WeAreMEA The Faces of Your Association - Take

#WEAREMEA THE FACES OF YOUR ASSOCIATION

The MEA is nothing without its members. Too often, from outside groups, the MEA is talked about as an entity, an “it” not a who. The truth, as we know it, is the MEA are the men and women who are doing the hard work of educating the children of Maine. Maine Educator felt it was important to highlight this fact, and share the stories of its members, because #WeAreMEA.

Working in collaboration with NASA to infuse STEM curricula into classrooms Hirschfield is one of just 50 teacher advisors from across the country, and the only from Maine, to be selected by the education team at Boston public media producer WGBH to help design digital resources for nationwide STEM curricula entitled, “Bringing the Universe to America’s Classrooms.” The initiative will create new instructional models and digital media tools for STEM learning. The digital learning resources will be produced by WGBH in collaboration with NASA, and will be distributed free of charge through PBS LearningMedia, Sarah Hirschfield, Science teacher, which the MEA proudly supports through donations to Maine’s local public television, Maine Public. “The fact

Yarmouth High School that this is a collaboration with NASA is really cool! The graphics are extremely visual and you get a perspective from space looking down at earth that is unique. There are so many great resources to use and help for teachers to learn how to use them—there is guidance on what the topics are, essay samples, discussion questions that you can use with your students—it’s exciting. PBS LearningMedia is available free to all educators and reaches millions of students and teachers nationally.

Garrett Martin, Social Studies teacher, Fort Fairfield Middle/High School

York County Retired Educators (YCREA)

Bringing History to Life in the County As a lover of the outdoors, Garrett Martin makes a point to take his students out into the world around him. Making the most of his community in Aroostook County, Martin recently partnered with the Frontier Heritage Historical Society in Fort Fairfield as well as the Fort Fairfield Town Library to provide students studying U.S. History with the opportunity to make the connection between a historical period and their local community. Specifically, students were in the midst of learning about the Industrial Revolution and were working on learning goals related to its impact on American Society and specifically rural communities. Students toured the Town Library (a gift from Andrew Carnegie) as well as the Block House, Train Depot, McIntosh School House, and Friend's Church. Volunteers including Jim Everett, Jennifer Gaenzle, and Ken Peters presented to students at each location and answered their questions. Following the field trip, students were asked to reflect on specific connections between changes in their community and those brought on by the Industrial Revolution. Feedback from students was very positive, and they indicated that trips like this help to make the history they are studying more real and relevant.

Connecting aspiring educators with current members and together helping school communities YCREA completed another very successful and rewarding Day of Caring Project. This year, the MEA Retired members worked with the Dayton Consolidated School in Dayton to weed, plant and mulch an area around the school sign. In addition, the group, including members from local associations and pre-service teachers weeded and replanted a garden by the front entrance, painted two bathrooms, a classroom and the back wall of the stage, stained the stage stairs and painted games on the blacktop. The group accomplished an amazing amount of work, proving even in retirement MEA members continue to help students succeed.

Justin Dimmel, Professor, University of Maine

Camden Bock, Research Assistant, University of Maine

UMaine Math duo develop virtual reality learning lab Stretching and pulling points in the air, students can now learn geometry in a virtual 3-D space, bringing math to life, thanks to UMaine professor Justin Dimmel and his research assistant Camden Bock. The program, called HandWaver, is among the first of its kind; it’s a gesture-based mathemtical making environment that allows students to manipulate shapes in virtual reality using simulations of their actual hands. Students can, among other things, pinch and stretch points and transform them into different geometric objects. Users create the objects while wearing a virtual reality head-mounted display—which is already happening at the East Grand School, in Aroostook County, under the guidance of Jennifer Gilman. Dimmel, who works out of the College of Education and Human Development at UMaine, teaches mostly soon to be math teachers how to teach math in the most engaging way possible.

“We imagine virtual reality or other dynamic spatial display technologies will soon be widely available, and we want to make sure that teachers we are training here are prepared and excited to use new technologies in their own classrooms. Our vision is a world where all students have access to immersive educational experiences that will deepen their interest in mathematical and scientific thinking. We are excited about the potential of virtual reality to realize that vision,” said Dimmel. The only things needed to use the program are a virtual reality headset and a personal computer—the software is free. To download the program, head to the Maine Educator Online, or visit: www.handwaver.org.

