GHAEA Voice

3-2 . . . Jennifer Dillon 3-5 . . . Cynthia Redding 3-7 . . . Amanda Burnette 3-12 . . . Andy Ruff 3-13 . . . Dana Willis 3-16 . . . Jana Hensley 3-18 . . . Andy Raczynski 3-19 . . . Pam Sargent 3-20 . . . Lenna Hiatt 3-24 . . . Brittney Bills 3-25 . . . Barbara Nelson 3-26 . . . Cecilia Fenton 3-27 . . . Andrea Danker 3-28 . . . Brandi Krakowski 3-28 . . . Jacqueline Wills 3-29 . . . Keri Riddle 3-30  . . . Kacie Bryant

Oui, oui! Tera Schechinger, Kristen Johnson and Connie Terry use Google Cardboard to virtually stand at the base of  the Eiffel Tower!   Take a virtual trip, walk with dinosaurs, ride a roller coaster or even use math to find out how far you are standing (virtually) from the base of the Eiffel Tower! Just like math consultants  Tera Schechinger, Kristen Johnson and Connie Terry (photo right), all you need is a viewer, a smartphone and virtual reality (VR) apps. The three are using Google Cardboard which  is a VR and augmented reality (AR) platform developed by  Google  for use with a head mount for a mobile phone. Named for its fold-out  cardboard  viewer, the platform is intended as a low-cost system to encourage interest and development in VR and AR applications . Viewers can be checked out from the GHAEA media center. Tech consultants ( Maryann Angeroth, Judy Griffin or Stephanie Mikkelsen-Lane ) are happy to assist in helping you learn how to use this technology with studen

The 2016 21st Century Learners' Conference on Oct. 7, Avoca, and Oct. 14 , Creston, is looking for presenters. AEA staff, teachers, administrators and students, either individually or as a group, are invited to present. Submit a proposal here and get updates on the conference website . Contact Julia Hood for more information. 

The First Annual  Iowa Summit  featuring Google for Education will take place  May 1  at Saydel High School, Des Moines. This two-day, high-intensity event with Google employees and world-class educational technology leaders will focus on deploying, integrating and using Google Apps for Education (and other Google tools) to promote student learning in K-12 and higher education.  Early bird registration of $279 ends  March 1 .  Click here for more information and to register. 

Two local walks to raise awareness of autism will take place in April. First up is the Puzzle Walk and 5K Run on April 2 in Creston. Registration and t-shirt pickup begins as 2:45 with the start of the run and walk at 3:30 p.m. More information here or contact Michelle Hicks , Creston.  The Council Bluffs Autism Support Group's 5K and Fun Walk will be held April 30 , 9 a.m. to noon, at Iowa School for the Deaf. The event will include the Pancake Man, basket raffle, balloon artist, live music and more. More information here or contact a member of the GHAEA Autism Resource Team . 

GHAEA's Parent and Educator Connection is offering a free workshop on guardianship, conservatorship and substitute decision-making , April 7, at Halverson Center. The workshop will be presented by Disability Rights of Iowa and is designed for parents/siblings, educators, community service providers and Vocational Rehabilitation counselors. To register, contact Amy Liddell , Red Oak. 

GHAEA is participating in a financial fitness challenge that kicked off last week.  It is being provided free to all Green Hills AEA employees. The voluntary online training starts with a 10-minute checkup. Based on your results from the checkup, it will recommend personalized financial coursework to help you achieve your goals. The program is private and confidential and is accessible 24/7. For more information, contact Lori Kinyon , Creston. 

An educator from the Maquoketa CSD is debuting a  new  blog  on the Iowa Core website.  Jane Schmidt's blog, “Voice from the Field,” describes the progress and challenges faced by her district and others as they continue to put the Iowa Core into practice.

  Schmidt says she will write about “the good, the bad, and the ugly of Iowa Core implementation.” She became a passionate voice of support for Iowa’s state standards during her term as 2014 Iowa Teacher of the Year, when she visited schools and community groups in all 99 counties. Join the  conversation   today!

Creston has been selected as an overnight town for this year's RAGBRAI (Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa). A team from Cornell College, RamBRAI, is looking for host families to offer lawn space, access to a bathroom and shower, street parking for a truck and van, and access to an electrical outlet. The team is made up of Cornell alumni, faculty, staff and friends. "This team is experienced, respectful and appreciative of hosts' hospitality," says Lisa White, RamBRAI housing chair. " Pat Perkins (audiometrist, Red Oak) and her husband have hosted our team twice and would be able to vouch for us." If you are able and willing to help, contact Lisa at lwhite@cornellcollege.edu or 319-899-4671. 

This education fact is sent to all Iowa legislators and is brought to you by the joint efforts of School Administrators of Iowa, Iowa Area Education Agencies, Iowa State Education Association, the Rural Schools Advocates of Iowa, and the Urban Education Network of Iowa in support of adequate and timely school funding.

The Iowa Public Employees' Retirement System (IPERS) is offering retirement planning sessions on April 11, 12, 13 and 14 , Country Inn & Suites, Council Bluffs. These sessions provide detailed iformation about an individual's retirement account, such as possible retirement dates, benefit option payouts and service purchase options. Individual appointments must be scheduled in advance. Call 800-622-3849 . 

