President's Report
Greetings during the time of year we are getting the cold
and snow. It seems that we have had so little of either the
last few years that we are not accustomed to it. This issue
of the ECHO contains a number of articles about the recent
ACTE National Convention in Orlando. Please read them, as
each MnACTE/SNP member attending has written at least one
article. You will see that Minnesota did very well with
nominees and award winners at the convention. (See
article.)
The MACTE/MnACTE Winter Conference will be held February
10 & 11 at the Holiday Inn St. Paul North in Arden
Hills. Contact Ginny Karbowski at
Ginny.Karbowski@anoka.k12.mn.us for registration
information. MnACTE/SNP award winners will be recognized at
the Friday evening banquet.
You may have noticed that we have made a change to the
organization's membership renewal schedule. Renewal notices
will be sent twice a year -- March and October. Those who
renew in March can start the renewal process anytime now.
You can print a membership form from our website and send it
in. MnACTE has gone to the same format and we all hope this
will be successful. I encourage those who are not members of
MnACTE to consider joining. As the umbrella organization,
MnACTE members' efforts have been crucial to the overall
career and technical education effort. Their work, as well
as that of others, was a factor in helping to make the levy
permanent last year. Funding for paraprofessionals is also
available. The larger the membership, the bigger impact they
can have when representing us to the legislators regarding
CTE issues. In addition, consider joining ACTE as it is
about the only group representing CTE interests on national
legislation, such as the Perkins Reauthorization. Check out
their website, www.acteonline.org. You play a very important
role in the education and success of those special needs
students that we all work with, so please be proactive in
promoting not only our area but also all of CTE. Keep your
membership current, and consider joining MnACTE and ACTE.
Also, consider serving on the MnACTE/SNP board, (See
article.) or working on a committee, such as next year's
statewide conference.
 Submitted
by:
Robert W. Lindgren
Work Experience Coordinator
Area High School
401 Huntsinger Avenue
Park Rapids, MN 56470
218-237-6479 &endash; office
218-237-6401 &endash; fax
rlindgren@parkrapids.k12.mn.us
Advanced Time Management & Personal
Organization
At the ACTE Conference held December 11-14th in Orlando,
FL I was able to attend a session titled, "I'm Spread So
Thin You Can See Through Me!" The session was intended to
teach busy people the skills and techniques that will help
them manage their lives. Some of the steps and techniques
included were consolidation of details by creating a
complete system. This included critical components like
keeping a calendar, developing to do lists and filing away
items that are not needed right now. Another set of skills
included documentation and retrieval. By controlling
information as it comes in, it can be more easily retrieved
at a later date. An additional important step was follow up.
Strategies were discussed to follow-up on details needed at
a later time so they don't fall through the cracks.
Many helpful tips were presented. The most basic tip was
encouragement to use a calendar. This is to record special
dates or major project deadlines. The use of only one master
calendar for both professional and personal activities was
also recommended. This is to help avoid missing any
activities or double booking. The calendar should include a
Don't Forget column to record to-do's and a place to record
messages and documentation. I really enjoyed the session and
was able to come back and incorporate many of the tips right
away.
 Submitted
by:
Lu Ann Tauer
Richfield Schools
Career Cruising
Website Review
I recently used my budget to purchase a site license for
my school district, Richfield Public Schools, that I have
found to be very helpful to my own students with special
needs as well as all others within my school district. I
also have used it, personally, to help my son search for
college choices. The site is careercruising.com and you may
receive a free trial offer for your school or program by
contacting Steve Yaun at 1-800-562-1079 or
stevey@careercruising.com.
This web site is a comprehensive career guide that is
divided into four main areas; a career interest inventory, a
career exploration guide, a college and university guide and
a portfolio tool. Information from the first three areas can
be saved by the student for future reference by creating a
personalized student portfolio. This information can be
accessed only by the student from school, home, and public
library at any time. A site administrator can also easily
review information and, if necessary, look up forgotten
passwords.
In the career interest inventory, entitled Career
Matchmaker, students answer up to 116 questions, rating
their responses on a five-point scale. It then provides a
list of forty careers that would match the student's
interests. Careers can further be delineated by the amount
of education required; for example, if a student indicated
he/she only wanted to complete high school, the Matchmaker
would only indicate those choices in the personalized
list.
In the career exploration section, students can explore
hundreds of different careers. A filter sorts
alphabetically, by school subject, by career cluster or by
keyword. In depth information is provided for each career,
including a job description, working conditions, earnings,
education and training requirements, a sample career path,
related jobs and links to other web sites. Perhaps the best
feature is that each career profile offers two interviews
from people actually working in that career. Users may read
them or view multimedia interviews (either a video or sound
clip). This is a great advantage for students with reading
limitations. Careers are also broken down into a daily
dairy, so students get an idea of what a typical day would
be like. This section would be terrific for students doing
research projects designed to help them decide their future
plans.
