Instructional Practices – We have moved!

Learning Through Engaged Citizenship

Posted on December 3, 2015July 25, 2016 by Jill Spencer

American Who Tell the Truth (AWWT) and the Maine Association for Middle Level Education (MAMLE) partner to sponsor the Samantha Smith Challenge each year.

Students:

Work independently, in small groups, or as a class
Choose a problem in their community, state, country or the world that they would like to address and help solve
Turn the problem into a question they can research
Register the project with Americans Who Tell the Truth
Research the issues within their question
Develop a way to address the problem using what they have learned in their research
Identify stakeholder(s) interested or connected with the problem
Create a presentation to share with stakeholders that outlines the issues and offers a course of action
Encourage the stakeholder(s) to work with them to build support for the course of action
Take action!
Create a 3-minute video that summarizes their work

Important information for teachers:

Guidelines 2015/16 KEY DATES

● OCTOBER 2223, 2015: Launch 2nd Annual SSC at MAMLE Conference.

● JANUARY 15, 2016: School and class registration deadline for SSC.

● FEBRUARY/MARCH 2016: SSC workshops/school visits.

● APRIL 1, 2016: Teachers confirm student participation in Samantha Smith Day and submit issue and progress reports.

● MAY 1, 2016: SSC projects & videos are submitted to AWTT.

● JUNE 6, 2016: Samantha Smith Day celebration for SSC participants from around the state of Maine. Once you have read through this document, feel free to contact us for advice, guidance, contacts to help you explore your issues, or anything else that will make your experience richer, more rewarding, and educational.

Contact people:

CONNIE CARTER: connie@americanswhotellthetruth.org

ROBERT SHETTERLY: robert@americanswhotellthetruth.org

Wondering how to get started?

The Americans Who Tell the Truth website has an entire section devoted to the SSC that includes ideas for helping students understand the impact a single person or a small group can have on society, as well as to motivate them to accept the Challenge. Additional inspiration can be found in the blog post from last spring that highlighted the Samantha Smith Challenge Celebration in the Hall of Flags at the State House.

Important links and information can also be found on MAMLE’s webpage in the Samantha Smith Challenge section. Last year over 700 students across the state of Maine participated. We would love to double or triple that number this year! Building a bridge from your classroom to the world by encouraging your students to become citizen problem-solvers is a fine way to address Maine’s Guiding Principles:

A clear and effective communicator
A self-directed and lifelong learner
A creative and practical problem solver
A responsible and involved citizen
An integrative and informed thinker

Click on this link to go the AWWT webpage to learn more and to register for the Samantha Smith Challenge.

The Game is Afoot at Mt. Ararat MS!

Posted on June 19, 2015July 25, 2016 by Jill Spencer

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Sherlock Holmes uttered the famous line, “The game is afoot.” in The Adventure of the Abbey Grange. “Games” is a concept everyone understands, and Team Androscoggin students from Mt. Ararat Middle School used it as a way to demonstrate their learning this spring.

Here’s a report on their Celebration of Learning from Nicole Karod, science teacher on Team Androscoggin:

On June 3rd, Androscoggin Team Students and Parents held a celebration of learning. Our students have been working hard writing and publishing companion books to go with the book “The Other Side of the Sky” as well as creating and engineering board games around the topic of disease and the human body. The work that these students have put in and the outcome they’ve accomplished is amazing. In the afternoon students shared with their parents their hard work through an I-Spy challenge and playing board games.

The books were a reflection of a large unit on informational writing. Social Studies themes were incorporated through the study of the book and students’ final product included many inserts about Afghanistan and the theme of the book.

Each game that was created was based around a disease that the students chose. The games had to incorporate not only information about the disease but also be structured to relate to the disease and how it affects the human body.

Below is just a sample of our games and books from the event.

A Race to the Doctors! A game about strep throat — A Race to the Doctors!
A game about strep throat

Conference Sponsor

Helping Students Manage Their Screen Time

Posted on September 2, 2014July 25, 2016 by Barbara Greenstone

The start of the school year is a perfect time to talk to students about managing their screen time. Although many students have personal smart phones and tablets, for some 7th graders, receiving an MLTI device will be their first experience with 1:1 computing. Suddenly they will have in their possession a wonderful tool for reading, writing, viewing, creating, and gaming. It will be available at school and at home, 24/7, and while it’s a necessity for schoolwork, it can also become a bone of contention in the classroom and with the family.

student with laptop and iPad — Photo Credit: ransomtech via Compfight cc

Excessive screen time has been linked to obesity, insufficient sleep, and social issues for children and teens. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than two hours of screen time per day. This includes TV viewing time as well as interactions with computers and mobile devices. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, however, only 27% of young adolescents meet that limit. Given that they are expected to use laptops or tablets for schoolwork, it’s unlikely our students in 1:1 computing classes will meet that goal, but we can help them monitor their screen time and become self-regulating. Here are some strategies that may help.

Make classroom expectations clear.

Give kids clear guidelines for using their MLTI laptops or iPads and their personal devices in the classroom. There are times when students should not be looking at a screen but should be giving their full attention to you or to other students in the room. Come up with a verbal cue to let students know to put their devices away. For years MLTI teachers used “close and focus” (or some variation) to let kids know when to put the lid down on their laptops. A similar cue can work for tablets too. Many teachers have students put their iPads and phones face down on their desks when they enter the room and leave them there when they are not needed for classwork. Your school should also establish guidelines for using devices in the library, cafeteria, hallways, and other common areas.

Allow some personal use, with limits.

Electronic devices are a part of students’ lives and we can’t realistically expect them to unplug when they come to school. Work with your team and your administrators to establish a time in the day when students are allowed to check their email, communicate with family and friends, listen to music, or play an approved game. This is also an opportunity to introduce some digital citizenship goals. Common Sense Media provides an excellent curriculum with plenty of free resources to help students learn how to behave safely, ethically, and responsibly in online environments.

Talk to parents.

While our students have grown up with this technology, their parents have not, and many of them will need help managing screen time with their children at home. Most middle schools in Maine have a parent night in the fall when they discuss the MLTI devices. This is a good time to make parents aware of some of the challenges and help them develop strategies and guidelines that work for their families. Parents are excellent resources for each other too, especially those who have older children and who may already have some family practices in place. A few years ago I met a parent up in Aroostook County who knew how to deal with the problem of late-night screen time. She had a shelf in her house where all members of the family (adults too) placed all their electronic devices at 9:00 P.M. each night and plugged them in to charge. They didn’t pick up the devices again until after breakfast the next morning. It was simple but effective, and it made a lot of sense. Parents can also take advantage of Common Sense Media‘s resources for setting screen-time limits.

Model appropriate use.

One of the most effective ways we teachers can help students is by moderating our own digital lives and modeling appropriate behavior. If you expect students to have their phones turned off and put away in class, you should not be using yours. We have a rule in my school that students may not have their iPads out of the carry cases in the hallway. I make a point of using my carry case whenever I’m in the hallway too, even if I’m just stepping into the next room to show a teacher something on my iPad.

If we set clear expectations while allowing students some freedom, and if we partner with parents and model appropriate behavior, our students are more likely to develop healthier habits and learn to moderate their own screen time.