AUBURN – Teachers in Turner, Livermore Falls, Farmington, Greene and Bethel are among 53 teachers or teams of teachers (totaling 57 people) statewide who have been chosen to receive a $500 cash award to adapt in their classrooms innovative study units developed by other Maine teachers.

The awards come from SEED, an acronym for Spreading Educator to Educator Developments. A program of the Auburn-based Center for Educational Services, SEED encourages and recognizes Maine teachers for developing innovative approaches that use technology in their classrooms to achieve Maine’s Learning Results.

With a $6.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education, SEED rewards the teachers monetarily and with professional development opportunities.

“These Adaptor Awards demonstrate that teachers are eager to learn innovative ways to use technology as a learning tool,” said Jenifer Van Deusen, SEED director, “and that support from a network like SEED encourages them to try new things.”

Area teachers and the units they will be adapting include:

“Writing from the Dust”: Sally Ress-Speich of Livermore Falls Middle School.

“Munsch on Kidspiration”: Mindy Kenney, W.G. Mallet School, Farmington; Sara Dedek, Turner Primary School; Patricia Driscoll, Greene Central School.

“Understanding the Past Through Poetry”: Jolene Randall and Penny Nutting, Greene Central School.

“Invention Convention”: Brenda Wight, Crescent Park School, Bethel.