Tag: Jessica Smeins

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Meet Jessica Smeins from O’Dea Core Knowledge Elementary School

“A hundred years from now, it will not matter what kind of car I drove, what kind of house I lived in, how much money I had in the bank … but the world may be a better place because I made a difference in the life of a child.”

 ~ Forest Witcraft

Smein, Jessica (2) Many go through life without finding their “calling”. For those that are lucky enough to discover what makes their heart sing, it is often a long road to get there. Jessica Smeins from O’Dea Core Knowledge Elementary worked hard to make her passion a reality. With a warm, unruffled disposition, Jessica has jumped in with creativity and energy, creating an environment of respect and appreciation.

Here is her story:

“I am Jessica Smeins and I am from Carbondale, CO. My mom, dad, and sister all live in the Carbondale area and I enjoy visiting them in the beautiful mountain Smein, Jessica 2015area. As I grew up in such a beautiful place, my favorite activities are mostly outdoor oriented. I enjoy hiking, playing with my dogs, biking, and just being outside. Luckily, Fort Collins is an outdoor town and a good place to pursue my higher education. I moved to Fort Collins to attend CSU for Psychology and Human Development and Family Studies. After graduating in 2010, I worked in an autism program in a nearby city and found the job that I was meant to do. The next year, I enrolled at UNC to obtain my teaching license and Master’s in Special Education. While going to school, I worked at O’Dea Elementary School in the autism program as a paraprofessional. When I graduated from UNC, I was so lucky to get a job in Poudre School District as a teacher in O’Dea’s autism program. My favorite part of my job is seeing the kids smiling faces every day. I enjoy watching my students learn new information and the excitement they express when they make a connection to the material.”

“Jess has stepped into her position this year with a sense of grace and gusto.  She is always looking into new ways to work with our students with autism and is always willing to try something new if she thinks it will positively impact our students.” O’Dea Elementary Principal Laurie Corso.

Poudre School District Integrated Services                                                                 Director: Sarah Belleau                                                                                                                    2407 Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 80521

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Smart Board SPIE Grant 2013

“If you want something you’ve never had, then you’ve got to do something you’ve never done.”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         – Thomas Jefferson

Jennifer, Jessica, LisaO’Dea Core Knowledge, like most schools, is a school full of smart boards. However there were a few classrooms who were hanging out in the dark ages of 1990 with chalkboard, whiteboards and books.
When Jennifer Rosen and Jessica Smeins decided they wanted a part of 2015, they enlisted the help of Lead Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Autism Coach, Speech and Language Pathologist and friend Lisa Hernandez. These motivated ladies applied for a Supporting Partnerships in Innovative Education or SPIE Grants. SPIE grants allow teachers the opportunity to apply for innovative teaching materials for creative and inventive learning. Jennifer Rosen, Jessica Smeins and Lisa Hernandez won a 2013 SPIE Grant for their smart boards. Lisa credits Grants Coordinator, Stacy Poncelow with being invaluable to their grant writing and said she made the process so easy and wonderful.

Jennifer and Jessica are teachers within the center based program for students with autism at O’Dea Core Knowledge, here in Fort Collins, CO. Their students spend time in their classrooms as well as general education classrooms. While in their general education rooms, the students had access to smart boards, but not in Jennifer and Jessica’s classrooms. Now that the two rooms are equipped with the latest smart boards, their students have more access to them. It has been highly motivating for them. In particular, students are learning valuable soft skills such as waiting and taking turns as well as writing and working collaboratively in a community. As teachers, they are enjoying the ability to share multiple visuals without relying on passing books and printed material around. It has allowed for better visual comprehension of the topics they are working on.

Once Jennifer and Jessica learned they had received the grant, they immediately signed up for the informational class on how to operate their smart boards. Unsure of how long it would take until they were delivered and installed, Jennifer and Jessica were pleasantly surprised when they arrived back from winter break to find them up and ready.

The team was awarded a 2013 SPIE Grant for $5,000 to include 2 Smart Boards jenniferEpson- M600, 2 projection units and installation. The interactive whiteboards are light sensory vs touch sensory which allows for accessibility for those with decreased fine motor skill strength. It is a multi-touch unit which can accommodate two users simultaneously.

Jennifer and Jessica are excited to explore and experiment with their new technology.

Poudre School District Integrated Services                                                                 Director: Sarah Belleau                                                                                                                     2407 Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 80521