Last month, the GHAEA tech team held their monthly tech meeting at DoSpace, Omaha.  Darek Madejski , supervisor of IT, provides insight into this one-of-a-kind concept right in our own backyard! The DoSpace is a new and exciting place in Omaha to bridge the technology needs between the haves and have nots as well as offer interesting learning opportunities to all.      To use  DoSpace facilities, you should sign up and receive your own personal access card.  The use of the facilities is free of charge.      The space consists of numerous high tech meeting spaces, computer/Internet accesses, technical labs for designing, 3-D printing, laser cutting and more.      The learning environment is designed for little kids and not so little kids with numerous learning opportunities and with rooms designed specifically for Kids and Teens.  Workshops are offered every month to help you learn anything from how to use social media sites to programming, designing and printing in 3-D or us

Stephanie Mikkelsen-Lane, instructional technology consultant      Digital learning is any instructional practice that effectively uses technology to strengthen a student's learning experience. It emphasizes high-quality instruction and provides access to challenging content, feedback through formative assessment, opportunities for learning anytime and anywhere, and individualized instruction to ensure all students reach their full potential to succeed in college and a career.      Digital learning encompasses many different facets, tools and applications to support and empower teachers and students, including online courses, blended or hybrid learning or digital content and resources. Additionally, digital learning can be used for professional learning opportunities for teachers and to provide personalized learning experiences for students.      Started in 2012, Digital Learning Day has provided a powerful venue for education leaders to highlight great teaching practice and sh

When Peterson Regional Office staff move to Halverson Center on March 17, they will be working under a new name -- Council Bluffs Regional Office. The building at 2600 S. 9th in Council Bluffs has been sold to CityLight Church. Administrative and support staff will be housed in the Burton Building, just south of the Hills Building which now houses Early ACCESS and OT/PT staff serving Council Bluffs. If you have questions, contact Dr. Plugge or Jenny Barnett . 

Eric Krakowski, husband of Brandi Krakowski (school psychologist, Peterson), recently made a lot of kids happy. Eric is the assistant principal at Duchesne Academy, Omaha. To announce a snow day earlier this month, he used, quite appropriately, the tune from Frozen's Do You Want to Build a Snowman.  Part of his message on Tuesday, Feb. 2, stated, "Don't ask about Wednesday, take it one day at a time." Well, Wednesday brought yet another snow day, another opportunity to come up with a clever announcement -- this time to Aladdin's  A Whole New World . Needless to say, students and parents were so impressed they starting sharing his announcements on social media and it became news throughout the city.  You can listen to his creative snow day lyrics here. 

Dates have been set for the 2016-17 GHAEA Autism Institute. The six sessions will be offered in Creston and in either Avoca or Red Oak. The institute is free for AEA staff, teachers, school administrators, paraeducators and daycare providers. Learn more here!  Coming up in the next Voice : Information about upcoming Autism Walks and 5K Runs, Council Bluffs and Creston. 

Raleigh Spahn, iFly Kansas City, with two excited customers!  Raleigh Spahn, son of Justin and Karen Spahn (early childhood consultant, Glenwood) is living the dream! He is working at what he loves -- skydiving! Raleigh spent three months in Houston, TX, being trained as a flight instructor for iFly Kansas City. The goal of iFly is to deliver the dream of flying to everyone. Indoor skydiving is the simulation of true freefall conditions in a vertical wind tunnel. It's where the dream of flight becomes a reality. So if you're looking for adventure and skydiving is on your bucket list, give iFly a try. Learn more here!  

Sue Wagner is a teacher, alternative programs, at Children's Square in Council Bluffs. She lives on a farm near Thurman and Percival with her husband, along with "three spoiled dogs and two rescued pot bellied pigs."       Sue enjoys sewing, quilting, crafts, reading and camping. "If I could travel anywhere, I'd go to Portland, OR, to see my daughter and grandbaby," she said. Her favorite movies are Field of Dreams, Elf and Fried Green Tomatoes . 

Nancy Boswell . . . . Feb. 8, 1996 Katie Hensley . . . . Feb. 8, 2010 Janice Hughes . . . Feb. 6, 2008 Nancy Sudmann . . . Feb. 18, 2013 Monica Weber . . . Feb. 25, 2008

2-15   Mary McLaren 2-16   Denise Fricke 2-19   Amber Kearney 2-20   David Henry 2-21   Julie Honan 2-23   Steve Martin 2-24   Jody Madsen 2-24   Amber Zimmer 2-26   Amber Johnson 2-26   Cheryl Mulligan 2-27   Mary Carstens 2-28   Debra Schwiesow

Whether you are just an observer or a participant in this week's Iowa Caucuses, you'll enjoy this article published in the Des Moines Register (Jan. 25, 2016),

Mark Draper (r) with Rep. Art Staed, (D), Cedar Rapids. .   Last week, the Iowa Reading Research Center (IRRC) hosted a breakfast at the State Capitol for Iowa legislators. Many members of the IRRC Advisory Council, including Mark Drape r (director of special education), were on hand to discuss the statewide initiatives the IRRC has in place to combat literacy issues in Iowa.       "We were able to meet with the majority of those on the House and Senate Education Committees and Subcommittees,' Mark said.      The IRRC advisory council works to foster collaboration between the IRRC and the evaluation community. It stays abreast of emerging trends, research and effective literacy practices, and reviews and recommends projects and priorities to the Iowa Dept. of Education.  IRRC is "leading the charge" on what interventions will be most effective for students who are poor readers, Draper added.       On another note, some of you may remember Sandy Schmitz who w