Michigan Discovery Educator Network

There are some interesting webinars coming up. Check them out!

Becoming a Storm Ready School Webinar
Monday, November 16 at 4 PM ET

Learn how your school or district can easily become certified as StormReady.  Guest speaker Angelia Enyedi from NOAA’s National Weather Service will walk educators and district administrators through the simple process as well as the benefits of becoming Storm Ready. We’ll also hear from guest speaker Sharyl Wood of Nassau County, Florida’s school board on her district’s Storm Ready certification process and the improvements they’ve made to their overall plan for severe weather.

Register today!

Elmer’s Glue Crew Recycling Program Webinar

Tuesday, November 17 at 7 PM ET

Save the bottles. Save the sticks. Save the planet! The Elmer’s Glue Crew Recycling Program is back with more fun and interactive ways to engage your students in recycling Elmer’s glue sticks from their classroom or even throughout their school. Join this webinar to learn how to easily get your own classroom involved, and hear from guest speaker Shannon Dominick, whose classroom won last year’s grand prize in the Glue Crew Recycling Program.

Register today!

EdTechConnect with Gary Stager

Wednesday, November 18 at 7 PM ET
Creative Computing and the Case for Project-based Learning
Veteran computer-using educator, speaker and journalist Dr. Gary Stager will explore how project-based learning fuels creativity and amplifies the power of computing. This webinar will explore questions of “What is a project?” and “What are the essential elements of a good project?” The theory underlying such practice will be discussed and imaginative applications challenging each learner to maximize their potential will be shared.

Click here to register.

Classrooms Are Awesome! The Return of the Discovery Education Hoodie
We know that you do some awesome work in your classrooms using Discovery Education resources.  So show us!  Upload a 1-2 minute video, podcast, or other multimedia file that explains how you use Discovery Education resources to engage your students and get a limited edition Discovery Education sweatshirt (aka DE Hoodie).

Share your work and get a hoodie at: http://www.discoveryeducation.com/awesome.

Day of Discovery: Tech or Treat Conference

Saturday, October 24, 2009

8:30 am to 3:15 pm

Registration is now available for the “Day of Discovery: Tech or Treat Conference” at Harper Creek High School (map) in Battle Creek, MI. Click here to register now.

This event is jointly sponsored by the Michigan Association of Computer Users in Learning (MACUL) and the Discovery Education Network (DEN), featuring MACUL’s “Making It Happen” award winner, Andy Mann.  Choose virtual sessions from nationally known speakers and/or face-to-face sessions with experienced technology trainers. There is no cost for the conference. Lunch is provided. All teachers are welcome, although space is limited. SB-CEU’s available. Door prizes provided by Discovery Education and MACUL.

Virtual Sessions by Discovery Education’s National Speakers:

Can I Help You With That?  The Student as Collaborator

Do You Have the Audacity to Podcast?

Thinking Outside the Slide

Putting the Bling in Your Builders

What on Earth is a Gloggle?

Be Nice and Share: Publishing Your Media-Infused Projects

In Person Hands-on Sessions: (subject to change)

The Best Open Source & Free Windows Applications (Andy Mann)

Google Earth: All Over the World and In your Backyard (John Phillips)

Hands-on: Geocaching in the Classroom (Gina Loveless)

SMART(board) Discovery Streaming (Melissa White)

Thinkfinity: Free Lesson Plans and Educational Resources (Jim Stewart/Karen Lemmons)

Podcasting: Supercharged Writers

Digital Storytelling: Make it Personal

Google Docs: Really, I can do that? (Lisa Wickman)

Get Connected with Social Bookmarking (Melinda Waffle)

Click here to register: https://lrougeux.wufoo.com/forms/den-fall-virtual-conference-battle-creek-mi/
If you can’t make the in-person event you can attend the virtual sessions from the comfort of your own home.

Click here to register

For more information, email Lisa Wickman at: wickmall@haslett.k12.mi.us

This year’s Discovery Education Virtual Conference will take place on Saturday, October 24.

The Michigan face-to-face site will be at: Harper Creek High School, Battle Creek, MI.

Time: 8:30am - 3pm

More information will be coming soon! Stay Tuned!

The proverbial torch has been passed from Pam Shoemaker to myself, Eric Strommer.

