All Mi-STAR teachers are supported by a facilitator or coach on the local level as they implement Mi-STAR. We train and certify qualified individuals as Mi-STAR Professional Learning Facilitators and Mi-STAR Coaches.
Professional Learning Facilitators
PLFs coach and support Mi-STAR teachers, and also facilitate introductory teacher training and ongoing PLCs.
Active PLFs receive full access to the Mi-STAR curriculum in order to best support their teachers, and the annual subscription fee is waived. PLFs who participate in all of the PLF activities below and are currently supporting Mi-STAR teachers in the Teacher Pathway are considered active PLFs.
Prerequisites:
- The Facilitator Pathway is for individuals with the appropriate STEM background and previous experience in facilitating professional learning in-district or within an ISD, such as coaches, consultants, and district leaders.
- We recommend that prior to the Professional Learning Facilitator (PLF) training participants have had at least one of the following trainings: NGSx training, Modeling in Michigan training, MISCIPL@N workshops (Tier I, II, and III).
We also train Mi-STAR Coaches who support teachers in implementing the curriculum, but who do not facilitate the introductory training for teachers and PLCs. See our
Mi-STAR Coach page for more information on that role.
Facilitator Summer 2021 Virtual Training Opportunity
This training will combine asynchronous Canvas coursework with synchronous PLC meetings via Zoom throughout the month of July. Training dates have been set and the application cycle is now open. The training fee is $800/participant. Once PLF trainees are certified, they have waived Mi-STAR annual subscription fees. Apply here.
Synchronous training dates:
- Orientation, June 30
- PLC #1, July 7
- PLC #2, July 14
- PLC #3, July 20
- PLC #4, July 22
- PLC #5, July 28
Facilitator Pathway Overview
The activities for this pathway are listed in sequential order below:
Introduction to the Mi-STAR Curriculum for Facilitators
Facilitator trainees complete an online asynchronous Canvas course. This course provides an introduction to the structure of the Mi-STAR curriculum and resources to support teachers to engage students in 3D learning. This course takes about six hours to complete.
Facilitator trainees participate in six PLC meetings with training leaders as they work through the Introduction to the Curriculum for Facilitators Canvas course.
Support Teachers
Facilitate Teacher Pathway
PLFs facilitate the professional learning activities on the Teacher Pathway for their teachers and support the teachers as they complete the training and begin to implement the Mi-STAR curriculum in their classrooms.
Facilitators have the option to provide the Introduction to the Curriculum PLC meetings for their teachers, or to have teachers participate in that activity virtually with Mi-STAR staff.
Communicate Updates from Mi-STAR
Certified PLFs are the first point of contact for teachers who have questions about implementing Mi-STAR. PLFs share updates from Mi-STAR regularly, such as when new curriculum and pedagogy resources become available or when there are new virtual professional learning opportunities. PLFs also report back to Mi-STAR regarding their teachers’ successes and challenges.
Continuing Development
Quarterly Check-In Meetings
Certified PLFs are invited to virtually join other PLFs, Coaches, and Mi-STAR staff for quarterly meetings to discuss updates with Mi-STAR and to share successes and challenges in supporting teachers as they complete the Professional Learning Program and implement the Mi-STAR Curriculum.
Annual PLF Refresher Sessions
PLFs participate in two hours of Annual PLF Refreshers on timely topics that help them support teachers in their area to implement Mi-STAR. These include Mi-STAR Learning Series sessions, webinars, and MSTA presentations.
