have a passion for responsive systems that allows all students to achieve their potential.
What else should we know?
- I am also the mother of a twice exceptional child. I have two children. One is in high school and the other attends middle school.
Andrea is the person who attends to the gt.doe@maine.gov mailbox. If you have any questions about GT in Maine you can contact her there.
Thanks for all that you do for gifted children today and every day.
Sue Boyce-Cormier
A Silver Lining
submitted by: RayeAnne DeSoto
“The dark clouds swirled and twisted in the sky bringing an ominous tone to our lives. Hour upon hour the storm raged, thunder hammering, lighting striking at random, as we huddled together waiting for it to pass. When it seemed like the storm would never end, the dark clouds parted to allow light to shine through. The clouds around the light glowed with a silver sheen and a spark of hope took hold that the storm would pass.”
I have found through these days of dealing with the Coronavirus, political, and social strife that we are drenched with sadness, uncertainty, frustration, and anxiety. As adults, we have had longer to work on skills to help us cope, but what about our students? At the beginning of the semester, my students and I were catching up on the last six months. I found the atmosphere in my classroom changing to one of profound sadness. While validating the sadness, I remembered a conversation with my grandmother. She talked of “silver linings” in the times of darkness in her life. She was an amazing woman who graduated high school at the age of 13, gifted in mathematics taught herself accounting, lived and survived during the Depression, experienced a divorce when it was passée, and raised 3 children on her own. As she told me these dark stories of her life there was always positive that she would talk about, her “silver linings.” I shared her thoughts with my students and we decided to look for silver linings in our life.
I asked my students if they had heard of the saying “Every cloud has a silver lining.” As we discussed what this saying meant we started looking for the silver linings over the last six months. Students found positives from spending more time with their family and coming closer together, no one in their family had become ill from the Coronavirus, and peer-pressure was lessened due to being at home. They spoke to the fact our district was in cohorts and coming to school at least two days a week was better than not coming at all, more time with their pets helped to lessen depression and anxiety, they had more time to be creative with art and healthy hobbies such as hiking, bird watching, and exploring the wood. For all the negative that technology and social media can bring they found using technology for positive reasons to keep in touch with family (grandparents) and friends became a comfort. Students spoke of how community members had helped each other personally and with their families’ small businesses survive. Students also mentioned they appreciated school and educational opportunities more after being away for 6 months.
The mood and tone in the classroom began to turn around. Smiles could be seen by the crinkling of the eyes, stories shared brought laughter and joy. Even though the world is still uncertain and we are navigating the storm, that day the sun broke through the gray clouds. My students and I are using the strategy of finding silver linings to help with the anxiety and dark days. I hope you and your students can find your silver linings too.
How a Law is Revised
submitted by: Sue Boyce-Cormier
In Maine when a law is revised there is a lengthy process that it follows. First it is discussed and researched at the DOE and discussed with legislative writers who draft the revisions. Then it goes out for comment to the public. This may be written or testifying in person. After that it is reviewed and may be revised or sent on to the legislature. Eventually it is endorsed by the Education Committee and sent to the legislature for a vote. There is an excellent graphic and explanation at the website below.
Click here to learn more about the Path of Legislation in Maine
Updates from MEGAT's Regional Representatives
COVID Response in MSAD 28 & Five Town CSD
submitted by: Tom Gray (Central Region)
The Camden-Rockport area, which comprises both MSAD 28 and the Five Town CSD, has returned to in-person learning after a “soft opening” that included a delayed beginning of the school year and a week of modified schedules. Like every school in Maine, our schools have made dramatic changes to our programs and protocols in order to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission, and this includes to G/T program. The most notable changes have been in the Arts, simply because two of the mainstays of G/T Arts enrichments—field trips and guest artists—are not presently feasible. At Camden Hills Regional High School, the G/T Arts program will go virtual this year, with Zoom meetings to connect students and adults in the local Arts community. Our watchword for this year is “nimble,” and our hope is to use the technology at our disposal foster these important connections.
Beyond programming changes, the school community of MSAD 28 and the Five Town CSD have recently launched a District Equity and Inclusion Task Force, which includes teachers, administrators, board members, parents, and students, in order to examine our practices, policies, and curriculum through the lens of cultural competence. One of the critical areas that will be examined by the Task Force is the referral process for G/T services. This is undoubtedly a positive step that, hopefully, will provoke constructive self- reflection and ensure that we are meeting the needs of students as thoroughly and sensitively as possible.
Bullet Points from the Western Region
submitted by: Ruth Cote (Western Region)
- The Western Region has several members who are interested in collaborating for a virtual Visual and Performing Arts day between schools. If you are a member of the Western region and interested in this, please let us know!
- Confratute was free this summer. Since I missed it, I was relieved to find that they recorded their keynote sessions. If you were not able to join the keynotes, you are able to view them remotely, by visiting: https://confratute.uconn.edu/home-2/free-online-workshops/ If it asks for a password it is “online2020”.
