Progress 2013 Education

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EDUCATION Learning isn’t just for kids anymore Community Education expands to offer more programs, rentals

By Sarah Stultz When Albert Lean Chris Chalmers moved to town in 1989, he signed up for a Community Education class to get to know people.

He said he recognized at the time that Community Education was a way to feel engaged and connected with others.

Now, more than 20 years later, Chalmers is the director of Albert Lea Community Education and seeks to engage others in a similar experience.

“We’re finding opportunities for people with similar interests to come together,” he said. “We’re building community.”

Chalmers said while the program was strong when he started

No, Christopher Chalmers’ nickname is not “Community Ed.” However, he is steering the Albert Lea Community Education program to offer more usefulness to the general public.

Photo by Sarah Stultz Cutouts by April Miller

Community Ed by the numbers Classes offered during winter session: 50: Community Ed 24: Early childhood 6: School readiness 9: Adult basic education 35: Rock gym Participants from fall session: 883: Community Education 340: Early childhood 91: School readiness 107: Adult basic education 275: Rock gym 1,676: Brookside Boathouse (summer) Instructors during winter session: 45: Community Education 5: Early childhood 6: School readiness 8: Adult basic education 30: Rock gym Equipment 16: canoes 26: kayaks 5: stand-up paddleboards 10: bows 5: archery targets 50+: snowshoes 10: geocaching GPS devices 7: climbing ropes — Numbers provided by Albert Lea Community Education

Get fit with Community Education Rock wall Cost is $10 for each participant, and this cost includes equipment rental.

The climbing wall is open from 6 to 9 p.m. every Friday and Saturday.

A climbing club also meets on Tuesdays at 6 p.m.; cost is $10.

Archery Cost is $10 for each participant. A Shot in the Dark archery meets each Tuesday at 6 p.m. Children third-grade and younger need an adult along.

Boathouse The Brookside Boathouse opens in May. Hours have been 6 to 9 p.m. Thursdays and 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays. In 2012, extra time was added on Tuesdays, Mondays and Fridays, so the schedule is subject to change.

Charge is $10 per boat. Canoes fit up to three people, and kayaks fit one or two people. Stand-up paddleboards fit one person, but a small child can fit with an adult, too.

Snowshoeing Open snowshoeing begins on the first Friday of the year and continues every Friday 9 to 11 a.m. until early March, about when the snowcover melts. The price is $10 a session.

The instructor teaches how to snowshoe and takes people out into the parks and, if safe, on Fountain Lake.

Nordic walking The class happens in the spring and fall, with a fee of $25.

Watch the Community Ed website or booklet for times. Use of walking poles is free with a $70 deposit. However, the poles can be purchased from the instructor. They range from $100 to $200. The classes walk around Fountain Lake.

A PUBLICATION OF THE ALBERT LEA TRIBUNE • FEBRUARY 2013

in the position five years ago, it has grown in the last few years as he and his staff have aimed for higher collaboration to meet the needs of the community.

“We’ve tried to make it a one-stop shop for learning,” Chalmers said.

The program incorporates everything from early learning and adult basic education to general enrichment activities and other recreational activities. There are classes for myriad interests, ranging from cooking and photography to canoeing and yoga.

Even GED training and English learning skills classes are offered under the same umbrella.

In the winter session alone, there are more than 100 opportunities found in the Community Education booklet sent out to homes in the community.

Chalmers, who is also the activities director for Albert Lea High School, said Community Education took off during the AARP/Blue Zones Project in 2009, when healthy cooking, wellness workshops and more exercise options started to be offered through the outlet.

Participation further expanded with the construction of the Brookside Boathouse, which offers activities such as canoeing, kayaking and snowshoeing.

According to Community Education statistics, more than 1,600 people took part in an activity offered through the boathouse during the summer of 2012.

That number is 20 percent more than the year before, said Scott Hanna, environmental learning center coordi-

nator, who also oversees the rock gym.

“I think between the Vitality Center and the water improvement we’ve seen through the watershed — along with Community Ed involvement — you’re seeing a perfect storm,” Hanna said. “Our environment is our best asset in Albert Lea.” Chalmers said he and his own family continue to utilize Community Ed classes themselves, whether its sports camps for the kids or yoga for his wife.

He said a Community Ed Advisory Council seeks out what topics the community would like to learn about, and he encouraged people to call or email the Community Ed office if they wish to be a part of that process.

“We want to be here for all learners of all ages to help facilitate lifelong learning,” he said. “I can’t imagine a life without learning something. Whether it’s reading a book or seeing a play — it’s experiential learning.”

