DEN Blog Network

The 2009 Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge, hosted by the Siemens Foundation, Discovery Education, and the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), is now open for entries.  In addition, the challenge has expanded to include elementary school students as well as middle school students this year.  The deadline for elementary level entries is January 31, 2010, and the deadline for middle school entries is March 15, 2010.  The goal of the challenge is to encourage K-8 students to design replicable solutions to environmental issues in their classrooms, schools and communities.

Recently, the grand prize winning team from the inaugural year of the challenge, Team Dead Weight from West Branch, Iowa, presented their project to an audience of peers, UN representatives and media.  View this video to learn more about the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge and Team Dead Weight: http://bit.ly/noUP7.

I’m looking to put together the ultimate playlist for DEN events and I need your help. Please think of some great songs and complete the form below. Click here to access the published version of the playlist.

Image Citation:
Music Note Character. . 2009.
Discovery Education. 17 August 2009
<http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/>

I’m in Erie, Pennsylvania, for the 3CsETC. I’m excited to have the opportunity to meet so many from my PLN.

What is 3CsETC?

The 3Cs ETC Conference is a collaborative effort between NPAECT, IU5, CFF Coaches and the LEARN Initiative. The conference name was created using 3Cs (Connect, Communicate, Collaborate), which NPAECT has used as their day-conference theme in the spring and fall of 2008 combined with ETC (Educational Technology Conference) which was added to 3Cs as the conference joined forces with CFF and LEARN.

NPAECT, LEARN and CFF and IU5 separately were working toward the same goal of assisting teachers in changing their teaching practices using technology as an integral part of their curriculum, so this collaboration made perfect sense.

One goal of 3Cs ETC is to provide quality professional development and training and to host engaging and motivating keynote speakers, conference presenters, and hands-on learning opportunities to educators in the northwest Pennsylvania region. Our second goal is to develop a vibrant professional learning community of 21st century teachers who recognize the rapid changes in our world that demand changes in our classroom instruction and who are willing to invest in a vastly different educational system that still focuses on challenging our students to succeed.

Here are my presentation resources for my keynote and concurrent sessions. You can access more conference resources on the 3CsETC website and Ning network.

Power Up Your Professional Learning Network - Keynote
Presentation
Resources

Creating Online Class Communities - Concurrent Session
Presentation

Learning 2.0 – Engaging 21st Century Learners - Concurrent Session
Presentation

Thinking Outside the Slide: Non Linear Multimedia Presentations - Concurrent Session
Presentation

Welcome to the DEN National Institute 2009 at the Headlands Institute in Sausalito, California.

Here are the presentation resources for my breakout sessions.

Director’s Cut - Digital Storytelling with Photo Story and Movie Maker

Digital Storytelling 2.0 with Web 2.0

Google Tools for Schools

Cover It Live and ustream

Vlogging with DE MediaShare 

Discovery Education MediaShare Users Guide

Thank you to all the wonderful college and university students who are spending their summer working with middle school students in the Lehigh Valley Summerbidge program.  I applaud your commitment to learning and to your community.

Click here to log into Discovery Education.

Here are some resources that will be helpful in your use of DE streaming and DE Science this summer.

• 50 Ways to Integrate DE streaming
• DE streaming Quick Start Guide
• DE Science Middle School Quick Start Guide
• DE Science Integration Strategies
• Embedding Video into PowerPoint 97/2003
• Embedding Video into PowerPoint 2007
• Widgets for Your DE streaming Builder
• Get Your ‘Og On - Glogs, Blogs, and Vlogs
• Roundtrip Tickets to Anywhere - DE streaming and Google Earth
• Thinking Outside the Slide - Non-Linear Multimedia Presentations

Here are some great Web 2.0 applications.

• Voicethread
• Go Animate
• MyPlick
• xtranormal
• MakeBeliefsComix
• Glogster
• Animoto
• Kerpoof
• Pixton
• Diigo - social bookmarking and annotation
• Wikispaces - ad-free educational wikis
• Edublogs - moderated educational blogs
• Edmodo - microblogging, shared calendars, private document sharing, annotation

Here are some additional educational technology training resources.

• Blogging
• Podcasting
• Wikis
• Voicethread
• Glogster
• Animoto
• Learning Networks
• Digital Storytelling
• Digital Storytelling with Web 2.0
• Diigo
  
• WebQuests
• Google Tools for Schools - Google Earth, Google Maps, Google Docs, Google Calendar, Google Groups, Google Sites, Google Knol, Google Reader, Blogger, Google News, Google Customized Search, etc.

These are just really useful applications.

• URL shrinkers and chunkers
• Media conversion tools

I can’t believe that NECC is just around the corner!  I’m thrilled to be heading back to D.C. for NECC.  If you are planning on attending NECC, here are some things to work into your schedule.

We have a fantastic lineup of sessions for the June 27 Discovery Pre-Conference Extravaganza at One Discovery Plaza including:

• 50 Ways to Integrate Discovery Education streaming

• More and Muir Tech Tips for Going Green

• Staggeringly Good Things Mixing Media and Google Earth

• Get Your Og On: Blogs, Glogs and Vlogs

• Power Up Your Professional Learning Network

• Top Ten FREE Web 2.0 Sites

• And more!