Monthly MEGAT Professional Development
MEGAT is looking at a monthly topic to discuss in a zoom session. The sessions would be late afternoon for an hour and sessions would be recorded and posted on our website for a month .
Here is a tentative list of upcoming sessions:
- November: COGAT discussion on November 19, 2020 at 4pm
- December: No session due to holidays
- January: Chapter 104 discussion
- February: Charlotte and Molly share their book and knowledge
- March: VPA identification discussion
- April: High School Programming examples
- May: Early Childhood
- June: The UNconference
Watch your email for registration details!
Visual and Performing Art Students find Creative Ways to Express their Craft
submitted by: Debbi Hiltz
A creative group of townsfolk and VPA students found a way to bring live theater to their community in Farmington Maine.
The production was sponsored by the Sponsored by ArtsFarmington and directed by a local music teacher from Mt Blue Regional School District, Ethan Wright, the production included all the bells and whistles of a typical play and then some.Read more about this COVID Friendly Production
Sites to Inspire Your Gifted and Talented Students (and YOU)!
submitted by: RayeAnne DeSoto
Below are two sites I have used with my gifted and talented middle school and high school students.
TED-Ed is the youth education innovation from TED Talks. TED-Ed is dedicated to celebrating learning, sparking creativity, and curiosity. Ted-Ed has created a network of over 250,000 teachers worldwide and the videos are a collaboration of experts in the field ranging from academic researchers, animators, screenwriters, historians, and scientists. They have created a wide variety of short animated videos that teachers can use to create interactive learning and lesson plans. It is a free resource.
Check Out TED-Ed HERE
BioInteractive brings real science into your classroom or home. Aimed at a high school and college-level audience I have found I can use this with my gifted middle school and high school science students. The power of storytelling is intertwined with science in unique videos that are created by a team of scientists, educators, and filmmakers.
The resources are based on peer-reviewed research and use real data to engage students and teachers! The videos are of high quality, there are planning tools to help you plan your lessons and guide your students through the exciting world of science! Below you will find a screenshot of a photosynthesis lesson with all the created materials and videos. There are also opportunities for educators for professional development and online courses. The site is also free and also offers the option of newsletters when you create your login.
Check Out BioInteractive HERE
Interested in Collaboration?
submitted by: Sue Boyce-Cormier
There has been some talk about collaborating across districts in activities such as getting students together virtually for reading activities such as Shakespeare, reading a play together or having a book club or writing group. If this sounds like something that you would be interested in exploring, please contact Sue Boyce-Cormier at susan.boycecormier@maine.edu
MEGAT | PO Box 235, Gorham, ME 04038
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Spring 2020
MEGAT's Member Newsletter
We are excited to rollout a newsletter for our MEGAT members. This newsletter is a collective creation and we welcome any submissions that you would like to share! We want to celebrate with you and share resources and news that is worthy to our educational pursuits.
Visit our Website
From the Desk of Sue BC (MEGAT President)
On February 28, 2020, Kim Emerson and I sat down with Pender Makin, Angela Logan and Dan Chuuta from DOE to ask questions posed by MEGAT members across the state. Here are the replies.
1. Will the GT certification still be necessary for GT reimbursement?
If you have specific questions, send them to the DOE. (gt.doe@maine.gov) When I hear anything, I will let you know. In the meantime you may want to sign up for the DOE’s weekly update to keep current.
Thanks for all that you do for gifted children today and every day.
Sue Boyce-Cormier
Important Points from the Commissioner
Important points from the Commissioner:
Support Meetings and Teacher Spotlight!
MEGAT Weekly Support Meetings
While schools are closed and we are home, MEGAT is offering weekly support meetings. Please be sure to visit our website to view previous meetings and join us on April 30th at 1:30 for our next support meeting!
Link to recorded support meetings
Click here to join the support meetings
Teacher Spotlight!
Proud to announce that Linda Andrews of Buckfield Jr/Sr HS has been nominated for the NHD Hannah E. MacGregor Teacher of the Year Award! Another GT teacher that makes a difference for kids.
Upcoming Events and PD
CSTANE2020, Portland, Maine, October 24 – Call for presentations
Planning is well underway for the regional CSTA New England conference (CSTANE2020), scheduled for October 24, 2020 at the University of Southern Maine’s Portland campus. We are hoping a new normal will have set in by then and allow us to hold this conference in person. Our theme is Innovation, which seems especially appropriate considering what we are now doing every day!
In addition to a variety of presentations (see call for presentations link later in this message), we have two fabulous keynoters lined up and expect to have a large number of colleagues and exhibitors in attendance. Plus we are certain it will be a warm, lovely fall day in the foodie destination of Portland, Maine.
The conference website is https://sites.google.com/view/cstane/ and the call for presentations is at https://sites.google.com/view/cstane/2020/proposals.
