Streaming A to Z

Forty educators nationwide awarded $1,000 to implement inventive classroom lesson on sustainability

Silver Spring, MD (August 25, 2008) – General Motors and Discovery Education are pleased to announce the forty winners of the 2008 LIVE GREEN Teacher Grants. Each of the forty winning middle or junior high school educators will receive a $1,000 grant to implement new, inventive classroom lessons on the environment or renewable energy initiatives.

As stewards of the next generation, teachers are uniquely positioned to instill in their students excitement and optimism about the future of our planet. The LIVE GREEN Teacher Grant program recognizes outstanding educators who are implementing innovative ideas, inspires teachers to improve science instruction and empowers educators to offer students hands-on exposure to real-world environmental and energy topics. To view the complete list of LIVE GREEN Grant winners, visit www.discoveryeducation.com/livegreen.

Chris Anderson of Gateway Regional Junior/Senior High School in Woodbury Heights, N.J. is eager to start the school year and continue the work his class has already begun. “We are so grateful for this grant award. We will use the funds in my classroom to extend the sustainable food and energy projects that we are working on in my technology education curriculum. My students will be thrilled.”

In applying for the LIVE GREEN Grants, applicants submitted an essay online explaining how they will advance their students’ learning about sustaining resources. A panel of judges from Discovery Education and several partner organizations judged each submission on content, originality/creativity and adherence to contest parameters. The forty winning essays demonstrated vision, imagination and a unique way of presenting environmental and energy concepts to students.

In addition to receiving a $1,000 LIVE GREEN Teacher Grant, each winner is invited to participate in an online professional development program connecting them with leaders in the sustainability community and providing them with additional resources to support green initiatives in their school. The three-part webinar series is scheduled to kick off in mid-September. Grant winners also will receive a free video flip camera to record their experiences integrating environmental themes and lessons into their curriculum.

Kerry Girardin, a Science Teacher from Phoenix Multicultural Academy in Detroit, Mich. commented, “Sometimes it seems like an uphill battle with no assistance. This award will make a tremendous impact in the possibilities for this year. I promise that I will make this money stretch and work as hard as possible. The children will benefit 100 percent.”

“General Motors and Discovery Education are proud to support these forty innovative educators as t hey introduce creative green lessons that inspire change in their school communities,” said Rod Gillum, GM Vice President, Corporate Responsibility and Diversity. “Through these grants, Discovery Education and General Motors are empowering teachers to improve instruction and enhance student achievement in an area of science critical to our future.”

For more information, visit www.discoveryeducation.com/livegreen.

Just a quick post to let you know that more inhabitants have moved into the Birdhouse. I have updated the page so that it now includes Powerpoints that show you how to tell a story with a few web 2.0 applications sites, create an multimedia powerpoint, and more!Check them all out by visiting the Bird House. As always mi Powerpoints son su Powerpoints so please feel free to use, edit, distribute, etc.!

Have a great Back to School experience.

Man how fast did this summer go by?  I swear I closed my eyes on June 1 and when I opened them it was almost August!  What happened to the slow lazy hazy days of summer?

Since the new school year is once again rapidly approaching we have set up a number of Back to School webinars to help you and your “rested” colleagues get back into the swing of things.

We repeated them multiple times so that you don’t have to worry about missing one of them :)  Check them out - they are as follows:

August 12, 2008 at 7:00 pm EST
Building a Bigger Builder - Your Guide to The DE streaming Tools
When teachers embraced Discovery Education streaming they found a wealth of resources including “The Builders” (Assignment, Quiz, and Writing Prompt builder). And now with Web 2.0 applications, “we have the technology to rebuild the builders” (thank you Six Million Dollar Man). During this session we’ll explore three web 2.0 applications, SlideShare, VoiceThread, and TeacherTube and how they can be incorporated into the DE streaming Builders. Now, armed with this knowledge, you will return to your classroom with new cyber tools for the 21st century.