The college/university search section is a wonderful
resource for students interested in learning more about
post-secondary options. It lists thousands of two- and
four-year institutions as well as career and technical
schools throughout the country. Searches can be sorted by
state, by actual name, by programs offered, or by keyword.
In each profile, a wealth of information is provided,
including the type of school, location and setting,
admission difficulty, enrollment statistics, expenses,
program options, athletics, majors offered and financial
aid.
 Submitted
by:
Patricia Larson
Richfield Schools
2003 National ACTE
Convention Report
This year the National ACTE Convention was held in
Orlando December 10&endash;14. Approximately 3,200 people
attended. The weather was ideal for those of us who chose to
walk to and from the Convention Center--sunny and in the low
70s, although it was raining when we left on Sunday. There
was a wide variety of sessions to choose from, including
general issues for all the divisions, as well as those
specific to a division. As in the past, I attended some of
the Special Needs sessions, but most of the ones I attended
were general or administrative in nature. These included
sessions on Perkins Reauthorization. At the opening general
session, I listened to Susan Sclafani, Acting Assistant
Secretary of OVAE, and Hans Meeder, Deputy Assistant
Secretary of OVAE. They spoke to an overflowing crowd on the
Administration's plan for Perkins and their vision of the
future of CTE. On Saturday, I attended sessions that spoke
to ACTE's plan for Perkins and vision of CTE, along with how
this all fits into NCLB legislation. (See the article on
Federal Funding from the ACTE Report I have also submitted.)
I also attended the Special Needs opening session, which was
a panel, discussing tips and best practices in ways for
special needs students in CTE programs to be successful and
also meet the requirements of IDEA in the secondary and
post-secondary levels. On Saturday the NAVESNP & Special
Needs Awards luncheon was held. Minnesota had three winners.
(See article.) Specking of winners, Region III nominated
three Minnesota individuals for ACTE for awards. Cliff
Vrieze won ACTE Teacher of the Year. Congratulations to all
the award winners and nominees from Minnesota. Each day
started with an opening session for all to attend. Included
in these sessions was a keynote speaker's presentation.
Friday's speaker was Neil Howe, author and speaker about
generations in America. He provided insights into the new
generation called the "Millennial Generation". These young
people are post "Generation X", born after 1982. He signed
his newest book, Millennials in the Workplace, at the
convention. The book gives some provocative insight into the
youth of today along with the implications for society,
education, and work. I felt that how he described this group
was very positive and optimistic for the future. One of the
characteristics of the group is its willingness to volunteer
and perform community service projects. In addition to the
sessions, there were over 250 exhibits in the Career Tech
Expo. These enabled us to learn about the latest available
products. On Friday afternoon I helped co-present with Ginny
Karbowski in the Region Roundtables on "Work Safe/Work
Smart". That evening about 17 of Minnesota representatives
met and went for dinner, an annual tradition, before
attending the evening convention functions. Saturday was the
Delegate Assembly. I was one of seven delegates representing
Minnesota in this important process relating to ACTE. Added
benefits from attending this is the opportunity to network
with fellow CTE educators and come away more informed about
what is happening in the field of CTE. As always, this is a
worthwhile convention to attend. I encourage everyone to try
and attend next year's ACTE National Convention, December
9-11, 2004, in Las Vegas. Early bird registration will end
June 30, advanced registration ends November 1. There will
be no Sunday session. Check ACTE's website for information,
www.acteonline.org.
Submitted by:
Robert W. Lindgren
Park Rapids Area Schools
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Announcements
Mark your calendars: Remaining dates for 2003-2004
board meetings.
Dates: 2/12/04, 3/11/04, 4/15/04, 5/13/04 (May location
TBD)
Location: Hennepin Technical College, Brooklyn Park
Time: 12:30 (lunch beforehand)
Reminder: If your address or email address
changes, please contact Bob Lindgren at rlindgren@parkrapids.k12.mn.us.
It is important to keep current email addresses as we are
doing more electronic notices and less paper mailings. Also,
let others know about the website and our organization.
