DEN Blog Network

We look forward to celebrating the DEN’s fourth birthday with many of our STARs at our pre-NECC Birthday Party Extravaganza on Saturday, June 27, 2009 at Discovery Headquarters.

If you are staying for NECC, I strongly encourage you to check out the following sessions from the DEN team.

Using Multimedia in the Classroom
Join mimio and Discovery Education 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!

Bring a friend!

STAR Discovery Educators who bring a colleague with them to the Using Multimedia in the Classroom session will receive a Discovery Education t-shirt.

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

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.

Monday, June 29

The 10 Best Free Web 2.0 Tools for Teachers  
Steve Dembo
8:30-9:30 AM
Location: WWCC 146B 

Eight Things You Didn’t Know You Could Do with Video  
Hall Davidson
3:30-4:30 PM
Location: WWCC Ballroom B

Wednesday, July 1 

Moving Beyond the Information Age   
Scott Kinney
8:30-9:30 AM
Location: WWCC Ballroom A

From Banned to Planned: Cell Phones in Schools  
Hall Davidson
12:00-1:00 PM
Location: WWCC Ballroom C

Thank you to everyone who spent last Saturday with us for our first-ever DEN Geocaching Day.  We had 30 DEN Guides leading groups and many other STARs who ventured out on their own.  It was an incredibly successful, fun and enriching day.  And the best part is that it doesn’t stop now.  We have a bunch of DEN travel bugs that will be making their way across the country so be sure to monitor their progress.  We also some Discovery-themed caches out there now including the now famous Deadliest Cache!

We’ll have more pics up in the Event Gallery soon, but here is my personal favorite from the day.  Chris Cuppett’s group submitted this great shot from the perspective of a hidden cache.

We had a fabulous day of geocaching in Ocean City today.  As a whole, my folks found all 30 geocaches that we looked for… that is unbelievable… We had great weather and loads of fun…Thank you so much for letting us do this… I sure do hope we do something like this again next year…:)
- Chris Cuppett (Technology Integration Coach, North Salisbury Elementary, MD)

Count on it!

