REMC XI Discoveries

Now you can participate in a Discovery Education Webinar for a sneak peak of wonderful enhancements to Discovery Education streaming that will be coming your way this summer! July dates for the Back to School Preview 2009 are the 2nd, 14th and the 21st.  And there are more to come.

Just click on the Discovery Education Webinar Series link in the Professional Development box on the lower right of the streaming front page. You can also access the series in the Professional Development section of the site by clicking on the Professional Development tab at the top of the page.

Throughout the year there are dozens of outstanding Webinars on a variety of teaching and learning topics that integrate technology in the Discovery Professional Development section. Jump in and explore the possibilities!

Videoconferencing program recognized internationally.

Berrien Springs, MI - Berrien Regional Education Service Agency (Berrien RESA) has been recognized as a Laureate by the Computerworld Honors Program. This year’s honorees will be commemorated during the 21st Annual Laureates Medal Ceremony & Gala Awards Evening on June 1, 2009 at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C. Berrien RESA’s Videoconferencing Web site can be found at www.berrienvc.org.

Each year, members of the Chairmen’s Committee, a group of 100 Chairman/CEOs of global technology companies, nominate individuals and organizations around the world whose visionary applications of information technology promotes positive social and economic progress. Berrien RESA was nominated by Polycom.

“Berrien RESA is thrilled to be recognized by the Computerworld Honors Program for our videoconferencing abilities,” said Dennis Lundgren, Berrien RESA’s Director of Instructional Technology. “We have worked to ensure that students in southwest Michigan actively participate in worldwide learning experiences. Videoconferecning is an excellent technology to facilitate that learning.”

“Each year, the Computerworld Honors Program seeks to recognize organizations, from a variety of sectors, for their ongoing efforts to utilize technology in order to benefit society,” said Ron Milton, Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Computerworld Information Technology Awards Foundation and Executive Vice President of Computerworld. “We are proud to provide a platform to publicly acknowledge these contributions.”

Computerworld is the leading source of technology news and information for Internet Technology influencers worldwide. Computerworld’s award-winning Web site (www.computerworld.com), weekly publication, focused conference series and custom research form the hub of the world’s largest (40+ edition) global IT media network.

Its that time of year to think about DE streaming renewals for the 2009-2010 school year.

If your district is in the REMC XI service area, please send a purchase order to Berrien RESA REMC XI by August 31, 2009, and include the name(s) of the building(s) and the district’s contact person.

As in the previous three years, the REMC Association of Michigan has negotiated discounted pricing. The REMC agreement includes the AIMS Media Package along with streaming. School Districts send a purchase order to their REMC and then the local REMC submits one purchase order to Discovery Education for all the region’s buildings. Subscriptions are by building not district. A building is defined as having a single street address.

These instructions and additional information can be found on the Berrien RESA streaming Web page at:
http://www.berrienresa.org/destreaming.html

Additionally, Discovery Education streaming Plus is available at additional cost. This adds additional content, including select Discovery Channel programs, bringing the total videos to over 9,000. A flyer regarding streaming Plus is available on the Berrien RESA DE streaming Web page.

The DE streaming subscription expires September 30 of each year. The August 31 deadline gives us time to let Discovery know who is renewing or adding. REMC XI will invoice the districts after September 30 in the fall for the subscriptions.

New and Improved - After School Discovery 09 is an update of an introduction to streaming developed a couple years ago. This 60 minute workshop is one approach to provide an after school professional learning experience for as many as 10 to 12 participants. It is designed to introduce new users to streaming. The workshop was also developed so building level folks have the tools to deliver their own professional development.

Click here to download the After School Discovery 09 document.

Also New - There is now a companion After School Discovery PowerPoint that can be found at http://www.berrientech.org in the Discovery Education streaming link in the list of services. Click here to download the PowerPoint.

With the introduction of Discovery’s new training videos (see the previous post), building level streaming enthusiasts have a very complete one-hour workshop to share with teachers and staff. Additionally, you can find many more resources to facilitate learning in the streaming Professional Development area on the streaming site – including Discovery’s own one-hour training.

The After School Discovery workshop and streaming professional development resources are especially helpful if you are in the process of becoming a STAR Discovery Educator. Learn more about becoming a STAR at http://community.discoveryeducation.com.

So, when you are called on to do that after or before school introductory session, this 60 minute lesson plan may be just the ticket!

On the Professional Development page in Discovery streaming you will find new Exploring Discovery Education streaming videos featuring Scott Kinney, Vice President of Outreach and Professional Development, and Hall Davidson, Director of DEN Partnerships for Discovery Education.

Let Scott and Hall do the teaching for you when you introduce streaming to your staff! Stream the videos or embed them in your own PowerPoint. This is a great addition to the PD resources provided by Discovery Education.