Federal Funding, Perkins: This report from 1/22/04
details the current status of Perkins funding. ACTEREP.doc
Board Elections
With spring fast approaching, we will be seeking
nominations for next year's board. There will be at least
two openings, and in most cases four, for each of the
sections represented on the board. Open officer positions
include the positions of secretary, ECHO editor, and
possibly president-elect. The section positions are one-year
terms and the officer positions are two-year terms. You need
to be a member in good standing to serve on the board. Board
members select the ad hoc members to serve on the board. If
you are interest in being nominated, or have questions
regarding serving on the board, contact Steve Czech at
Steve.Czech@anoka.k12.mn.us. Current board members and
positions are listed on the home page of this website. The
term begins with the Annual Membership Meeting in the fall.
Please consider submitting your name or the name of someone
you know, as a candidate!
Submitted by:
Robert W. Lindgren
Minnesota's National
Award Winners
Three individuals from Minnesota were recipients of the
National Association of Vocational Special Needs Personnel
(NAVESNP) annual awards. Lu Ann Tauer, Eric Sime and John
Hamilton were presented with their awards at the SND/NAVESNP
awards luncheon held Saturday, December 13 at the Orlando
Convention Center.
Lu Ann Tauer, casemanager and work experience coordinator
for Transition Plus in the Richfield School District
received the award for Outstanding Vocational Special Needs
Teacher of the Year. Lu Ann was recognized for empowering
her students by creating opportunities for them to become
active participants in their education programs. She was
commended for her hard work, enthusiasm and positive
attitude! In addition to the plaque she received from
NAVESNP, Piney Mountain Press awarded Lu Ann with a
certificate for $500 to be used for curriculum purchases for
her class.
Lezlie Ingvalson and Lu Ann Tauer after Lu Ann
received the Outstanding Vocational Special Needs Teacher of
the Year award.
Eric Sime received the Direct Vocational Special Needs
Support Person of the Year award. Eric, who currently works
at Rochester Community and Technical College as an ADA
coordinator/special needs advisor, has worked for the
Minnesota State College and University (MnSCU) system for 12
years. During this time, he guided students with
disabilities through their college experiences, challenging
them to believe in themselves and accomplish their
goals.
Eric Sime accepts the Direct Vocational Special Needs
Support Person of the Year award.
John Hamilton was recognized for going above and beyond
in his efforts to help students with special needs in the
Richfield School District. He received the Indirect Provider
of Major Support Services and Contributions to the Field of
Vocational Special Needs award for the ongoing contributions
he makes as a member of the district's work experience
advisory committee and community supporter of students with
special needs.
John Hamilton receives the Provider of Major Support
Services and Contributions to the Field of Vocational
Special Needs award.
Other award winners include, Abe Piper, a 2003 graduate
of Indiana County Technical Center in Pennsylvania. He
received the Student Award. Piney Mountain Press gave him a
$500.00 award that he will use to continue working toward a
degree in Communication Media at Indiana University in
Pennsylvania. The Outstanding Special Needs Educator award
went to Donnalie Stratton who works for the Kentucky
Department of Education. Sue Bittel-Krampe, who coordinates
youth services at Apollo High School in Owensboro, Kentucky
also received the Indirect Provider of Major Support
Services and Contributions to the Field of Vocational
Special Needs.
The award recipients and other Minnesotans in
attendance: Bob Lindgren, NAVESNP President - Carol
Wagner-William, Eric Sime, John Hamilton, Abe Piper, Lu Ann
Tauer, Ron Tauer, Piney Mountain Press Representative-Cliff
Rice, Ginny Karbowski
 Submitted
by:
Lezlie Ingvalson
Richfield Schools
MnACTE/SNP Board Member is featured in Metro
Newspaper
The Career and Life Transition Program, a joint
initiative of Mounds View and Roseville Area public school
districts was featured in the January 4, 2004 issue of the
St. Paul Pioneer Press. The Career and Life Transition
Program is headed, and was started, by MnACTE/SNP Board
Member Susan Hoch. Susan was able to explain, in the
article, how the program teaches students life skills such
as how to interview for a job and ride a city bus. There are
46 students in the program that have disabilities such as
autism, traumatic brain injury, mental impairment, Down
Syndrome and seizure disorders. Success is measured in
different ways, depending on the person. The program
philosophy is to focus on abilities, not disabilities.
The program is located at a shopping center where they
learn to shop for groceries, greet strangers and work in
mall businesses. The students even run a small shop under
the direction of Junior Achievement, selling student created
crafts, greeting cards, stamped kitchen towels and tie-dyed
T-shirts. Susan was quoted saying, "we essentially say to
them, 'We're going to work with what you have.'" "When you
start to see people for what they've got- not what they
don't have- you go far." Nice job Susan!!!!!!
Submitted by
Lu Ann Tauer
Richfield Schools
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