Okay, so when I was packing for my trip to Australia with the Discovery Student Adventures team, I was imagining sunny skies and warm weather. So let’s just say my suitcase was definitely not prepared for 50 degree weather and rain everyday since we arrived. But that’s okay, because when you travel with Discovery Student Adventures and you have a fearless travel manager like Amanda, you take those lemon like situations and make SOLO, an Aussie version of lemonade that has become our Australian addicition. It could have been a normal drive into Bush Camp, but when the rain caused the roads to become too muddy and slick, Amanda transformed that route into a 4 wheel drive adventure… the bigger the puddles the more the kids hooted and hollered.So here’s a brief look at what we’ve done so far since arriving abroad only 8 days ago. Let’s see if I can get this in one breath…Landed after an 17 hour flight and headed straight to the Moonlit Animal sanctuary where we fed and walked among wallabies, cleaned Rita the wombat’s cage and checked the fertility of sugar gliders. Nice scenic tour through Melbourne… very artistic place! A hike among the canopy of the Australia rainforest at Otway fly (screamed my head off when the kids shook the bridge) Took the “Great Ocean Road” drive, one of the top 10 drives in the world… watched what happens to CarolAnne when she has eaten too many lollies (candies) let’s just say the call it the liquid laugh (but it’s definitely not funny!) Had a behind the scenes tour of Healesville Sanctuary where kids got to witness a kangaroo autopsy (let’s just say I stayed behind the glass and by the looks on the kids faces, I made the right choice!) Went shopping in the famous Victoria Market and enjoyed some local yellow kiwi (bought beanies, gloves, and a scarf as it is still freezing cold and rainy) Took a flight to the center of the outback where we had an overnight at the Ooramina Bush Camp… made bread, learned how to crack a whip, enjoyed a roaring campfire, and we slept in swags (an Australian sleeping bag type thing) An early rise and off to one of the most famous iconic Australian spots… know to some as “The Rock” other’s as “Ayers” and officially as “Uluru” It’s GIGANTIC. Met with Cassidy an Aboriginal who taught us how to make glue, throw a spear, told us stories in the sand, and helped us make dot paintings. Cooked our own dinner on the barbie. Woke up at O-Dark-thirty to watch the sunrise over Uluru. It did not disappoint and words don’t do it justice! A magical moment for all! We saw our first glimpse of sun… but we are still bundled up… in fact they hit record lows today! Kids got to ride camels in the bush (laughed hysterically at their expressions) Took flight again to the northern shores…. officially threw jacket off as we hit the warm tropical weather… but guess what… still raining! Did I mention that we’ve seen rainbows EVERY DAY?!?! We are officially somewhere over the rainbow! Witnessed a croc feeding at Hartley’s Crocodile farm and one of my trip highlights cuddled up with a Koala (they are VERY stinky and I decided not to sneak him in my bag) Watched where we stepped at a Banana factory Saw lots of banana trees and even helped packing a few, LOTS of mud, a terrific waterfall, the biggest spider I have ever seen in my life, and the BEST cream and lemingtons for morning tea. Headed toward the Great Barrier Reef and stopped for a picture with the world’s largest Gum Boot for Eren. Enjoyed an Aussie burger… they put beets on them… it’s fantastic! Reached Reef HQ and practiced snorkeling at Adrenaline Dive. Now the kids are down stairs at the Reef HQ learning how to identify fish and coral for their research expedition to Orpheus Island tomorrow…. insert long exhale here!Can you believe all that in 8 days!Enough from me… go now to http://dsaaustralia.blogspot.com and read the kids and teachers AMAZING twitters and blogs. POST COMMENTS… they read them every night!Now, go to http://discoverystudentadventures.com/ and pick which adventure you want to go on next year. EVERY teacher needs to have this amazing experience with their students and where there’s a will, there is a way!So cheers to each of you and a giant G’day from Australia! Here’s a sneak peak of what we’ve done so far!

Nine STAR Discovery Educators were recently selected to take the trip of a lifetime through the Discovery Student Adventures program.  Our first crew is already in Australia and the team going to South Africa leaves next week.  Let’s meet our STAR adventurers.

Australia (May 25 - June 7)

Follow their adventure

• Jennifer Jensen (Douglas County, CO)
• Carol Anne McGuire (New Village Leadership Academy, CA)
• Kenneth Shelton (Los Angeles Unified, CA)

South Africa (June 2-13)

Follow their adventure

• Jason Cochrane (Cedar Rapids Community, IA)
• Linda Rush (Diocese of Dallas, TX)
• Karen Wells (Midland School District, AR)

China (August 4-18)

Follow their adventure

• Brett Harvey (Glendale Unified, CA)
• Rita Mortenson (Verona Area School District, WI)
• Heather Sullivan (Freehold Regional, NJ)

About Discovery Student Adventures

On a Discovery Student Adventure, curiosity is all you really need. Because traveling with Discovery is not about sight seeing (although you’ll certainly see the sites.) It’s about experiencing the world through the eyes of Discovery. It’s about doing. Getting involved. Sure you’ll learn new facts along the way. Fascinating stuff. Things you couldn’t possibly have imagined. But more importantly, a Discovery Student Adventure will empower you to make the most of every single second. To enjoy this rich experience in ways you never thought possible - as an explorer, scientist, adventurer. And by the time you get home, you’ll have changed. It’s the reason a Discovery Student Adventure is like no other. And precisely why they last forever.

To learn more about the amazing trips for 2010 to places like the Arctic, Costa Rica, Italy/Greece and more check out the Discovery Student Adventures site. 

It was a STAR-studded event last night as we unveiled our first-ever DENny Award Winners.  Here they are in case you missed it.