No water, no problem for custodian who always gets the job done Avalinda Lindsey proudly states she loves to clean. Keeping the school she’s worked in for the past twenty years clean is a source of pride for the Jamaican born head custodian; nothing will stand in her way—not even a lack of water. When Lindsey’s school had no water for two weeks due to construction of a new school on the adjacent property, the determined custodian brought in jugs, some as heavy as 50 pounds, so she would be able to clean the school in

Avalinda Lindsey, Custodial Supervisor, Hall Elementary School, Portland preparation for the new year. “When I need to get something done, I get it done. I feel part of this community, and believe the children and teachers need to have clean classrooms to learn,” said Lindsey. Lindsay’s work ethic is something her principal and co-workers are used to seeing each day, and are pleased to see her receive the recognition she deserves. “She’s a hard-working lady; everything gets done even if she has to do it herself. On her birthday we worked 11 hours straight stripping floors because she wanted it finished,” said Hall custodian Mark Madison who helped Lindsay haul the water into the school from his home. For Lindsay it’s just all part of an average day. “I love my job,” says Lindsay.

Teacher Author using literacy and guest speakers to inspire students to write “I was in graduate school and writing for the local newspapers when I was assigned to cover a POWMIA event down in Old Orchard Beach. I started speaking to some of the veterans—one thing led to another and I started writing some of those stories for the newspaper. At the time, one of my professors said a few more articles here and you can write a book,” said David Arenstam an English teacher at Thornton Academy. Arenstam began telling those stories and did author a book many

David Arenstam, English Teacher, years later titled “Homecoming, A Soldier’s Story of Loyalty Courage, and Redemption.” Arenstam uses Thornton Academy his passion for writing to encourage his students to understand the importance of the written word. “I say to them it doesn’t matter if you’re an engineer or in English you have to be able to express yourself in writing.” To further emphasize his point, Arenstam looks back to his book and the veterans whose stories he’s shared.

“I give my novel to my students to read; we talk about if they were alive in that time period and faced with those choices what that would mean for them. For the last few years I’ve had them hear from a veteran. When the veterans come in and talk to the students you can hear a pin drop—they are respectful and listen. The veterans’ stories stay with them and makes them have a deeper appreciation for the work and the literature they’re studying,” said Arenstam.

Elevating the Arts in the County The Arts are thriving in Aroostook County where excitement for an upcoming production of Annie The Musical will debut in November. Art and Theater teacher Doug Clapp, who’s working on the show, is involving students in grades 3-12, with community participation growing. The production though is only part of the effort to elevate the Arts in the district. The Art Club is doing a service project to restore one of the three large murals that grace Fort Kent. The mural was moved and some damages ensued. Students are helping patch the project this fall with repainting to occur in the spring. For Clapp, having the Arts highlighted in a way that involves the community is an added bonus to the job, which benefits his students and the area he lives. “I have nothing but the profoundest respect for the profession and the many great teachers I have had the privilege of working beside. It has been a wonderful, challenging, exciting 33 years,” said Clapp.

Doug Clapp, SAD 27 Art & Theater Teacher

NEA Foundation Global Learning Fellow Michele Metzler is one of only 48 public school educators to become a member of this year’s class of NEA Foundation’s Global Learning Fellows who are expected to travel to South Africa together next summer. Metzler will spend a year building global competency skills, the capacity to understand and act on issues of global significance, leading up to the trip. As a result of the Fellowship, Metzler will be better equipped to prepare students for global citizenship. Fellows also create valuable global lesson plans for their students that are freely shared with educators across the nation and the world through open-source platforms. “I work hard to bring experiences and opportunities from across as broad a spectrum as I can for my students,” says Metzler. “As a Global Learning Fellow, I will provide an even richer set of lessons in empathy and problem solving for my students.” Over the course of a year, the NEA Foundation staff, partners, and field experts will support Metzler as she immerses herself in various professional development opportunities regarding Michelle Metzler, Social Studies teacher, Hampden Academy global competency including, the South Africa field study, workshops, online coursework, webinars, and collegial study. Following the experience, Metzler will share her knowledge by posting replicable lesson plans online for other educators to use.