Lakeside Learning

We always find ourselves lakeside! Enjoying my birthday at lakeside at Lago Trasimeno on our Tuscan off the beaten path adventure.

Here’s to 54!

Meet Dr. William Smolka DVM!
Will graduated this week from Texas A&M with his Doctor in Veterinary Medicine.

Twenty years ago at a small parochial school, I was told that his reading difficulties were just because he was a boy. I pulled my PhD in Education card and shared all the reasons why this wasn’t true. Yet, I couldn’t get the support he needed. We enrolled in the public school for Third Grade. Within weeks, I got a letter that they wanted to pull him into GT program. I pushed for both testing … twice exceptional!

Will was diagnosed with dyslexia in 3rd grade. At the end of the year, he passed the Texas state reading exam by only 1 question.

After a year in a program with Waxahachie ISD, he missed only 1 question on the 4th grade reading exam. He went on to graduate from Bishop Dunne Catholic HS as #11. He excelled at being his own advocate asking for and getting the individual supports that he needed. In 2017, he graduated from Angelo State University with Double Major Degrees in Animal Science and Range & Wildlife Management and a minor in Chemistry.

He is my duck 🦆. To those watching, he appears for be gliding effortlessly across the water. But what you can’t see is how fast and hard he was paddling.

Medical school was very hard. We shared a lot of tears through the didactic learning and so many exams. He let go of the need for
“Great Grades” and understood that he excelled in the REAL part of being a vet. Other students might have a A on a exam, but not really understand how to implement it on a working ranch with animals.

On June 6, he joins Arden Animal Clinics in San Angelo. This group of Drs met him when he was 17 and we arranged for free summer internship after his junior year. They have supported him completely over the ten years with a job during undergrad, a gap year, and summer jobs. This was critical for him to get the hands on experience to be successful during school.

Throughout this time audiobooks, recordings of lectures, large whiteboards, iPads and notes, note cards all made a difference. Learning Ally helped get us started with the value of audio support. Thank you!!!

Dr. Jennifer Smolka
PhD Education UNT 2002

Dr. William Smolka
DVM Texas A&M 2022

This Friday is our annual KofC Fish Fry! There will be Dine-In and Take Out available at only $10 per plate. It begins at 5:00 pm and lasts until the food runs out.

Learning at home: Facilitating remote instruction for students with Down syndrome Learning at home: Facilitating remote instruction for students with Down syndrome

We are very excited to welcome David Sayre to the Lakeside Learning Team as our new Learning Design Manager.

David is a Master Sergeant in the United States Air Force currently assigned to Lakeside Learning as an industry partner through the Department of Defense Skill Bridge program. During this partnership, David will assist Lakeside Learning in developing learning solutions for various entities such as K-12, higher education, community organizations, non-profits, disability outreach, and corporate business. In his 20-year career, David held numerous leadership and management positions in logistics operations, project management, safety and environmental, human resources, and as an instructor for professional military education. Prior to beginning with Lakeside Learning, he was the Program Manager for the U.S. Air Force Non-commissioned Officer Academy. In this position, David and his team of instructional designers developed curriculum and advised teaching strategy for a 25-day leadership and management course for 10 globally located facilities, 150 faculty members, and approximately 7,500 students per year. David recently moved back to his home state of Ohio with his wife Allison, three daughters Aubrey, Lauren, and Kate, and their dog Jake. He will officially retire from the Air Force in August 2021.

Education

Master of Education, Instructional Design & Technology (2021) – Bowling Green State University, Ohio
Bachelor of Science, Management/Training & Development – Bowling Green State University, Ohio
Associate of Applied Science, Instructional Technology & Military Science – Community College of the Air Force
Associate of Applied Science, Logistics Management – Community College of the Air Force

Recent Honors & Awards
Armed Forces Meritorious Service Medal (2021, 2019, & 2016)
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award (2020, 2019)
Senior Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year (2018)
Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year (2015)

Interview Request

321 eLearning is looking for parents and educators of students with Down syndrome who would be willing to participate in a short interview. We are interested in hearing all about your experiences supporting online, at-home, and remote instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic.

At 321 eLearning we are dedicated to creating and supporting a collective learning environment for the Down syndrome community. We aim to empower educators, parents, and researchers within the community by providing a mechanism through which community members can connect to build and retain a knowledge base surrounding the many aspects of eLearning for students with Down syndrome. Currently, we are working on an initiative to provide an online resource for parents and educators who are navigating the at-home or remote delivery of instructional materials to students with Down syndrome. We would be grateful for the opportunity to interview you and gain insight into the challenges you may be facing as a result of COVID-19 related changes to your student’s schooling experience.

The interview will take place virtually over Zoom and should take between 20 and 30 minutes to complete. We will explore your particular circumstances and discuss the challenges you and your student are experiencing. We are interested in learning about the support you are receiving from your student’s school, the technology available to you, and the learning materials with which your student is engaging. We are curious about your daily routines, what works and what does not, and the physical environment in which your student is learning. We would like to get a good understanding of your experiences managing the impact of the pandemic on your student’s learning experience.
We appreciate your time and effort in assisting us as we gather data for this project. The input we receive from these interviews will shape the focus of our endeavor and play a vital role in ensuring that we are successful in creating a product that is both effective and useful. Thank you for joining us on our mission to provide learning solutions designed to engage, empower, and educate all members of the Down syndrome community.

Please choose from one of the available time slots to schedule a time for your interview.

https://doodle.com/meetme/qc/X7etBKXw89

We are seeking parents who have a passion for supporting children with special needs to join the SEPAC council.

The purpose of the council will be to share ideas, problem solve, and brainstorm in a solution-oriented manner to improve the lives and educational outcomes of students with disabilities and their families.

If interested, please join SEPAC on Thursday, Oct. 15, at the Waxahachie High School lecture hall at 4:30 p.m.

We have a great project that we are working on with a SME who is currently residing in Tokyo. I am looking for a contact for a video studio in Tokyo for this fall to create high quality instructional content.

Please share any contacts or recommendations.

When you are a night owl 🦉 and have to become an early bird 🐦....

New client and project has us spanning the globe 🌎 from Dallas, to Boston, to London, to Mumbai, to Tokyo! Managing ⏰ zones with many participants means that we have regular meetings at O dark thirty.

Coffee ☕️ will be a required start to the morning ... and I’m full leaded for today.

When your co-workers can be loud and demanding.....

Post a picture in the comments of your four-legged, work-at-home team!