Presidents Report
February has started out with an arctic blast! I hope
that everyone is staying warm. Our Statewide Comprehensive
Conference is just around the corner on March 1st
and 2nd. I would like to encourage people to
continue to sign up to come. There are some fabulous guest
speakers lined up and something new this year is a resource
center where lots of curriculum ideas will be available to
attendees. There will be several awards being given out at
the luncheon on Thursday which has always been a highlight
of our past conferences.
At the end of November, myself, Bob Lindgren, Pat Larson
and Lezlie Ingvalson were able to attend the ACTE conference
in Atlanta, GA. It was a terrific conference and although we
are definitely Minnesota "nice" the southern hospitality was
outstanding. There were many valuable breakout sessions and
the vendors were really good. The four of us were also able
to attend the special needs breakfast which included the
annual business meeting and award ceremony. The
entertainment for the breakfast was really neat. A singing
group from DeKalb School of Fine Arts performed.
Sincerely,
President, MnACTE/SNP
Lu Ann Tauer
Richfield Public Schools
612-798-6305
Spice Up Your
Presentation Skills!
At this winter's National Association of
Career and Technical Educator's convention, I attended
several outstanding sessions that informed and inspired me.
One in particular, which was extremely popular evidenced by
it's standing-room-only audience, was entitled "Add a Little
Spice to Your Presentations," by J. Stewart Spittle and
Polly Mingyar Boucher. I was curious about it as LuAnn Tauer
and I were presenting our session the next day, and I wanted
to see if they had any good tips. I am also occasionally
called upon to present to audiences other than my students,
including graduate school classes, school board meetings,
professional organization seminars, parent groups and at
faculty meetings. It was helpful to me, so I thought I would
share it with Minnesota members. I will summarize the most
important points below.
Before you begin
- Know where you are: know what city you're in, a
little knowledge about the makeup of the audience,
etc.
- Eliminate any physical barriers: Avoid
standing/hiding behind the lectern, come out into the
audience, be sure they can hear you clearly, greet them
as they enter the room, etc.
- Let the audience know something about you: Your
background, experiences, etc. but interspersed during the
presentation.
- Rule of thumb: Have half as much material to present
but develop it twice as well.
During your presentation
- Memorize your opening and don't adlib; avoid jokes
and state the objectives of your session.
- Have only two to four key points, no more.
- Develop your key points using details: develop with
stories, examples, scenarios and associative links.
- Avoid using/reading from notes; you may lose your
place and it looks like you don't know the material.
- Watch your non-verbal communication: 60-80% of your
success and effectiveness as a speaker is from your
non-verbal communication. Personally, if you're sad, the
audience feels sad for you, if you're mad, the audience
will become aggressive, if you're scared, the audience
feels sorry for you, etc.
- Restate your key points in your closing.
- Timeframes: Longer is not better. End on time and
allow time for questions.
Six Things Your Audience Wants to
Hear
- I will not waste your time.
- I know who you are.
- I am well organized.
- Here are the most important things.
- I'm finished!
Five Steps to
Excellence
- Be yourself.
- Use humor.
- Persevere.
- Personalize
- Have passion.
Submitted by:
Patricia Larson
Work Coordinator
Richfield Public Schools
MnACTE/SNP Members Go for the Gold in
Atlanta
On December 1, Lu Ann Tauer and Pat
Larson, work experience coordinators in the Richfield School
District, shared information on their Job Olympics program
at the ACTE Convention in Atlanta, Georgia. Over 60
conference attendees listened and asked questions as Lu Ann
and Pat presented program details in their session
entitled, Job Olympics, Going for Gold Medal
Employability Skills.
This annual competition between
students in Pat's senior high Work Strategies classes and Lu
Ann's Transition Plus program, provide students with a
"professional" venue to show what they've learned. Students'
skills in resume writing, interviewing, application
completion and dressing for success are judged by members of
Pat and Lu Ann's Work Experience Advisory Board, most of
whom are connected to business and industry. District
administrators are invited to observe each aspect of the
competition. In addition to increased self-esteem and
self-confidence for all participants, the winners in each
category receive great prizes!