Albert Lea Community Education began in the early 1970s.

The Albert Lea Community Education office is at Albert Lea High School. It can be reached at 379-4898.

PROGRESS

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Page 2 • Albert Lea Tribune • Sunday, February 24, 2013 • PROGRESS 2013 - EDUCATION

Robotics instructor

By Kelli Lageson

What my students’ moms think I do

What society thinks I do

What students think I do

What my friends think I do

What I think I do

What I really do

School goes outside to learn on inside

By Tim Engstrom A multi-year project is finally done at Lakeview Elementary School. It now has a playground specifically for students with special needs.

“One of the dreams of a parent is that their kids can experience the same experiences as other kids,” said Lakeview Elementary School Principal Eric Hudspith.

Four years ago, the school had nothing for a special needs playground except what amounted to a backyard play set. A used one at that.

And by the time kids reached third grade, they were too big for it. Playing on the main

playground only produces anxiety, because mainstream students at times fail to interact well with special needs students.

A school kicked off a campaign to do better.

In 2010, the school installed swings. In 2011, it installed a balance beam and a slide with a climbing wall. And just last summer, the school put in a stationary race car that wobbles on a spring and installed foam tile underneath much of the playground for extra safety in the event of falls.

All in all, the playground takes up about 1,600 square feet on the north side of the

school, with a prime view of Fountain Lake.

The price tag was about $20,000. All of it but 5 percent came from donors, with real estate broker Ken Leland being the major donor.

Stacie Stensrud, a teacher for the Success Room at Lakeview, said the teachers use it for learning, like if a new environment is needed for a lesson or when they want to try physical education class outdoors. Playgrounds are important for schools because all children need to develop motor skills, and she said they allow them to socialize in different settings than the classroom.

4P. 3

Tim Engstrom

Kaden Oaklay, a third-grader in the Success Room at Lakeview Elementary School, climbs a wall on a piece of playground equipment at Lakeview Elementary School. Foam matting was installed last summer for a playground that was completed over the course of three years.

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Continued from Page 2 In short, getting kids outside can help them be ready to learn inside.

There are two classrooms at Lakeview for special-needs students.

One is the Success Room, and it is for students with autism. The other is the Options Room, and it is for students with behavioral or developmental disorders.

The parent-teacher organization for Halverson Elementary School would like to make the

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Gross motor development Exercise and fitness are key for growing children. It is good for the minds and bodies. The climbing wall helps with muscle coordination. The school at times uses the playground for physical education class.

Places in Albert Lea with swings for disabled children: • Halverson Elem. School • Hawthorne Elem. School • Sibley Elem. School • Lakeview Park • Edgewater Park • Hayek Park 30-year-old playground more accessible to all students, especially those with special needs. The parent-teacher organization teamed up with the district and the Special

EDUCATION - PROGRESS 2013 • Sunday, February 24, 2013 • Albert Lea Tribune • Page 3 Education Advisory tion services. Many are Council to design a playnon-verbal and confined ground that can be used to wheelchairs, which by a wide range of stuis why SPIRIT sees the dents, including those in need for a more inclusive wheelchairs. playground.

Presently, the organizaSarah Veldman, a partion, called SPIRIT, is rais- ent who is spearheading ing funds. The group hopes the drive, said the goal is the playground attracts $40,000. Near the start families to Albert Lea of the year, the group was after it is built. They said about halfway there. the nearest playground She said they hope to like it is in Rochester and have the equipment by Mankato.

April and are waiting on About one-quarter of grant applications and Two boys prepare to go down slides on the students at Halverson fundraisers to meet the the special-needs playground at Lakeview Elementary School. qualify for special educatarget amount.

5 reasons to have a special-needs playground

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Safety The special needs playground is fenced in not just to keep the students from getting away from supervisors but to keep mainstream students separate.

Some mainstream students do not grasp the challenges special needs kids face and can spoil valuable playtime.

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Social skills Having their own playground allows special needs children to have a place to be able to interact with each other in a less-structured setting.

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Different environment Special needs students deserve recess just the same as mainstream students. Without a special needs playground, they likely won’t receive the sensory break time cherished by all kids.

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Language development Different words get used in a more casual setting than in a classroom, whether it is students talking to each other or even teachers giving directions.

Understanding language is one of the core deficit areas in autistic children.

Source: Stacie Stensrud, Success Room teacher at Lakeview Elementary School

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Page 4 • Albert Lea Tribune • Sunday, February 24, 2013 • PROGRESS 2013 - EDUCATION

Smarter boards, smarter kids Forget chalkboards.