Should you have a question about presenting at the conference, please contact Tom Keller at tom@stemeducationstrategies.org
FREE PD from Prufrock Press
Free On-Demand PD from Rutgers University
FREE On-Demand Webinars from NAGC
Recording of 2020 Maine Reading Round Up Conference
MEGAT's Member Newsletter
We are excited to rollout a newsletter for our MEGAT members. This newsletter is a collective creation and we welcome any submissions that you would like to share! We want to celebrate with you and share resources and news that is worthy to our educational pursuits.
Visit our Website
From the Desk of Sue BC (MEGAT President)
On February 28, 2020, Kim Emerson and I sat down with Pender Makin, Angela Logan and Dan Chuuta from DOE to ask questions posed by MEGAT members across the state. Here are the replies.
1. Will the GT certification still be necessary for GT reimbursement?
- For now, yes. The certification process is being revamped so it is hard to say exactly what that will look like in the future. Maine has one of the strictest certification criteria and yet we are short of teachers.
- The DOE has added GT teachers to the list a few weeks ago.
- NO, local control will determine the needs of students. If your system has a great pullout program and they are happy with it, we are not going to make them change.DOE would not nor is it allowed, to make schools change… curriculum and programing are local control decisions.
- There is some research to suggest that the label is detrimental. The title of the program at DOE may be changed to something else such as talent development. The Commissioner said that people would not lose their jobs . Technically they don’t control whether people keep jobs in any content or program area - but they are not advocating for the removal of GT teachers by any means. There will still be a place for GT teachers in districts who choose this - as is presently the case.
- Yes. They will be looking for talent from the GT community to provide trainings.
- Andrea Logan, MTSS, hired for a job that “Includes whole spectrum”
- Pender would like to see research prior to making decisions. The Department’s Legislative Team and MTSS specialist will be compiling research as a group.
- You can send research (with links if possible) to the department’s GT mailbox, Andrea is monitoring the box gt.doe@maine.gov
- Changes are drafted in DOE by Legislative Team. It needs to follow law in formatting a new rule. First there is a draft which is done by DOE’s Legislative Team. It then goes out for public comments/testimony, then it could be revised before going to the legislature.
- The goal is to have it prepared for the 130th legislature. They would like to work on this over the summer. It will be at least a year. Changes would not be implemented until the 2021-2022 school year.
- The Commissioner said that she is trying to give us as much input as possible and is allowed by law. The department doesn’t believe in unilateral decision making.
If you have specific questions, send them to the DOE. (gt.doe@maine.gov) When I hear anything, I will let you know. In the meantime you may want to sign up for the DOE’s weekly update to keep current.
Thanks for all that you do for gifted children today and every day.
Sue Boyce-Cormier
Important Points from the Commissioner
Important points from the Commissioner:
- We are not putting an end to GT! (but we will likely change the name to Talent Development.)
- We will not be dictating or requiring or prescribing any particular program models. That is strictly the purview of local school boards and administrations.
- We do hope to increase the equity of program funding, and will likely be phasing out the expenditure reimbursement in favor of a formula driven funding model. (that way all districts will get an equitable amount of funding to use for their programs.
- We will examine equity of representation within existing and future programs to determine whether we should set specific goals around increasing equity of access for all students.
- We will be updating the statutes and the rule, and welcome ideas, hopes, and concerns to help us create something that works well for most districts.
- We will keep MEGAT posted as things move forward so that you are able to provide up-to-date information to your constituents.
Support Meetings and Teacher Spotlight!
MEGAT Weekly Support Meetings
While schools are closed and we are home, MEGAT is offering weekly support meetings. Please be sure to visit our website to view previous meetings and join us on April 30th at 1:30 for our next support meeting!
Link to recorded support meetings
Click here to join the support meetings
Teacher Spotlight!
Proud to announce that Linda Andrews of Buckfield Jr/Sr HS has been nominated for the NHD Hannah E. MacGregor Teacher of the Year Award! Another GT teacher that makes a difference for kids.
Upcoming Events and PD
CSTANE2020, Portland, Maine, October 24 – Call for presentations
Planning is well underway for the regional CSTA New England conference (CSTANE2020), scheduled for October 24, 2020 at the University of Southern Maine’s Portland campus. We are hoping a new normal will have set in by then and allow us to hold this conference in person. Our theme is Innovation, which seems especially appropriate considering what we are now doing every day!
In addition to a variety of presentations (see call for presentations link later in this message), we have two fabulous keynoters lined up and expect to have a large number of colleagues and exhibitors in attendance. Plus we are certain it will be a warm, lovely fall day in the foodie destination of Portland, Maine.
The conference website is https://sites.google.com/view/cstane/ and the call for presentations is at https://sites.google.com/view/cstane/2020/proposals.
Should you have a question about presenting at the conference, please contact Tom Keller at tom@stemeducationstrategies.org
FREE PD from Prufrock Press
Free On-Demand PD from Rutgers University
FREE On-Demand Webinars from NAGC
Recording of 2020 Maine Reading Round Up Conference