Several conference attendees approached
Pat and Lu Ann after the session, complementing them on the
Job Olympics program. They were even asked if they'd "go on
the road" and present information about this program to
teachers in other states!
Submitted by:
Lezlie Ingvalson
Special Education Coordinator
Richfield Public Schools
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Announcements/Calendar
March 1-2, 2007: Statewide
Comprehensive Conference at Edinburgh USA, Brooklyn Park,
MN
May 10, 2007: Member and Business
meeting Hennepin Technical College, Brooklyn Park, MN
12:30-2:30. Everyone is welcome to attend. If there are
questions, contact Lu Ann Tauer
June 19-21, 2007: ACTE Region III
Conference in Springfield, Illinois
December 13-15, 2007: ACTE
National Convention in Las Vegas
2006 National ACTE Convention
Another successful ACTE National
Conference was held in Atlanta, GA with over 6,000 in
attendance. The time went by very quickly as we were busy
all day long with meetings, sessions, visiting the Expo of
over 200 venders, and of course networking with others from
around the country. There was one evening when a number of
those from Minnesota met for a meal and an evening of
relaxation. The time at the conference was very beneficial
and I obtained a great deal of information to bring back and
apply to my job. I wish more people from Minnesota were able
to have this experience.
Again this year I arrived a day early
for the meetings on Wednesday, as I continue to serve on
ACTE's By-laws Standing Committee. This year involved a
number of changes that were related to ACTE's
reorganization, which was approved. Visit their website:
www.acteonline.org for
more information on the reorganization and the complete
by-laws. I Attended Region III meetings on Wednesday and
Saturday to give reports and learn what is happening in
Region III. Minnesota will be hosting the ACTE Region III
Leadership Conference in 2008. Start planning now to attend,
and more information will be available soon. This year, the
Region III Conference is in Springfield, Illinois on June
19-21, 2007. Friday I attended the Special Needs Division
meeting and awards during the morning and later went to the
state officers luncheon and meeting. I learned that there
are changes to the non-profit rules and that organizations
need to make sure they meet the requirements. This was
followed by the Town Meeting with panels and discussions
regarding the various changes and direction that ACTE will
be taking. One change includes ACTE's initiative to involve
CTE in the new NCLB legislation that is up for
reauthorization this year. Saturday afternoon was the
Assembly of Delegates. By-law changes were approved and
other business took place. One change that was not related
to reorganization was removal of division names from the
By-laws, thus easing a division to change names in a more
efficient manner. This ended the conference just in time as
down the road from the convention center the NFL football
play-offs were beginning.
The ACTE February issue of "Techniques"
has a very well written article on the conference, and I
would encourage you to read it. Also, it highlights the
award winners, including the New CTE Teacher of the Year,
Sandy Hume of Wisconsin. Minnesota did not have any winners
this year, but over the years we have been well represented.
MnACTE/SNP is looking at our awards process and categories
to make sure they are in line with ACTE and the Special
Needs Division Awards. This review is partly due to NAVESNP
no longer presenting awards.
As in the past, I would encourage you to strongly
consider attending next year's ACTE National Convention in
Las Vegas, December 13-15, 2007.