Teachers say students are more attentive with the modern technology

By Kelli Lageson Sibley Elementary School first-grade teacher Peggy Bennett said using a Smart Board allows her to easily get and keep the attention of her students.

“Students listen a lot more,” Bennett said. “I love it and the kids love it.”

Especially with reading, Bennett said it is powerful when students are able to visually see an object and then sound out the letters that make the name of the object.

What is a Smart Board?

The large boards have four special markers and an eraser included. A projector mounted on the classroom ceiling projects the teacher’s computer screen onto the board. The entire Smart Board screen is sensitive to touch. Bennett said one of her favorite features is that videos and sounds can be played, too.

“The poor way to use it is using it as an overhead projector,” Bennett said.

Bennett said the optimal way to use the Smart Boards are to plan lessons around all the various activities that are available.

Startup time Now that Bennett and other district teachers have been using the technology for years, there is much less time involved in planning lessons. Teachers who have found successful lessons share with each other and personalize them to their classrooms.

Bennett said when she first started making lessons using the Smart Board that it took her four to five extra hours a week, but now it takes her much less time because the foundation work is already done.

2006 The Albert Lea School District first got Smart Boards — about a handful — in 2006.

Seven years later there are 140. There are 20 or more Smart Boards in the elementary schools alone. Southwest Middle School has about 20, and Albert Lea High School has less than 20 but also use other forms of technology.

Too many uses to count Smart Boards obviously take the place of a traditional blackboard or dry-erase whiteboard. But they also take the place of document and video projectors. Bennett can access the Internet on her Smart Board, and she can also include videos in her lesson plans. The video pops up, she presses play, and a lot of time is saved.

Students love being able to touch the screen, so Bennett tries to break them up into small groups so each can have turns interacting with lessons.

Photos by Kelli Lageson/Cutout by Kathy Johnson

First-grade teacher Peggy Bennett writes on a scan of a student’s handwriting homework using the Smart Board. In this way, she is able to show students best handwriting practices, which is just one of thousands of ways the technology can be used.

A feature for every subject Bennett said the opportunities for interactive activities are endless with the Smart Board. She has lessons built around using the technology for reading, math and handwriting, just to name a few. But, in her research she’s also found that there are lots of other fun tools that don’t apply to her firstgrade level lessons like using advanced

math tools and other activities for older students.

Niebuhr said many teachers use the Smart Boards in morning meetings at the elementary schools. There’s applications where students can look at the weather, and the class as a group can sing a song and follow along with the words on the screen.

But the technology can also be easily used for large-group lessons, too.

days that exceed that, too. She has designed hundreds of lessons for the Smart Board.

Training teachers Since Bennett was one of the first teachers to get a Smart Board, she had many teachers visit her classroom to see it in action. She also training other teachers who were interested in the technology.

“Training is really the key factor,” Bennett said.

She said she’s glad the district got a few Smart Boards at a time. Once teachers saw what the technology could do, then they were more motivated to take the time to invest into creating lessons once they were able to get a Smart Board for their classroom.

Teaching without technology Though many classrooms use this interactive piece of technology, Niebuhr and Bennett both said that teaching without technology is still important. Bennett estimated she uses the Smart Board for about 60 percent of the day, but students are still doing work on paper and with physical objects.

“We talk about the balance of technology,” Niebuhr said.

With second-graders using Apple iPads, and more students in elementary schools having access to touch-screen iPods, administrators are concerned about how much is too much. But Niebuhr said students are still using print books, and she doesn’t expect that to change in the near future.

Cost is an issue Like any spendy technology, Smart Boards are not cheap.

The district’s media coordinator, Kathy Niebuhr, said over the years the prices have changed, but that most Smart Boards were around $2,000.

Niebuhr said the district did buy many of them, but that the teaching staff applied for grants that paid for some of the Smart Boards.

“Teachers who really want something find ways to make it happen,” Niebuhr said.

Special education Niebuhr said special education classes across the district have found great success when using Smart Boards.

“They’re truly interactive,” Niebuhr said.

Especially for those special education students for whom

A student in Peggy Bennett’s first-grade class at Sibley Elementary School uses a Smart Board to practice spelling.

the act of writing is difficult, they can use the Smart Board to move letters around and still be able to practice spelling without the act of writing.

Special education teacher Paula Buendorf said that even the students who have

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She estimates it’s used consistently for about 30 percent of the day, but there are some

Making their own Smart Board Because Smart Boards are around $2,000, the district hasn’t been able to purchase one for each classroom.

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