2015 Penn-Del AER Conference
Reflect, Renew, Resolve: The Three aeR’s of Action
April 22 – 24, 2015—Harrisburg, PA
Three General Session Addresses by Widely Respected Professionals:
Billy Brookshire and Mary Nelle McLennan Fr. James Warnke Dr. Sandra Lewis
32 Concurrent Sessions on Timely and Provocative Topics
Trekker Breeze Preconference Workshop with Craig Phillips, MS Ed, COMS
A Special General Session — Honoring Kutztown University:
A Celebration of 50+ Years of Service Providers
The Pennsylvania-Delaware Chapter of AER invites you to participate in our annual conference as we reflect, renew, and resolve to strengthen our professional skills and invigorate our commitment to quality services to students and adults who are blind or visually impaired. Nationally respected leaders will provide inspiration as well as practical insights into ways that we can each Reflect, Renew, Resolve to enhance The Three aeR’s of Action in our work and in our lives.
Featured presentations include:
Keynote Address, Wednesday, April 22 – Billy Brookshire and Mary Nelle McLennan –
On the 30th anniversary of the establishment of AER, thesetwo seasoned AER leaders will involve the audience in a lively reflection on the history and significance of our profession, our roles, and our professional organizations—AAWB and AAIB, which merged to create AER.
Midnote Address, Thursday, April 23 – Fr. James Warnke isan ordained Episcopal priest who recently retired from 36 years as a psychotherapist in private clinical practice. Jim will help us recognize professional and personal renewal as the process and willingness to begin…and to begin again.
Footnote Address, Friday, April 24 – Dr. Sandra Lewis is Professor and Coordinator of the Program in Visual Disabilities at Florida State University and the 2010 Recipient of AER’s prestigious Mary K. Bauman Award. Sandy will send us home with a thought-provoking closing address sure to increase our professional resolve and to stimulate each of us toward further action.
Special General Session — Honoring Kutztown University
A Celebration of 50+ Years of Service Providers, Thursday, April 23
Featuring Dr. David Ross, Jerry Kitzhoffer, Jessica Kolvites, Dr. Nicole Johnson
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Professional hours will be offered for Pennsylvania Department of Education Act 48. Interested persons will be offered Certificates of Attendance for the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation & Education Professionals (ACVREP) and for Certified Rehabilitation Counselor Credits (CRC).
2015 Penn-Del AER Awards Banquet will honor the recipients of the Penn-Del AER Service Award and the Elinor Long Educator of the Year Award. This will be an opportunity for our chapter to recognize the contributions of these outstanding professionals.
We look forward to seeing you in April!
The 2015 Penn-Del AER Conference Planning Committee,
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Rebecca Renshaw, Chair
Gayle Aquino
Dael Cohen
Jennifer Edgar
Brenda Egan
Shelly Faust Jones
Sandy Finkel
Tina Hertzog
Frank Irzyk
Kay Macsi
Helene Marano
Mary Nelle McLennan
Vince McVeigh
Christie Peel
Mark Steciw
Jean Ann Vogelman
Tracy Whitehead
George Zimmerman
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Conference Logistics
The 2015 Penn-Del AER Conference will open on Wednesday, April 22, at 1:00 PM and will conclude on Friday, April 24, at 12:45 PM. The conference location is:
Best Western Premier Central Hotel and Conference Center
800 East Park Drive, Harrisburg, PA 17111
I-83 at Union Deposit Road (Exit 48)
Phone 717-735-9397
The conference room rate is $109.00 plus 11% tax. Our conference rates are guaranteed until March 24, 2015, so reserve your room early! If booking by phone, indicate that you will be attending the Penn-Del AER Conference. If booking online, enter the code PDA0415 into the Group Code box and select Check Rates to see rooms that are available at our rate.
Check the Penn-Del AER website for registration materials and updates in the schedule.
twitter.com/PennDelAER
We hope to see you this April in Harrisburg!
2015 Penn-Del AER Conference Highlights
Reflect, Renew, Resolve: The Three aeR’s of Action
April 22 – 24, 2015—Harrisburg, PA
In 2015, this nationally respected annual conference offers a notable line-up of professionals who will present general, concurrent, and poster sessions that address our 2015 conference theme: Reflect, Renew, Resolve: The Three aeR’s of Action. In addition to 32 concurrent sessions, eight poster sessions, and our three traditional general sessions, Penn-Del AER will host a special session on April 23rd to honor the Kutztown University Visual Impairments Program for its 50+ years of personnel preparation. A wide array of vendors will be available on Thursday, April 23.
2015 GENERAL SESSIONS
Keynote Address, Wednesday, April 22: Billy Brookshire and Mary Nelle McLennanOn the 30th anniversary of the establishment of AER, thesetwo seasoned AER leaders will involve the audience in a lively reflection on the history and significance of our profession, our roles, and our professional organizations—AAWB and AAIB, which merged to create AER.
Midnote Address, Thursday, April 23: Fr. James Warnkeis anordained Episcopal priest who recently retired from 36 years as a psychotherapist in private clinical practice. Jim—long a favorite of Penn-Del AER conference attendees—will help us recognize professional and personal renewal as the process and willingness to begin…and to begin again.
Footnote Address,Friday, April 24: Dr. Sandra Lewis is Professor and Coordinator of the Program in Visual Disabilities at Florida State University and the 2010 Recipient of AER’s prestigious Mary K. Bauman Award. Sandy will send us home with a thought-provoking closing address sure to increase our professional resolve and to stimulate each of us toward further action.