Submitted by:
Robert W. Lindgren
Work Coordinator
Park Rapids Area Schools
Special Needs Division is Making
Changes
On December 1st, 2006 I had
the opportunity to attend the Special Needs Division
breakfast business meeting and awards ceremony at the ACTE
Conference at the World Congress Center in Atlanta, GA. The
breakfast opened up with an outstanding group of high school
students singing songs from several musical shows. The
students were from the DeKalb County School of Arts. Their
voices and showmanship were nothing less than what I have
seen on professional stages. I have attended several Special
Needs Division meetings and have never seen entertainment
included, so this was a pretty neat addition. Following the
fabulous entertainment, the awards ceremony was held. The
first award given was the VALPAR Outstanding Special Needs
Program of the Year which was awarded to the Chaparral High
School ACE program from Parker, Colorado. The ACE program is
a creative alternative program for at risk students and the
recipient was Kristy Baumgartner. The next award was the VRI
Outstanding Special Needs Educator of the Year Award that
was given to Joe Davis, Project Success/CVAE Coordinator
from Gilmer High School in Ellijay, Georgia. His supervisor
wrote, "Mr. Davis is a prime example of a true teacher
hero." Joe's philosophy is to focus on the needs of his
students.
After the award ceremony, Special Needs
Division President, Virginia Turner, called the business
meeting to order. Several committee reports were given and
under new business the issue of membership was discussed.
Because the Special Needs Division Membership has fallen
below 1000, a discussion on making a name change was held.
It was proposed that the Special Needs Division change the
name to Special Populations Division. By changing the name,
the thought was that other groups could also be included and
possibly raise membership. A motion was made and vote passed
to approve the name change. Information was shared with the
attendees on National Career and Technical Education Month
which is in the month of January. Additionally, information
on the 2007 ACTE conference was given which will be held in
Las Vegas, Nevada on December 13th through the
15th.
Submitted by:
Lu Ann Tauer
Work Coordinator
Richfield Public Schools
How Can I Get
Hired?
What will get your student through the
door, sell them in an interview situation and land a job?
Over the past month, students from Anoka-Hennepin's
Transition Plus Program have toured several businesses
through an Industry Tours class. During the tours, various
human resources managers and supervisors have fielded many
questions about the hiring process. Our 18-21 year old
students have gained several job searching "pointers". Here
are some of them you may want to share with your
students.
Overall Tips
- Treat the office staff with respect and kindness, (in
person and on the phone). They often consult with
supervisors about social interactions with prospective
employees.
- You are being evaluated from the time you enter the
parking lot to the time you leave. Conduct yourself
accordingly.
Tips for Applications
- Accuracy, neatness and completeness are important.
When receiving several applications, the first to be
eliminated are those that are sloppy, incomplete, or have
poor spelling and grammar.
- Experience is helpful but not essential, particularly
for young people just entering the workforce.
- Take time to complete the application as best you
can.
- Honesty is highly valued by employers. If you've been
fired, an explanation is better than a lie.
Tips for Interviewing
- Get a list of possible questions and practice them
before the interview.
- Study the company and know something about it before
interviewing.
- Get adequate rest the night before so your energy
level is high.
- Be on time. Go the day before to be certain of the
location.
- When candidates seem to have equal skills, appearance
can get you hired or eliminate you from the job.
- Arrive for the interview clean and neatly kept. Wear
conservative clothing, take off your hat, and be well
groomed. Dress slightly better than what you would be
wearing on the job. Within the first 30 seconds, many
managers have decided whether or not they are interested
in you.
- Look at the person interviewing you. Eye contact is
very important.
- Display friendly, kind and outgoing behaviors. Verbal
communication should be delivered smoothly, intelligibly,
and can be sprinkled with occasional humor. Nonverbal
communication should reveal active listening and body
language that shows you are interested. Express interest
through nodding, smiling, and asking questions for
clarification.
- If you are a know-it-all and portray this to your
potential supervisor, they will offer the job to someone
else.
- If you've had many jobs and blame others for losing
those jobs in an interview, you will not get hired.
- Be likable.
Post interview
- Pay attention to how you drive. You do not know whom
you parked next to or whom you may cut-off when leaving
(or entering) the parking lot.
- A follow-up letter of thanks can help you stand out
from other applicants.
I hope some of these tips are helpful to
you and your students. See you at the conference.
Submitted by:
Steve Czech
Work Coordinator
Anoka Hennepin District #11
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