August 20, 2008 - 3:30pm EST
Discovery Education: Getting The Ball Rolling
This one-hour session provides you with a plan to successfully roll out DE streaming within your school. We will be reviewing new account creation using passcodes, professional development options and best practices.

August 20, 2008 - 4:30pm EST
Discovery Education streaming: New Features and Benefits
This one-hour session provides your educators with the tools they need to be successful. We will be reviewing our most popular features and introducing you to our newest enhancements, including the classroom manager, new search words, new content and more!

August 20, 2008 - 7:00pm EST
Discovery Education streaming: New Features and Benefits
This one-hour session provides your educators with the tools they need to be successful. We will be reviewing our most popular features and introducing you to our newest enhancements, including the classroom manager, new search words, new content and more!

August 25, 2008 - 4:30pm EST
Discovery Education streaming: New Features and Benefits
This one-hour session provides your educators with the tools they need to be successful. We will be reviewing our most popular features and introducing you to our newest enhancements, including the classroom manager, new search words, new content and more!

August 25, 2008 - 6:00pm EST
Discovery Education streaming: Getting The Ball Rolling
This one-hour session provides you with a plan to successfully roll out DE streaming within your school. We will be reviewing new account creation using passcodes, professional development options and best practices.

August 25, 2008 - 7:00pm EST
Discovery Education streaming: New Features and Benefits
This one-hour session provides your educators with the tools they need to be successful. We will be reviewing our most popular features and introducing you to our newest enhancements, including the classroom manager, new search words, new content and more!

Of course you can always go here to see the full list of webinars - and there are a ton.  I hope to see you on one, two or more of them as we experience the new school year together.

This is a fun and easy trick that that will allow you and your students to add callouts and balloons to your Movie Maker movies. Once you install the files, they are ready to use each time you use Movie Maker.  Click here to see how…

Ok I admit it, I’ve always wanted to use the word “plethora” in a sentence and I’m a sucker for alliteration. Weird right?

Well, my dear friends, over the years I have collected a myriad of how-to instructions and ed tech integration ideas/solutions and put them together into presentations and pdfs. I have tried to tie each presentation back to DE streaming so that you can use your DE streaming library in new and creative ways.

This plethora of presentations is now all in one place! You can find them at the Birdhouse - a page that I’m also maintaining. Please feel free to download each and any presentation and make them your own.

You’ll want to check back often so that you can get the latest and greatest stuff! Enjoy!

I got this cool trick via DEN Stars, Cindy Lane and Jen Dorman and man is it cool!

Did you know that you can use the blue screen feature in Windows MovieMaker?  Yeah - how cool is that?  And since MovieMaker is a free download you don’t have to purchase an expensive movie editor to put your kids into a DE streaming movie.

What are Blue Screen and Chroma Key you ask?

Chroma Keying or bluescreening is very easy to do and is very common. In fact, every time you watch the weather, a bluescreen or greenscreen is used in the background.

Here’s how you do it with Windows MovieMaker:

1. Capture your subject in front of the bluescreen. (it is very important that it is blue for Windows MovieMaker - WMM!)
2. Upload your video onto the computer and open it in WMM (on XP).
3. Highlight the following xml code: (Source-windowsmoviemakers.net/forums)

<!– windowsmoviemakers.net/forums –>
<TransitionsAndEffects Version=”1.0″>
<Transitions>
<TransitionDLL guid=”{C5B19592-145E-11D3-9F04-006008039E37}” >
<Transition name=”Bluescreen” iconid=”12″ comment=”Makes first clip show through blue areas of second clip”>
<Param name=”KeyType” value=”1″/>
<Param name=”Similarity” value=”100″/>
<Param name=”Progress” value=”0.0″/>
</Transition>
</TransitionDLL>
</Transitions>
</TransitionsAndEffects>

4.   Copy it, and paste it into notepad. Click File>Save As>My Computer>Local Disc C>Program Files>Movie Maker>Shared>AddOnTFX.