Leaders of the Year

• Fred Delventhal, MD
• Teryl Magee, TN

 Leadership

• Bridget Belardi, PA 
• Tim Childers, TN
• Linda Rush, TX 
• Susan Tompkins, LA

PL-DEN

• Lori Abrahams, IL
• Lee Kolbert, FL
• Anne Truger, IL

Legend

• Peggy Barger and Jim Hopton, PA (aka J-PEG) 
• Carole Gooden, FL

Individual Blog

• Barbara DeSantis, NJ
• Heather Hurley, VA 
• Maria Lourdes C. Angala, Washington, D.C. 
• Tracy Standhart, NY
• Heather Sullivan, NJ

Leadership Council Blog

• Michigan 
• New York 
• North Carolina
• Pennsylvania
• Second Life
• Texas

Most Creative DEN Events

• CA LC – Grunion Run and KOCE Day of Discovery 
• MO LC – DEN at the Roasterie and Fall in Love with Discovery
• TN LC – Best Buy on Digital Photography and A “Movie”ing Day on the TN River

DENthusiasm

• Jessica Donaldson, SC 
• Genny Kahlweiss, CA
• Carolyn Rains, AL

STAR Power

• Matt Frey, Brevard County, FL

Educator Resources

• Traci Blazosky, PA 
• Alexa Flores-Hull, AZ
• Emma Haygood, MI 
• Lori Molt, KS
• Beth Weeks, TX

Community Choice

• Golden Sponge Award - Gail Braddock, TN
• Marvelous Media Specialist – Lynda Baker, MD
• STEM – Eileen Malick, VA
• Best Virtual Hair (Purple Category) – Nancy Sharoff, NY

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.

While I know many of you are counting down the days until summer break, the scientists at NOAA are counting down the days until hurricane season. On Monday, we’ll be doing a very special webinar featuring scientists from NOAA as they share the science of predictions with you and your students!

To attend this webinar, all you need to do is click on the link to register, and then attend using a computer with speakers attached.   Your students will be able to ask questions directly of the scientists and discover first hand how science is allowing them to predict when and where hurricanes are going to form.   Click here to register.

Want to learn more about how to be prepared for every type of emergency?  Visit the Ready Classroom website and click your state on the National Preparedness map!

On May 30, 2009 we will host our first-ever DEN Geocaching Day!  Every STAR Discovery Educator is encouraged to venture out with some colleagues on May 30 and have some fun geocaching.  Do you want to join us?

For muggles (non-geocachers) and pros alike, STAR Discovery Educators Bridget Belardi and Conni Mulligan will host a “Geocaching 101″ webinar to get us ready.  The webinar will answer the basic questions of “What is geoaching?” and “How do I get started?”  as well as emphasize the curricular connections of geocaching.

The webinar will be offered three times:

• Wednesday, May 6, 2009 (7 PM EDT)
• Wednesday, May 13, 2009 (7 PM EDT)
• Wednesday, May 27, 2009 (7 PM EDT)

Register for one of the sessions today.

So now that you have a resource to get you started, what exactly will the day look like?  Well, we have a group of DEN Guides (experienced geocachers) who have agreed to host events in their areas.  If you would like to be a DEN Guide and organize an event in your area,  please let me know (lance_rougeux@discovery.com).

You can join one of the DEN Guides or if there isn’t an event in your area, we encourage you to form a group (and let us know) and give geocaching a try for the day.

For groups that register with me (i.e., those that have a DEN guide to lead them), we will help you out with lunch, send a special DEN travel bug your way and provide you with some prizes for the day.

Here are the current sites with DEN Guides.  If you’d like to attend one of these events send an email to the DEN Guide listed.

