Have you ever watched an extraordinary sunset end a perfect day, leaving you hanging on until the last light disappears? Many of life’s most memorable experiences tend to provoke this feeling. Leaving the Discovery Educator Network (DEN) Summer Institute 2010, was no exception.  At the end of a remarkable week filled with learning, at Bentley University, I was left in awe of more than the heat, reality of dorm life, and numerous stairs everywhere!  The true magic of a DEN Institute appears when exceptional educators from all over the United States and Canada, join forces to produce extraordinary projects in only a few days.  

Here's a "snapshot" of my week~

Sunday: Kick Off BBQ with our fellow STARS and gift exchange.  We each brought a gift from our home state to share with another person. It was a great team building activity! 

Monday Morning: Overview of our week and projects with our teams. We learned about Discovery’s updated tools.  New information was divided up between teams.  Each team presented in a given “television genre”.  Our team shared the new features in the “My Content” section as a game show.  

·       Monday afternoon: Boston Trolley Tour.  Dinner at my favorite author Peter Reynold’s, company FableVision. Peter is best known for the children’s books Ish and Dot. Peter provided a private book signing for us of a book he wrote called, So Few of Me.  Discovery gave us each a copy as it’s message was appropriate for the busy week ahead.

·       Tuesday: Class with Lodge McCammon that transformed the way I think about using media in the classroom. Lodge turns difficult content into engaging songs, chants, and adventure.  Through the use of FLIP Cameras he commands students of all ages and learning styles to imprint learning into memory. Lodge’s music is now featured on Discovery Education!

·       Lodge McCammon Class Video & Information

·       Wednesday & Thursday:  Workshop Choices

o   Deep Dive into Discovery Education resources

o   Glogster

o    Edmodo

o   Google Tools 4 Educators

o    iPad in the Classroom

o   Prezi

o    25 free things on Discovery Education in < 60 min.

 All sessions and presenters were fabulous! Each one provided something a little different that I can take back to the classroom.

·       Wednesday evening was spent with the magnificent leaders of edu.glogster .  They threw an ice cream party in their trademark colors of “pink and green”.  Many great ideas and stories were shared of how the use of “glogs” have made a difference in classrooms.  It is a powerful tool for students to showcase their work in. 

·       Thursday: Work & Play: Classes, projects, and a little evening Hollywood Celebration to end in style. 

·       Friday morning:  Sharing of projects, goodbyes, & Thank You’s!  Some were of Emmy Award winning material.  Here is one of my favorites! Leave it to Wheezer. 

The learning does not stop with the conference's end.  Connecting with friends new and old through Twitter, Facebook, and Edmodo, allows continued collaboration, sharing, and learning in the DEN Community.  Thank you Discovery Education Network for another amazing week!