NOTE: If you dont already have an AddOnTFX folder, right click then New>Folder. Save it as “bluescreen.xml”. Close notepad and open up WMM.

5.   Find the picture or video you want to show behind. Import it into WMM, and drag it down to the timeline, to the left of the video with your subject in front of the bluescreen.
6.   Now that your two video clips are in the timeline, go to your transitions and there should be one that says “Bluescreen”.
7.  Click it and drag it down to the timeline.
8.  Click the video of the bluescreen and drag it over onto the other clip. Don’t drag it to far because that will just make the clips switch places. Keep going until the blue triangle disappears, then go back just a hair.
9. Check out your preview and see if it worked.
10. Click File>Save Movie File to convert and export into a wmv.

Jen Dorman has provided a great easy to print-out doc here: http://tinyurl.com/3c7bjj

To see the screen shots that go along with these steps go herehttp://www.wikihow.com/Chroma-Key-in-Windows-Movie-Maker

Now here’s a little something you can do with DE streaming.

Log into DE streaming and type in the words “Video Yearbook.”  This will bring up our Video Almanac that stretches all the way back to 1938.  The neat thing about this video series is that all of the video and its subsequent archival material is editable.  That means you can go back in time and plop yourself or your students into these videos with the trick outlined above.   Imagine interviewing Dr. Martin Luther King and John F. Kennedy, spending  a day with the Boston Redsox during their spring training…in 1938, or roaring towards space on a lunar mission!  You are only limited to your imagination.

Enjoy your time travels and, if you get a chance, share some of your explorations with us!

This is way too exciting and way too cool and I wish I could take credit for figuring this out.  Yesterday my colleague Kim Randall (DEN Account Manager, Western Region) sent me instructions that she received from Dennis Cowick a DEN Star Educator from San Diego Unified School District. CC Instructions for Macs

I have attached the Word Doc that he created along with screen shots. Now Mac users can download CC files and enhance/change the actual CC text too. Thank you Dennis!

In addition to the CC Word doc, I’ve also created a PowerPoint that walks you through the steps that both PC and Mac users should take when downloading videos and CC files. You’ll also find integration ideas and a neat CC trick that shows you how to change the CC font size, color and even the text itself!  I hope that you can use this deck as a tool to show your peers the power of close captioning and media. Close Captioning For PCs and Macs

Finally, by way of Lori Miller a DEN Star from Montgomery County Public Schools, MD, I’ve attached a Word doc that outlines the steps that you’ll need to take to get CC files to play within a Promethean Flip Chart. Thank you Lori! Promethean and CC files

As always, a huge thank you to you - the DEN Stars.  You are not only educating your students but we techies too - keep on sharing your fantastic creativity!

Not too long ago the Discovery Channel aired a series called The Rise of the Video Game. The series featured the America’s Army game

We thought it would really cool to develop a Discovery Connect Webinar around that theme and Wow what an amazing, interactive and jam packed webinar that was!

This morning over 1000 students, teachers and administrators from around the country got a unique behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to create a video game from start to finish.

The session was led by Subject Matter Experts, Phillip Bossant and Mike Barnett. Phillip is the executive producer of the America’s Army PC game that is played by more than nine million registered users around the world. Phillip is based in Emeryville, CA located near San Francisco. Mike is the Chief Engineer Mike Barnett who oversees the development of military simulations that use the America’s Army game technology. Mike is based at Redstone Arsenal in Alabama.

Together Phil and Mike shared photos and stories with students. They answered questions and heard comments like:

• What are the best colleges to go to if you want to get into the video game industry?
• Where are the areas that you simulate in real life?
• How many people do you have working on a single game?
• It’s amazing how real everything looks!
• My kids thought the pictures were of the “real deal”

But just in case you weren’t able to join us this morning -we’ve got you covered. We recorded the event and you can experience it by clicking on this link: Discovery Connect Webinar - The Rise of the Video Game

As mentioned in the previous post The DEN also took two very lucky classes on field trips. Those students got to experience the simulations and motion capture suits first-hand!