I am your humble Blog Coordinator for the Michigan DEN. But I am not alone in this venture. There is a team of DEN members who will be contributing posts on a regular basis. John Phillips from Battle Creek and Kristi Bush from Marshall are experienced bloggers who will grace us with their posts.

I have kept a blog as a part of the DEN for a few years now and I hope to be able to be able to provide a quality Michigan DEN blog as my predecessor Pam did. She set the bar high but we will deliver!

There are two opportunities to apply to present at educational technology conferences:  

1.       Collaborative Tools Conference – Nov 13 at Macomb ISD.  Call for Speakers Application due Sept 28.  http://webtools4learning.org

2.       MACUL Conference – March 11 & 12 in Grand Rapids.  Call for Speakers Application is due Sept 29.  http://www.macul.org

Perks for both:  Free registration, and great learning and networking opportunities!

Click here for the July Michigan DEN Newsletter.

This year, several Michigan educators applied and were accepted to be DEN STAR Educators.  To learn more about what that means and to apply, click here.  DEN STARS have access to training kits, special events, and fun perks.  The best part is being connected with other STAR educators from across the nation.  Welcome to the following new 2009 STARS from Michigan!

• Karen Lemmons
• Shawn Massey
• Derk Oosting
• David Taylor
• Andy Blackman
• Stefani Lennard
• Peggy Stasko
• Cynthia Alvarado
• Katherine Lisk
• Karen Christian
• Carol Smith
• Michele Cannaert
• Sharon Kubica
• Mary Johnson
• Mary Lynn Kovach
• Michael Thomasma
• Erica Trowbridge
• Laurie Custer
• Naomi Roberg
• Kristi Cummings
• Kathleen Donohue-Vredevoogd
• LaFleur Linda
• Susan Nykamp
• Megan Reilly
• Karen Shoskey
• Kelly Slagh
• Jill Sloothaak
• Kathy Swanger
• Katharine Valz

Get ready for a new school year with the DEN!  The entire month of August is jam-packed with free webinars.  Tell a colleague, invite your principal and join us for Summer School with the DEN.  Enroll today at: http://community.discoveryeducation.com/webinar.All sessions begin at 11 AM EST. 

Digital Storytelling Week

• 8/3/09: Thinking Outside the Slide: Creating non-linear PowerPoint presentations and learning centers with Discovery Education Media
• 8/4/09: Digital Storytelling Made Easy: Using Discovery Education Content with Animoto and PhotoStory
• 8/5/09: Director’s Cut: Discovery Education Media and MovieMaker (PC)
• 8/6/09: Director’s Cut: Discovery Education Media and iMovie (Mac)

Leadership Week

• 8/10/09: The Information Society is HERE: Are our schools up to the task? with Dr. Scott McLeod
• 8/11/09: Policies, Safety and Social Networking
• 8/12/09: Web 2.0 for Administrators and Others: Schools, Tools, and the 21st Century
• 8/13/09: Data Driven Decisions with Discovery Education Assessment

Science Week

• 8/17/09: Myth Busted: Easy Ways to Integrate Digital Media into Your Science Classroom
• 8/18/09: Getting Your Hands Dirty with Discovery Education Science
• 8/19/09: Differentiating Instruction with the Discovery Education Science Assessment Manager
• 8/20/09: More and Muir Tech Tips for Going Green

Web 2.0 Week

• 8/24/09: Get Your Glog On! The DE streaming Builders and Glogster
• 8/25/09: The Thread that Ties it All Together: Discovery Education Content and Voicethread
• 8/26/09: Two Roundtrip Tickets to Anywhere in the World: Designing Virtual Field Trips with Discovery Education Media and Google Earth
• 8/27/09: Learning Through the Funnies: Mixing Discovery Education Content with Free Comic Tools

Enroll today!

Google Earth released new and updated imagery and higher resolution 3D terrain for many locations, including Michigan!   If you have not visited Google Earth lately, you need to check it out!  I took a quick screenshot of Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes (NW Michigan’s Lower Peninsula).  I have vivid memories of running up and down the dunes with my family as a child.  It’s time to go back for a visit!  Does this sound interesting to you?  Visit the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Visitors Bureau website.