… THANK A TEACHER! It’s Teacher Appreciation Week so thank a teacher… or thank all your teachers! Almost every single teacher I know does what he or she does for the students — THAT’S YOU! Your appreciation means more to them than almost anything.

It’s easy to appreciate a teacher. Here’s a little Mad-Lib style exercise to help you do it:

“Excuse me, ____________ (teacher name), do you have a minute? I just want to THANK YOU for _________________________ (something specific, such as ‘suggesting the Mayans as my research topic,’ ‘holding me to high standards,’ ‘staying afterschool to help me with fractions,’ etc.) It’s really helped me ________________________ (something specific, like ‘feel better about math,’ ‘realize it’s okay to make mistakes,’ ‘grow to love biographies,’ etc.) You’re the __________________ (descriptor, such as ‘best,’ ‘cream of the crop,’ ‘cat’s pajamas,’ ‘most rad,’ etc.)”

Tomorrow, May 6th, is actually Teacher Appreciation DAY! Think about it. Act.

Fears are normal and a fear of public speaking is often referred to as the #1 phobia in the U.S. Are your knees knocking when you have to give an oral report? Does your voice shake? Do you start to sweat?

I got to interview third grader Mary Moss Wirt, a young student who recently gave a presentation at Discovery Education headquarters about the importance of using technology and digital media to reach kids in her generation. She had a global audience, including principals, teachers, and government officials. Mary conquered her nerves with a few simple tips and thinks you can, too. Here are some excerpts from our chat:

JE: Tell me about your presentation.
Mary: It was very exciting. I feel like “the bigger the better” when it comes to the crowd. I’d rather talk to a huge audience than a small group.

JE: How did you prepare?
Mary: Well, I have already given this talk three times. This one was the big one, because I got to speak in front of superintendents, principals, and teachers.

JE: You gave this presentation in DC. What are some favorite moments from the trip?
Mary: My favorite part of the trip was the flight, because it was my first time on an airplane. And the best museum we visited was the Museum of Natural History.

Watch Mary’s presentation here.

MARY’S TOP 3 TIPS FOR A GOOD SPEECH
1. If you’re worried or scared, just breathe! Tell yourself: there’s nothing to worry about.
2. Think about how you want to present: I like to hold a handheld microphone, instead of having a microphone stand or having one clipped to my shirt. I feel more comfortable holding onto the microphone.
3. If you think you mess up during the speech, repeat your point or just stop… and then pick up from where you stopped.

Thanks for the tips, Mary!

Maybe you’ll be inspired by these huge ideas for saving the environment. Check them out at Discovery News.

Done something on a smaller scale? Started a school recycling program or volunteered at a local wildlife refuge?

Leave a comment and let us know what you did for the earth today!

Today I had the unique opportunity of working one-on-one with a Chicago Public Schools student named Bryan. The two of us collaborated to kick off a new and exclusive project: creating educational infographics for the upcoming Discovery Channel series North America. The infographics will provide students and educators with interesting data about the biology, ecology, and geography of North America. The most challenging part of the project is to present a lot of statistics and numbers in a visually appealing manner.

Luckily for me, Bryan had the exact skills needed to tackle the task at hand. With his proficiency in Photoshop and professionalism, Bryan and I were able to team up to begin creating a graphic that compares the lengths of three different sharks (spinner, blacktip, and hammerhead) that appear off the coast of North America. Here’s a screenshot of some of our work….

Bryan was part of a larger group of students from Chicago Public Schools that visited Discovery Education on March 14th and learned about project management, design, programming, databases, and migration. I hope they were all able to gain a greater understanding of how their current education relates directly to jobs in the “real world.” I would say they are off to a great start!

Discovery Announces New Show and Contest

Coming this spring, Discovery Channel announces its new show, The Big Brain Theory. The show will bring together a bunch of science geniuses to solve “insane scientific challenges.”

As part of our announcement and Pi Day celebration, Discovery has also launched a contest for YOU: record yourself reciting Pi for six seconds… c’mon, get as far as you can down the infinite sequence in the time allotted and win prizes.

Read all about the show launch and contest (open until April 1) here.

I just played the Toyota Teen Driver game and found it very realistic. Usually driving games are such bad quality that the player can’t picture it happening in real life. This game is not like that at all, you chose a real car and can change the color if you want. The game has all the things you would see if you were driving on the road, like STOP signs. In the game you are put through 4 scenarios that drivers, especially teen drivers, are exposed to frequently: The first scenario is driving while your friends are distracting you, the second is eating while driving, the third is tuning the radio while driving, and the final is texting while driving.

I am a teen driver and agree that these 4 scenarios are recurring problems for teen drivers. Before receiving a license, teens have to graduate from a Driver’s Education program where they learn about the dangers that distractions can have on their driving. This information doesn’t seem to seep into young people’s head, because many drive with distractions, anyway. It usually takes an eye-opening experience for teens to realize that they are not invincible; this game definitely gets that message across.

I was surprised to see how bad my driving was while being put through these 4 challenges. I thought the driving while changing the radio and texting were the hardest. Those two situations are the main distractions teens face. After you complete each level, you get a score card of how you did along with some facts that blew my mind! One was “A driver who talks on a cell phone while driving is four times more likely to be involved in a serious accident.” If you are a driver or soon to be one you should definitely try this out.

On Wednesday, February 6, 2013 I was the very first student host for Discovery Education’s Webinar: “Don’t Worry… Get APPy”. We were celebrating Digital Learning Day by talking to kids around the USA about their favorite educational apps.

Student from Virginia participating in Savannah's session

Being the first student host was a little nerve-racking but with the help of my family and my school cheering me on, I knew I could do it. I was really happy because my Dad was in the room with me! It was very exciting- and he even video taped it! I really enjoyed being the student host! It was an amazing experience that I would love to do again. I especially loved talking to many students and teachers and about their favorite apps!

Of course, when working with technology there’s always a glitch! The power went out in our school in the middle of the broadcast. It felt like an hour, but it was only a couple of minutes before we were back on.

Some of the apps that I heard about were Drawing Pad, Toontastic, iMovie, Edmodo, Nearpod, Strip Designer, Sketch Nation and many more. Out of all the apps I’ve learned about, the one that fascinated me was Fooducate. This app was very interesting. It scans labels and tells you if the food you are eating is good for you or not. Fooducate would be a great app for my health class! I can’t wait to share it with my teacher!

For everyone who watched, I hope you enjoyed the show and learned a lot! I can’t wait to see what the next webinar will be!

Hi, my name is Savannah Wolff, I’m 14 years old, I love to sing, dance, act and draw. When I grow up I want to become an actress. I’m a sweet, fun-loving girl who tries to brighten up the world with my sweet smile and my fun personality.

I go to school at New Village Leadership Academy in Calabasas, California. I’m in 9th grade and my favorite subject is English. NVLA is private school from Preschool through 12th grade. I’m also a part of Rock Our World, an international project with students from all over the globe!

I’m so excited to host the first Discovery Education student-led webinar on Wednesday, February 6th at 10am PST. On National Digital Learning Day, students and teachers from across the nation are gathering together to celebrate the integration of technology in teaching and learning. I can’t wait to share this special day with you as we travel (virtually) to schools around the states and hear about their favorite educational apps! Don’t miss “Don’t Worry, Be APPy!”

Join us as we cheer Savannah and dozens of other students from around the nation, as they share their favorite educational APPs. Bring your students along! Register today!

Discovery Education and 3M are looking for students in grades 5-8 to compete to be America’s Top Young Scientist. Enter today!