To see pictures of the students put on motion capture suits and be put into a game in Emeryville, CA check out this link - Students in Emeryville, CA

To check out photos of the ROTC class that got to visit Redstone Arsenal in Alabama and play with the simulators check out this link: Students at Redstone Arsenal

You can also see video of both classes as well as video of the mechanisms that they got to simulate by checking out the files attached to this blog!

Emeryville Video

Redstone Arsenal Video

A big THANK YOU to Mike and Phillip for showing us what it takes to be a game developer and letting us experience your world.

If you are interested in attending future webinars, keep an eye out for announcements on http://blog.discoveryeducation.com. You can also register for currently scheduled events at http://discoveryed.webex.com Just click on Event center to see the full list of upcoming events

I’ve seen our educators do some really neat stuff, but this has got to be one at the top of the list!

Earlier this month I had the chance to travel to Alabama and visit Redstone Arsenal with a JROTC class from Bob Jones High School. During our visit the students were able to immerse themselves in a myriad of simulators - including a full scale HMMWV (Humvee for those of us that don’t speak military) surrounded by three floor-to-ceiling screens and surround sound!

While there, the students learned from subject matter experts like Special Forces Lt. Col. Randy Zeegers and Chief Engineer, Mike Barnett, about what it takes to create three dimensional virtual environments, the courses of study that prepare you to create games, and how Soldiers use game technology to train for real-world situations.

And just last week, Kim Randall - DEN Account Manager for the West and DEN Star, Diana Kenney, took a class to the America’s Army office in Emeryville, CA where the class donned motion capture suits and actually got to be put into a game!

And now everyone can share in their experience. On April 9, 2008 at 11am we’re going to be featuring the next webinar in our Discovery Connect Series - Discovery Connect America’s Army and Rise of the Video Games

What’s the tie in?

Recently the Discovery Channel released a series called The Rise of the Video Games. The America’s Army game was featured in one its episodes. During the webinar on April 9, 2008 we’re going to go behind the scenes and talk to the game designers and engineers who helped create one of the most popular online games today. We’ll also get the chance to talk with the students of those two classes and hear about their experiences!

Make sure that you register early to get a spot!

Hey guys,

Just in case you didn’t see this posting check out the information about the DEN National Institute.

July 21-25, 2008 we will have a National Institute where 100 educators from all over the country will have the chance to come to our world head quarters in Silver Spring, MD and participate in a week-long boot camp. During that week they will work on projects, participate in workshops and network with one another.

For more information, and to apply, check it out: http://blog.discoveryeducation.com/den-institutes/

Now you too can possess all the tips and tricks that I keep posting on this page!

Hope to see you in July!

Well they both can be challenging to get your hands around, often have lots of components that, on the first thought, shouldn’t really go together, and are lots of fun to work with and/or eat.

Recently I had the pleasure of visiting AIU 3 and delivering a few presentations to 50+ Library Media Specialists from schools throughout the greater Pittsburgh, PA area.

And the day was even more special because I had help from three very good friends - DEN Stars Peggy Bargar and Jim Hopton, and the Director of Product Development, (magic maker) Shelley Santora-Jones. Peggy and Jim took time out of their own schedules to deliver their fantastic content - in fact they blogged about it too - check it out!

Thank you so very much Jim and Peggy - or JPEG as we affectionately call them- for all of your help!

Shelley Santora-Jones, a Pittsburgh native, also came back home to provide a sneak peek into what is coming down the pipeline. Thank you very much Shelley.

And of course I got to be a ham (hold the mayo) as always and talked about the Builders and 50_ways_to_integrate_unitedstreaming.ppt If you haven’t had a chance to check out these ppts - feel free to grab them now.

Ok one more quick tip that was shared that day is something that I just think is the coolest thing since - well since I found out that french fries on a sandwich could be a pretty tasty idea! Did you know that you can make any movie Close Captioned?

