Geekybird

Well I finally got home at 3:30 this morning and crawled into bed. Even though I was exhausted, I couldn’t fall asleep because I was still energized from all of the new information that I learned, the connections that I made, and the many creative tech-integration strategies that educators shared with me while I was at NECC.

But it wasn’t always about the technology or the latest and greatest gadget/gizmo. In fact the DEN is just as much about networking and having fun as it is about sharing information.

And trust me we did a whole lot of that - including going to a Dude ranch and shedding the world of web 2.0 for some good ol’ fashion down-home fun. Of course, as a Discovery employee I had to make a video. Check it out:
Whether it was Hall’s presentation on creative ways to use the Cell Phone, or a DEN Star’s use of Close Captioning to reach his ELL students I was constantly amazed, and bemused, at the richness of creativity that I was exposed to.

I plan on filtering this information over the long weekend and, as always, look forward to reading your comments, thoughts, ideas and suggestions as we experience this journey together.

I can’t believe how fast NECC has come upon us! It seems like only yesterday we were in Atlanta - learning from each other and exploring new ideas. So tomorrow, before the sun rises, I will find myself at the airport on my to San Antonio, Texas.

I’ve set my brain on Sponge so that I can soak up all of the great information, ideas, and creativity that will be shared by the educators that attend.  And speaking of attending - we’ve got close to 100 educators from the Mid-Atlantic region that are going to be there and, not only be there, but presenting information as well!

Of course we are going to brag about all of the Discovery Educators who are presenting throughout NECC! In fact we’ve created a schedule of their presentations and will hand it out in our booth. Be sure to stop by booth number 8155 to see the Discovery Educator schedule, learn some neat tips and tricks, and see all of the new stuff!

In addition to the Discovery Educator presentations that will be in the concurrent session rooms, the DEN team will be presenting in the booth as well. Click here to see the booth schedule: DEN Team NECC Presentation Schedule

Finally, while I’ve got my Sponge setting on, what nuggets of tech-gold do you hope to mine/learn or share at NECC? And, if you will be presenting and want to provide a little blurb about your session, please a comment below so that we can all see it here too!

Can I get a Whoop Whoop for VA and the VA DEN?!?

The VA DEN LC helped organize and deliver a fantastic VA Day of Discovery on Saturday, June 7, 2008! I am still so excited that we had over 50 educators in person and another 30 on-line come together and share their time, creativity, and enthusiasm with each other…on a Saturday…during the last week of school…when temps outside reached 100+! If that does not spell commitment I don’t know what does!

Together we explored new ways to integrate DE streaming assets like images, videos, sounds, etc into applications like Photostory, Greenscreens, Photostitching software and more.

We’re still working on getting a page up on the VA DEN Blog to display all of the handouts, however, you can access many of the handouts by going to the Bird House page.

Our very own Hall Davidson provided the afternoon keynote - thank you Hall!

Many thanks to Katie Knapp for all of her hard work, presentation, and organization, Doug Knapp for lending us his school, and Aron Sterling, Deb Ashby, Kevin Johnson for presenting.

But the good times, they keep a-coming. We’re moving up Interstate 95 to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for a Day of Discovery on June 24, 2008.

During that day we’re going to have two special keynotes. The morning keynote (9am-10am), Lost in Translation: A New Meaning of ESL will be delivered by our very own Lance Rougeux and the afternoon session (12pm-1pm), The New Permanent Record, will be delivered by our very own Steve Dembo.   As a bonus we’re going to to offer both of these sessions virtually through WebEx!

To register:

1. Go to https://discoveryed.webex.com/discoveryed/j.php?ED=97511502&RG=1&UID=0
2. Register for the meeting.
3. Check for confirmation email with instructions on how to join

Hope to see you there!

Over the year’s I’ve posted PowerPoint presentations, Word Docs, and more on the streaming A-Z blog but found that they can be hard to find the more I post.