To find the training videos, log into streaming, choose “Professional Development” in the upper right tab, and find the link to the videos at the top of the page. As we said in the 90s - way cool!

Mark your calendars – TechCamp is back at Berrien RESA in Berrien Springs, Michigan this coming summer. TechCamp 2009 will be held August 25-26, 2009 at the Berrien RESA Conference Center from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm. TechCamp 2009 is a two-day technology integration event featuring over 20 hands-on sessions for all K-12 educators. Get geared up for the new school year with the latest tools as well as proven lessons and ideas to use your available technology.

TechCamp 2009 Call for Speakers:
If you are interested in sharing your expertise with other educators please consider leading a session at TechCamp 2009.  Each session is hands-on and lasts 1.5 hours.

To complete the Call for Speakers online form or for more information visit the wiki site at: http://tech-camp.pbwiki.com.

Join folks in Kalamazoo, Michigan, for an engaging, technology-infused professional development workshop focused on creative ways to use digital media in the classroom. Learn techniques to inspire your students and maximize the resources from Discovery Education streaming.  “50 Ways to Integrate DE Streaming” and “Extreme Makeover: Education Edition” are just a couple of the sessions that will be offered.Educators from all grade levels and all technology skill levels are welcome to attend. 

This Day of Discovery is brought to you by the Kalamazoo RESA, the Michigan Discovery Educator Network Leadership Council and Discovery Education.

Location:  1819 East Milham Ave., Portage, MI
Times:  8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Breakfast & Lunch Provided

Kalamazoo “Day of Discovery”
Please RSVP to Michael Bryant by using the below website:
https://discoveryed.wufoo.com/forms/kalamazoo-day-of-discovery/

This one is fun. We borrowed this idea from another school. When we run videoconferences, we have two Polycom units in the same room that use the same type of remote. One remote can mistakenly make unwanted changes on both Polycoms. Janine Lim found this interesting solution to “focus” the remote:

Yes, it’s a toilet paper roll! We are finding videoconferencing to be a great technology in our schools. Take a look at Janine’s Videoconferencing Web page or visit her blog Videoconferencing Out on a Lim.

Intro to Discovery Education streaming at REMC XI

A free workshop is being offered to REMC XI new users of Discovery Education streaming on Wednesday, October 15, 2008. The hands-on workshop will take place at the Berrien RESA Technical Training Center in Berrien Springs from 4:00 to 5:30 PM. Participants will lean to logon, search for content, and play and download videos.

Register online at http://www.berrienresa.org or call Jo at 269-471-7725 ext. 1149 and register for BC# 09-106.

There is a “Day of Discovery” event coming up soon, and you won’t want to miss it!  The Discovery Educator Network is having its second annual Virtual Conference on Saturday, October 25.   The DEN Virtual Conference provides a unique opportunity to learn powerful ways to integrate digital media and Web 2.0 tools into your instruction as well as discover an abundance of resources to expand your own personal learning network.

Educators can attend the conference from home, or they can attend a face-to-face event, where hands-on workshops are facilitated by Michigan STAR educators, in one of the following two locations:

1.    Haslett High School:  8:30am to 3pm. This event is jointly sponsored by the Michigan Association of Computer Users in Learning (MACUL) and the Discovery Education Network (DEN), featuring virtual sessions from nationally known speakers (see schedule below) and face-to-face sessions with experienced technology leaders. Attending is FREE and lunch will be provided!  All teachers are welcome, although space is limited.  Attend in-person sessions on digital storytelling, podcasting, new features of DiscoveryStreaming, Creating voice and screen capture videos, interactive websites, and more!  Click here to register.
2.    Macomb Intermediate School District: 8:30am to 3:45pm.  This event is sponsored by Macomb ISD and the Discovery Educator Network.  Virtual sessions will be provided by nationally known speakers (see schedule below). The hands-on breakout sessions will be presented by local technology experts and STAR Discovery Educators including Arnie Comer, Rita Hughes, Frank Miracola, Jennifer Parker-Moore and others.  The cost is $20.Click here to register.

Virtual Presentation Schedule

9 AM: Raise You’re Hand if You’re a Rock Star
Steve Dembo

10 AM: No Mind Left Behind: Using Media to Reach Your Students
Jannita Demian and Matt Monjan

11 AM: Discover the DEN
Lance Rougeux

12 PM: Power Up Your Professional Learning Network
Jennifer Dorman

1 PM: Moving Beyond the Information Age
Scott Kinney

2 PM: It’s in Your Pocket: Teaching Spectacularly with Cellphones
Hall Davidson

3 PM: Raise You’re Hand if You’re a Rock Star (encore)
Steve Dembo

4 PM: No Mind Left Behind: Using Media to Reach Your Students (encore)
Jannita Demian and Matt Monjan

5 PM: Understanding Your Students’ iBrain
Brad Fountain