Yep that’s right you can make a close captioned template that will work with ANY video!

To do that follow the steps below.

Note this only works on Windows based machines. That means that if you have a Mac you need a machine that runs the Windows environment as well. I can hear the groans from here -sorry guys.

Without further ado follow these steps:

1. Use the Advanced Search to find any video that is Close Captioned - it doesn’t matter which one
2. Check the Enable Closed Captioning Box in the Media Settings Area
3. Right-Click on the CC icon and either Save Target As (IE) or Save Link As (Firefox) or hold down Ctrl Key and click on blue download icon (Mac)
4. Save file in a Close Caption folder on your computer
5. Once the files are downloaded open up your folder
6. Right-click on the .smi file and open with a text editor like Notepad (remember Mac users you can do this if you have a machine that has the Windows operating system as well).
7. There you will see all sorts of code - erase any of the text that makes sense to you in English - i.e. “This is a shark about to bite a fish…” and not <ahref=> or some gobblety gook like that.
8. Now you have a blank template that you can use to insert your own words where “This is a shark about to bite a fish…” once existed.
9. Make a copy of this template file and save it in your Close Caption folder
10. Find ANY video in DE streaming and download it into your Close Caption Folder
11. Right-Click on the blue download icon and either Save Target As (IE) or Save Link As (Firefox) or hold down Ctrl Key and click on blue download icon (Mac)
12. Once saved, take note of the file name, and change one of your CC templates to match the video file name - exactly as it is named. The only difference should be that the file extension remains .smi
13. Open up the .smi file with notepad and enter your own, or your students’ own words into it.
14. Save this new file and enjoy the fruits of your labor!

Hope this helps - thanks!

What a day we had in Western Maryland!

On Tuesday, March 4, 2008, Lance Rougeux - Director of the Discovery Educator Network and or Mr. Pennsylvania - your call, Dennis Swain - DEN Account Manager for the North East, Alex Morrison - Director of Sales, Mid-Atlantic, and I had the chance to meet, interact, and provide a Day of Discovery to 130 Library Media Specialists and Tech Coordinators from Frederick County Public Schools and the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

Throughout the day we shared new ideas and best practices and we even launched a DEN Contest and I’m excited to see which school reigns supreme at the end.

Going out and interacting with educators is hands down my favorite part of the job! Not only do I feel like I’ve just gulped down 20 cups of coffee by being surrounded by so much energy but I always learn a new trick or two from educators in the room.

So to repay that favor, and if you’re a reader of this blog you knew it was coming, I’m including links to all of the powerpoints that we shared that day.

Please spread the feel free to give them a good home and, as always spread the love.

One note - I have removed the videos so that you can download them without melting your connection to the internet.

Enjoy!

Keynote: How to Reach the 21st Century Mind - Using Multimedia in the Classroom to Impact Instruction

Breakout: (Thank you Lance!) Google Earth - Two Round Trip Tickets to Anywhere

Breakout: (Thank you Lance!) 50 Ways to use Discovery Education Streaming

Breakout: Building a Bigger Builder

Breakout: Creating a Digital Story in Less Than Two Minutes

Breakout: (Thank you Dennis!) PowerPoint Presentations That Pop!

Now even if you missed the day or live in another part of the world - you too can share in the knowledge - and isn’t that what it is all about folks?

It was great to see lots of familiar faces and meet new ones at this year’s PETE and C.   One of my favorite moments was getting to share the stage with Lance Rougeux and Steve Dembo as we unveiled this year’s “Streaming with the Stars” presentation.

If you’re asking yourself what the heck is “Streaming with the Stars?” have no fear, just keep reading on my friend.

Earlier this year, Lance posted a blog and asked you to name your favorite Web 2.o application/site.  Lance, Steve and myself then presented the results in a tag-team format at PETE and C

“Oh right Matt, I remember that…kind of…” What is Web 2.o again?”