So that said, I have created the Bird House page to post resources that I have created or collected from my tech friends. I’ll try to keep them in a themed area and somewhat organized. So check it out (look up - see its right there in the header bar) and feel free to download these resources and make them yours!

Enjoy!

At the risk of sounding too geeky - I’ve renamed this blog in reference to a few different things:

1. One of my all-time favorite cartoons, Transformers, (loved movie too) when I was growing up (ok maybe still)
2. The Phoenix bird (see image in header)
3. My love for technology and its impact within the classroom

All of these things have a common theme - transforming into something even better.

• The transformer cars, planes, and bikes, etc all joined together to become a super-entity maximizing the strengths of each individual unit.
• The mythic phoenix bird rising from the ashes has symbolized transformation and/or rebirth since Egyptian times
• And edtech is constantly evolving in new and exciting areas, challenging students and teachers alike to think in new and collaborative ways.

So, there you have it my friend, the reason I have chosen this quirky, and very geeky, blog name. I hope to transform the former Matt Monjan blog into a place where you can come and get ideas, tech tips and tricks, and knowledge that I come across along the way. Hopefully we can enjoy this journey together as I welcome all of your comments!

On another note, it will also be a place where I cheer on ALL of our DEN star educators and, of course, the Mid-Atlantic region!

Speaking of…did you know that on June 7, 2008 the VA DEN is going to host a Virginia Day of Discovery? And the really cool thing is that you can participate from the comfort of your house as many of the sessions, including the keynotes, (afternoon by The Hall Davidson) will be delivered via webex.

To see the agenda/program check out the attached .pdf Virginia Day of Discovery agenda/program

To register make sure you go to the online registration form and register today!

Recently my colleague Kim Randall - DEN Western Region- sent me a link to the embedded video below.

Which got me thinking about our LCs- in a song like way…

I Love ALL our teachers from coast-to-coast
But of the Mid-Atlantic, I have to boast
We’ve got Virginia and it’s LC team
And Pennsylvania - what a dream
Boom de ah da boom de ah da boom de ah dah

We’ve got New Jersey - what a boon
And Maryland whose LC is coming soon!

Ohio will soon be on its way
which is why I say…
Boom de ah boom de ah da

The Mid Atlantic Team is Just Awesome!

Then I thought…what if you could send me a sound file (matt_monjan@discovery.com) of why you love the DEN and a photo to compliment it?   I’ll coallate your responses and unveil at the next Day of Discovery - more information coming soon - keep your eye on the blogs!

Of course you can share your comments here too!

Join us on Monday, April 28, 2008 at 6:00pm EST for the first ever Mid-Atlantic DEN STAR Drive-in.

What will the drive in feature be you ask? The DEN of course!

We’ll have our DEN Stars take you behind the scenes and explain why they joined and discuss what they feel are the most important reasons for joining. We’ll also explore the DEN website, walk through the Star application process, and, of course, give out prizes!

Now what would a good Drive-in be without Popcorn? Well you’ll get that too - but to do so you’ll need to go to and fill out the registration form by Wednesday, April 24, 2008 - so that I can send it to you!

This session will be delivered over Webex in a Webinar format. To join the Webinar on April 28, 2008 at 6pm please do the following:

1. Go to https://discoveryed.webex.com/discoveryed/j.php?ED=96399582&UID=0
2. Enter your name and email address.
(This meeting does not require a password.)
3. Click “Join Now”.
4. Then call 866-469-3239
5. Dial in the meeting number 559 413 441 and press the # sign
6. Then press the number 3 and the # sign

And of course - there will be prizes:

The first 5 people (Stars to-be) to fill out their applications and record an event (become a Star) will receive a DEN baseball cap.

And the first DEN Star to recruit 5 or more new stars (they have to complete the entire application including recording an event) will receive a Planet Earth DVD Box set.

So don’t delay fill visit and fill out the registration form today!

I think I found him Monkeying around on the 2nd floor here at Discovery…but then I couldn’t tell which one was Hall

Said with love Hall…wherever you are…