Space is limited.   Enroll today!

Using Multimedia in the Classroom - NECC Workshops
Join mimio and Discovery Education at NECC in Washington, D.C. for free educator sessions to learn how you can quickly and easily create interactive lessons using mimio Interactive systems and Discovery Education content. Get tips and hands-on experience making your own presentations with our small group demo stations.  All attendees will receive a gift bag and Discovery Education streaming 30-day trial subscription, plus be entered into a drawing for a complete mimio Interactive system!

• When:  Monday, June 29th; 3:00 to 4:30; Tuesday, June 30th, 9:00 to 10:30

• Where:  Grand Hyatt Washington, 1000 H Street NW (3 blocks from the Convention Center), Farragut Square and Lafayette Park Ballrooms.

Seating is limited so arrive early to guarantee your space.

NECC Workshops Featuring Hall Davidson, Steve Dembo, and Scott Kinney

Eight Things You Didn’t Know You Could Do with Video - Hall Davidson

Monday, 6/29/2009, 3:30pm–4:30pm WWCC Ballroom B

Follow video’s instructional path through Jing, Google Earth, blogs, Web 2.0, cellphones, flipcams, and edits. Touch assessment, teacher-training, evaluation. Web-based work has never been simpler.

From Banned to Planned: Cell Phones in Schools  - Hall Davidson

Wednesday, 7/1/2009, 12:00pm–1:00pm WWCC Ballroom C

Cell phones–like calculators–needn’t be banned from the classroom. Learn about technology use plans, model applications, best practices, amenable vendors, training, and bold thinking.

Moving Beyond the Information Age  - Scott Kinney

Wednesday, 7/1/2009, 8:30am–9:30am WWCC Ballroom A

Explore how consumers worldwide and students in your very own classroom interact with content differently than ever before.

The 10 Best Free Web 2.0 Tools for Teachers  - Steve Dembo

Monday, 6/29/2009, 8:30am–9:30am WWCC 146 B

Discover the 10 best free Web 2.0 sites and how to leverage them to transform learning–both your students’ and your own!

Check Out The Discovery Team Presentations at the Discovery Education Booth in the Exhibit Hall

The Discovery team will be facilitating presentations throughout the day on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.  Stop by to learn about some terrific ways to integrate high-quality digital media into engaging 21st century lessons.  Or, just stop by to tell us how you are using DE media with your students.

I am looking forward to visiting with you at NECC!

Our wonderful community is approaching another birthday at NECC in a few weeks.  We hope you can join us on June 27, 2009 (9 AM to 3:30 PM) for an engaging day of networking, professional development, fun and of course, birthday cake, at the world headquarters of Discovery Communications in Silver Spring, MD.

As part of this year’s celebration we are looking to showcase “digital bulletin boards” that reflect what the DEN means to our STARs.  What is a digital bulletin board you ask?  Well, it could be a PowerPoint slide that links out to all the cool things you’ve done with the DEN.  Or it could be a Voicethread, Inspiration map, Glog, etc.  The format has to be digital, the content has to be DEN and bonus points for creativity.

We will display the digital bulletin boards during our pre-NECC event and allow everyone to vote. Everyone who submits an entry will receive a DEN baseball cap and the winner will receive a super deluxe pack of DEN swag as well as the fame and fortune associated with winning. And you DO NOT have to be present to win.  Every STAR is encouraged to submit his/her own digital bulletin board.

Please send your entries to Lance Rougeux (lance_rougeux@discovery.com) by Friday, June 19, 2009.

Image Citation:

birthday cake. Discovery Education. 2009.
Discovery Education. 5 June 2009
<http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/>

Join us for our final DEN webinar of the school year on May 26 at 7 PM ET.  We will discuss all things DEN-related and unveil some very special awards to members of the DEN community in our first-ever DENny Awards Ceremony.  Click here to register.

We have also decided to open up a window for STARs to nominate their colleagues for a special Community Choice DENny.  Do you know a STAR who goes above and beyond to support the DEN community?  Do you read a certain STAR’s blog all the time because it is just so good?  Of course you do.  Take two minutes to recognize those STARs by completing the nomination form today.  Creativity is strongly encouraged!

All nominations for Community Choice DENny Awards must be received by 5 PM ET on May 25.

I’m so excited to participate the Day of Discovery sponsored by KOCE at the Betsy Ross Elementary School in Anaheim, CA.  I will be unveiling my new presentation, Get Your ‘Og On.

Blogs, Glogs and Vlogs – what the heck is an ‘og anyway?  Come join us as we get our ‘ogs on and learn about these simple applications.  At the end of this session you’ll learn how you can plant a little Web 2.0 widget code and grow it into a global collaboration.

You can click here to download the presentation materials.

Join us for our final DEN webinar of the school year on May 26 at 7 PM ET.  We will discuss all things DEN-related and unveil some very special awards to members of the DEN community in our first-ever DENnies Awards Ceremony.  Register today!