A Special Event on Thursday, April 23rd!
Honoring Kutztown University: A Celebration of 50+ Years of Service Providers
Featuring Dr. David Ross, Jerry Kitzhoffer, Jessica Kolvites, Dr. Nicole Johnson
SPECIAL PRECONFERENCE WORKSHOP
Using the Trekker Breeze
to Create Routes and Establish a Position in Space
Penn-Del AER and Craig Phillips, MS Ed, COMS, will offer a seven-hour Trekker Breeze workshop on Wednesday, April 22, 2015. This ACVREP-approved workshop is limited to 10 participants and will include a working lunch. Registration for this limited-attendance event will be accepted on a first come, first served basis. There is a fee of $50 for the workshop. Devices and equipment will be provided, although participants may bring their own equipment if they prefer.Please use the 2015 Penn-Del AER Conference registration form to register for this event.
2015 CONCURRENT SESSIONS
Apples: Morning, Noon, & Night…Accessible Apps for the Blind and Visually Impaired / K. Mark ArmstrongThe Big Picture: Integrating CVI Principles to Improve Visual Outcomes / Patrice Bucheli
Deborah Fenton
Can I Use "As Seen On TV" Products? Implications for Use by a Visually Impaired Person / Kathleen Buskirk
Jennifer Lilly
Common Core Braille Standards and Successful Curricular Accommodations/Modifications / Carlton Anne Cook Walker
Becoming a Team Player with Accessible Technology / Carlton Anne Cook Walker
Case Study: Provision of Travel Instruction for a Young Adult with Autism / Bonnie Dodson-Burk
Journal Article to Best Practice: Finding and Incorporating New Ideas / Kendra Farrow
Proving Our Worth: Vision Rehabilitation Therapy / Kendra Farrow
Navigating Service Provision - It’s Not What It Used to Be / Lynn Fox
PaTTAN Updates: Focus on Statewide Initiatives Impacting Students with Visual Impairments / Lynn Fox
The O&M Profession: A Conversation about Our Strengths, Needs, and Future! / Kevin Hollinger, Lukas
Franck, Michelle Antinarelli
Advanced Pre-Driver Readiness Skills For Novice Low Vision Drivers / Chuck Huss
WV Bioptic Driving Program: Overview and Progress Update / Chuck Huss
Strategies for Using Smart Boards with Students Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired / Kelly Lauer
Susan Vaughn
Orientation and Mobility Collaborations with the Adapted Physical Educator / Maria Lepore-Stevens
Monica Lepore
Facilitating Instruction in the ECC When Working with Families of Infants and Young Children with Visual Impairments / Sandra Lewis
Google’s TalkBack Verses IOS Voice Over for Tablet Users Who Are Blind / Jule Ann Lieberman
Visual Field Enhancement Strategies for O&M / Kerry Lueders
Jamie Maffit
OMG! Another Vision Therapy Referral?! / Megan Marnien
Cindy Mock
Knowing the Score: Music Literacy Brings Inclusion and Independence / Bill McCann
Making the Move: A Work Session to Identify Strategies and Resources for a Smooth Transition to Unified English Braille / Mary Nelle McLennan
Frances Mary D’Andrea
Stress and Blind Traveling / Michael Meteyer
Kathy Rooney
O&M Portfolios: A Collaborative Method Promoting Student Ownership, Measuring Progress, and Augmenting Teacher-Family Communication / Fabiana Perla
Jamie Maffit
Ten Timely Teaching Tips to Tie GPS and O&M Together / Craig Phillips
CVI: Beyond the Basics / Beth Ramella
Cortical Visual Impairment from Two Perspectives: Identifying Infants at Risk and Trends in Children with CVI / Christine Roman
To Cross or Not to Cross: Using Simulation to Teach Students to Analyze Uncontrolled Crossings / Dona Sauerburger
Supporting STEM: Utilizing AT Tools / Carroll Stone
Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services: State of the Agency Update / Stan Swaintek
CVI: A Professional and Parent Perspective on Services, Strategies, and Struggles Supporting a Child with CVI / Doug Yeager
Carolina Hughes
Paths to the Common Core – A Resource and a Community of Practice / Mary Zatta.
Rona Shaw
2015 Poster Presentations
A Fresh Look at Best Practice, the NRTC, and Its Resources / Kendra FarrowPaTTAN Updates: Focus on Statewide Initiatives Impacting
Students with Visual Impairments / Lynn Fox
The Ups and Downs of Travel Technology / Alicia Hornberger
Heather Browne
Adaptive Sports for Persons with Disabilities / John Hofmeister
IDEAL (Individual Development through Experience, Assessment, and Learning) Summer Transition Program at the Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CBVI) / Rosemary Keefe
Using Tactile Symbol Communication for Students who are Deaf-Blind / Jessica Kolvites
UEB and You: An Overview of Unified English Braille in the United States / Frances Mary D’Andrea
Mary Nelle McLennan
Methods of Teaching and Adapting English Curriculum for Students with Special Needs / Paige Weaver
McKenzie Hollenbach
2015 Penn-Del AER Conference: April 22 – 24
Three Exciting General Sessions…32 Concurrent Sessions…8 Poster Presentations
Honoring Kutztown University: A Celebration of 50+ Years of Service Providers
Vendor Exhibit Hall…The Penn-Del AER Awards Banquet…Annual Silent Auction
Harrisburg, PA —Best Western Premier Central Hotel and Conference Center
twitter.com/PennDelAER
Please share this with everyone who might be interested!
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