Well my futuristic friends:
The web widget is a portable chunk of code that can be installed and executed within any separate HTML-based web page by an end user without requiring additional compilation. They are derived from the idea of reusable code that has existed for years. Nowadays other terms used to describe web widgets including: gadget, badge, module, capsule, snippet, mini and flake. Web widgets often but not always use DHTML, JavaScript, or Adobe Flash.
Wikipedia contributors, “Widget,”
Wikpedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_widget (accessed 12/28/2007).

If you missed the presentation - take a note from Bobby McFerin and “Don’t worry, be happy” because I have attached it to this posting.  Streaming with the Stars Presentation

Please feel free to download, edit, share, and make it yours.

Matt

Last week I got invited by Roni Staimpel at the North Coast EMC to speak to educators from in and around the Cleveland, OH area. And this week, I’m back in Columbus, OH at the eTech Conference spreading the love.

Everyone I spoke to, both in Cleveland and Columbus, told me that I had to have Skyline Chili before I returned home to Silver Spring, MD. And I did, and it was wonderful!

But this isn’t a Zagat review, so here’s the tech-tie in. I took the picture with my cell phone, e-mailed it to myself, and then posted it on this blog. Now that isn’t all that complicated, but it is a simple example of what our students are doing all the time. In fact 70% of YouTube’s registered users are American and roughly half are under 20 years of age.

So how do we reach those learners? Well one way is to reach them by incorporating tools that they are used to, like iPods, cell phones, wikis, and blogs, tools they are already using, into your instruction and classroom.

Here is a PowerPoint that delves into that topic a little deeper. I have also included tips and tricks for reaching these 21st century learners. Feel free to edit it and make it yours! (Note this is the presentation delivered to the North Coast EMC minus the videos). The Digital Classroom - Reaching the 21st Century Learner

I hope that this presentation helps spur your imagination and order up some technology in your classroom - extra cheese and onions.

Wow what a great Virtual Conference!  On Saturday, February 2, 2008 we hosted our first ever national virtual conference.  People joined live in-person events, stayed home in their pajamas and logged in from home on-line, and even participated in Second Life!

I had the privilege of presenting to both a group of educators from Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania at our world headquarters in Silver Spring and to 100+ educators online from all over the country!  How cool is that?  I couldn’t have done it without the help of Heather Hurley, Fred Delventhal, Aron Sterling, and Katie Knapp of the VA DEN

Many of you asked for my presentation about “The Builders.”  And, as promised, I have attached it to this blog building-a-bigger-builder.ppt.

Be sure to check it out - it includes step-by-step instructions for creating a writing prompt, interactive quiz and assignment.  I also show you how to embed a Widget into your builder- very cool stuff.  Finally I include a list of free widgets that I think you’ll enjoy using.

So play around, build something bigger, and let us know what you’ve come up with - we’d love to brag about your success!

- Matt

Do you remember when the diminutive Gary Coleman asked the question”Whatcha Talkin’ ’bout Willis” and his catch phrase was born?

If not it came from the popular 80’s sitcom  “Different Strokes.” What the heck does this have to do with DE streaming?  You might be asking yourself.   Has Matt finally lost it? You might be wondering…quite possibly!

Ok here’s the tie-in.  Today’s classes, like the classes before them, are filled with students who are different learners - audio, visual, ELL, etc.   But today, this generation of kids is used to getting their information from iPods, cell phones, tv, the internet, and more - often at the same time.  It’s no wonder you get the blank looks or the…”Whatcha’ talking ’bout teacher…”

So what do you do?  How can you differentiate your instruction to meet these guys needs?  These guys who are wired in 24/7?

Well, while I don’t think I have the definitive answer, here’s a little PPT presentation that can help you differentiate your instruction using the tools that you can find in DE streaming.  Note, I’ve pulled the videos out of the PPT and so that it isn’t a bear to download.

Hope this helps!  Even better - leave a comment on how you use technology or DE streaming to reach your students so that we can learn even more.

