Three teachers from Pine Grove Elementary School will start next school year as graduates of the eMINTS certification program.

The instructional networked teaching strategies program, which has gained popularity in the last decade, is a two-year professional development course rooted in inspiring instructors across the country to use research-based strategies in a technology-rich environment.

"Each year, Baldwin County teachers are selected through an application process to join a two-year professional development designed to engage students in inquiry, collaboration and the excitement of learning," according to the announcement from the City of Bay Minette. "Teachers Kayla Waite White, Sondra Dunn and Sarah Doerr have completed certification through the program to dramatically improve students' problem-solving skills and performance in any subject area at any level."

The program focuses on four main components, including community building, high-quality lesson design, authentic learning and power by technology.

Per a 2019 article, Baldwin County Public Schools Education Technology Support Services Coordinator Jeremy King said eMINTS is much more than just a technology course.

Teachers learn how to build and teach lessons that harness the power of what they have in their classroom and use it with their students," King said.
According to King, the program encourages students to take an active role in the classroom by helping them develop teamwork and organizational skills.

"One of the first things we teach is not how to teach the lessons, but how to get your kids involved in what you're doing so they feel like they're part of the community and they're comfortable," King said.

"To this end, teachers are instructed on making decisions based off each individual lesson: some lessons may be taught in the traditional method of reading from the class book while other lessons may take place with kids standing in separate groups before charts or working together with desks turned to face one another."

The program is also transitional, where the lessons taught through eMINTS will still apply if a teacher switches schools or grade levels.
"The state of Alabama sets our curriculum and that's what we teach, but eMINTS is how you teach it," King said. "When planning a lesson the first thing you look at is the Alabama standards that you're trying to cover, then you ask how you are going to teach those standards. You've got 50 different ways to choose, but which one is going to work best for those kids?"