Ooraminna Bush Camp in the Australian Outback
DEN Guide: Jennifer Jensen
Sorry, registration for this one is closed

Evergreen, CO
DEN Guide: Angie Wulff
awulff@jeffco.k12.co.us

Lake Wales, FL
DEN Guide: Cathy Hammel
cathy.hammel@polk-fl.net

Palm Beach, FL
DEN Guide: Dawn DeWitt
dewittdawn@palmbeach.k12.fl.us

Cedar Rapids, IA
DEN Guide: Jane Suiter
JSuiter@cr.k12.ia.us

Skokie, IL
DEN Guide: Steve Dembo
Steve_Dembo@Discovery.com

Wichita, KS
DEN Guide: Jim Clark
JClark@usd259.net

Lafayette, LA
DEN Guide: Louise Prejean
lprejean@louisiana.edu

Ocean City, MD
DEN Guide: Chris Cuppett
CCUPPETT@wcboe.org

Commerce/Highland, MI
DEN Guide: Pam Shoemaker
PamelaShoemaker@wlcsd.org

Asheville, NC
DEN Guide: Conni Mulligan
Conni.Mulligan@bcsemail.org

Kinston, NC
DEN Guide: Lee Yahnker
dragonflyly@netscape.net

Portland, OR
DEN Guide: Jennifer Gingerich
jennifer@gingerichfamily.com 

Connellsville, PA
DEN Guide: Linda Michael
sandymae13@verizon.net

Honesdale, PA
DEN Guide: Lori Sheldon
sheldon.lori@waynehighlands.org

Lancaster, PA
DEN Guide: Sue Allen
susan_allen@hempfieldsd.org

Pittsburgh, PA
DEN Guide: Bridget Belardi
bridgetbelardi@gmail.com

Columbia, SC
DEN Guide: Donna Teuber
dteuber@sc.rr.com

Angleton-Brazosport-West Columbia, TX
DEN Guide: Shirley Phillips
sphillips@angletonisd.net

Pearland-Alvin-Friendswood-Manvel, TX
DEN Guide: Mark Dunk
dunkm@pearlandisd.org

LaConner, WA
DEN Guide: Martha Thornburgh
mthornburgh@mv.k12.wa.us

No matter if you are going with a group or venturing out on your own, add your name to the list of DEN Geocachers.  You might see someone in your area with whom you can connect.  And if you do form a group, let me know (lance_rougeux@discovery.com).

Click here to add your name to the list of DEN Geocachers!

View the full spreadsheet

It has been a pleasure and honor to work with our Discovery Educators for the past four years and we look forward to many more years of collaboration with our community.  For our Friday celebration we want to emphasize once again that everyone at Discovery values and appreciates the work you do each and every day.  So, today we will give away some cool Discovery prizes.

Post a comment to this blog post telling us what you would like to see the DEN offer, expand upon or change for next school year.  Every hour on the hour (from 12 PM EDT to 5 PM EDT) we will give away a Planet Earth Interactive DVD game and a Discovery Picnic tote.

At 6 PM EDT we will select one lucky STAR Discovery Educator to win a cardboard cutout of the Mythbusters that will most assuredly be proudly displayed in that STAR’s classroom (or newly remodeled basement).

The winner of the Mythbusters’ cutout will be announced in the DEN Weekly Update.  If you don’t get the weekly update via email no worries.  It is also posted on the blog as well.

Thank you once again for everything you do for your students and each other.  Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!

List of winners

12 PM
Nancy Sharoff (picnic tote)
Dani Hall (DVD game)

1 PM
Mona Effler (picnic tote)
Jana Baxter (DVD game)

2 PM
Karen Bosch (picnic tote)
Netia Elam (DVD game)

3 PM
Eileen Malick (picnic tote)
Martha Thornburgh (DVD game)

4 PM
Laura Cummings (picnic tote)
Jennifer Kraft (DVD game)

5 PM
Mary Del Bianco (picnic tote)
Fara Faust (DVD game)

Thanks to all the STARs (106 of you) who gave us their 3 words to describe the DEN.  The results are pretty interesting. You know one way to collaborate is to share your resources via the DEN Educators Resources library?  And during DEN Spring Training you’ll even get a prize.  That’s collaborative, fun, engaging and more!

Here’s the embed code for the DEN wordle:

<a href=”http://www.wordle.net/gallery/wrdl/826285/DEN_2009”
    title=”Wordle: DEN 2009″><img
    src=”http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/826285/DEN_2009”
    alt=”Wordle: DEN 2009″
    style=”padding:4px;border:1px solid #ddd”></a>