Professional Learning »

Facilitator Pathway

All Mi-STAR teachers are supported by a facilitator or teacher leader on the local level as they implement Mi-STAR. We train and certify qualified individuals as Mi-STAR Professional Learning Facilitators and Mi-STAR Teacher Leaders.

Professional Learning Facilitators and Teacher Leaders

Mi-STAR Professional Learning Facilitators (PLFs) and Teacher Leaders (TLs) support Mi-STAR teachers to implement the curriculum. PLFs are also trained to facilitate teacher training and ongoing PLCs.

The role of Mi-STAR PLFs and Teacher Leaders:

Register new teachers
Support and mentor new teachers in completing Phase 1 and 2 training in their first year, either through Mi-STAR virtual opportunities or locally with a PLF
Problem-solve and offer guidance and encouragement for new and experienced Mi-STAR teachers
Serve as a liaison with Mi-STAR staff
Communicate Mi-STAR news, updates, and PL opportunities
Serve as an advocate with district administration and the community

PLFs also may provide Phase 1, Phase 2, and Phase 3 training, and conduct PLCs.
Active PLFs and TLs receive full access to the Mi-STAR curriculum in order to best support their teachers, and the annual subscription fee is waived.

We are hosting a Virtual Training for Professional Learning Facilitators and Teacher Leaders in June/July 2024.
See training details and application on our Events for Educators webpage.

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.
The Teacher Leader Pathway is for teachers who would like to grow into a teacher leader role or district leaders who wish to support Mi-STAR implementation but who are not in a position to provide professional learning.
We recommend that PLF/TL candidates have had at least one of the following trainings: NGSx training, Modeling in Michigan training, MISCIPL@N workshops (Tier I, II, and III).

Facilitator and Teacher Leader Pathway Overview

The activities for this pathway are listed in sequential order below:

Introduction to the Mi-STAR Curriculum for Facilitators

Canvas Course

PLF and TL 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.

PLC Meetings

PLF and TL trainees participate in six virtual two-hour PLC meetings with training leaders as they work through the Introduction to the Curriculum for New PLFs and TLs Canvas course.

Support Teachers

Facilitate Teacher Training

PLFs and TLs support new Mi-STAR teachers as they complete their training and begin to implement the Mi-STAR curriculum in their classrooms.

Facilitators have the option to provide the Phase 1 Introduction to the Curriculum PLC meetings for their teachers, or to have teachers participate in that activity virtually with Mi-STAR staff.

Communications and Support

Certified PLFs and TLs are the first point of contact for teachers who have questions about implementing Mi-STAR.

PLFs and TLs also 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. They provide feedback to Mi-STAR regarding their teachers’ successes and challenges.

Continuing Professional Development

Quarterly Check-In Meetings

Certified PLFs and TLs virtually join other PLFs, TLs, and Mi-STAR staff for quarterly meetings to discuss updates with Mi-STAR and to share successes and challenges in supporting teachers as they implement the Mi-STAR curriculum.

Annual PLF Refresher Sessions

PLFs and TLs participate in at least one annual PLF/TL refresher on timely topics that help them support teachers in their area to implement Mi-STAR. These include Mi-STAR Learning Series sessions, Phase 2 courses, webinars, and MSTA presentations.

Mi-STAR was founded in 2015 through generous support provided by the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation. Mi-STAR has also received substantial support from the National Science Foundation, the MiSTEM Advisory Council through the Michigan Department of Education, and Michigan Technological University.

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