After all “…it takes different strokes,  different strokes to move the world…” 

Differentiated Instruction and DE streaming

Man oh man - have I been out and about! My suitcase and I have become best friends as I have had the pleasure of traveling to meet one-on-one with teachers, administrators, and everyone in-between from School Districts up and down the East Coast.

I feel like that Johnny Cash song (or is it the Comfort Inn commercial?), “I’ve Been Everywhere” in fact…

Well, I’ve been to
Long Island, New York,
Arlington, Virginia,
Boston, Massachusetts (that’s where I learned about Google Lit Trips)
Nashua, New Hampshire,
Philly, Pennsylvania,
Bradenton, Florida (and I could name more-in the…)
But I’ve been everywhere man - you get the idea

My most recent trip had me in Broward County and Manatee County school districts delivering training sessions on things like 50 Ways to use Discovery Education streaming

And Differentiated Instruction and DE Streaming (click on link to download presentation)

Finally, a million thanks to Super Star, Carole Gooden from St. Lucie County and Karen Seddon, Super Star from Osceola County, FL for sharing their time and expertise with me and our good friends in Manatee County, FL!

Wow I’m really digging my new digs here on this site! Way to go Mr. Dembo!

Yesterday I had a chance to speak with a lot of DEN Stars, members and teachers from all over the country during the DEN Stream-a-thon. I promised you all that I would post the presentations that I used during my session.

As promised - please find the attached PowerPoint Presentation. Each builder is covered in detail and the animations will walk you through the steps that you need to take to complete each builder. Please feel free to modify them or use them to help others learn about these tools!

I promise this presentation isn’t as wonky as what you saw on the Stream-a-thon!

Assignments and Quizzes, and Writing Prompts - Oh My Power Point - At Last

Matt

That’s right baby we’re back with a whole new series of Discovery Connections!

During these webinars participants interacted with the Science Channel and Planet Earth producers and received a behind the scenes look at how it was all put together.

On September 13, 2007 at 1pm Eastern Standard Time we resume our Discovery Connection series. During this webinar we’ll have a live conversation with Danny Forster, the host and talent of Build It Bigger. 

He will provide an exclusive glimpse at the show behind the show. Danny’s presentation is perfect for  teachers to share with their students and there will be ample opportunities for him to answer your questions. 

In fact, we’re collecting questions now!  Please post your questions as comments to this blog.  All questions will be featured and answered in the presentation!

We have added a new feature to our Discovery Connect webinars to make it easier for you to share the event with students.  The audio from the teleconference will be sent through your computer speakers as well. This should make it simple to amplify for a classroom or auditorium. If your students would like to be able to ask questions live, a telephone connection will still be required.

Danny’s Discovery Connect will be limited to 200 virtual seats, so register early! Note: Even though you may have many students in a classroom, each classroom is considered a single seat.

Click here to register for this webinar.  While you’re there, don’t forget to browse through our list of upcoming webinars to find others that might interest you.

The past two Discovery Connection Webinars (one with a producer of Planet Earth and one with a producer of the Science Channel) reached just over 1000 participants each.  These participants included teachers and their classrooms from across the country. 

Make sure that you don’t miss the opportunity to participate in this one!

I know, I know, we have been stuck on the letter "B" forever.  I promise to resume the march through the alphabet very soon. 

Recently I have been on a whirlwind tour of the states.  I was in Berkeley, CA participating in the DEN Institute, then it was off to MD, VA, PA, NJ (pretty much in that order) to meet with educators and deliver a few presentations.

During the two Days of Discovery in Lawrenceville, NJ, I had the opportunity to deliver the 50 Ways to Integrate unitedstreaming presentation to educators from all over that great state.

Many of them asked for the presentation, and as promised, here it is.  Download 50_ways.zip

Feel free to download, modify, and use it however best meets your needs.  And while we don’t go through all 50 ideas, I encourage you to check it out - it just may spark an idea or two

Talk to you soon,
Matt Monjan