Tennessee DEN

About the DEN’s Fall Virtual Conference

Thousands of educators online and in-person congregated together, as the DEN team went house to ‘house to house’ to explore the many digital treats available to educators today.  During this unique professional development event, attendees had the flexibility to attend online or in-person at one of many regional events hosted by the DEN Leadership Councils.  (Thanks to Lance for posting this on the National Blog!)

9 AM
Can I Help You With That?  The Student as Collaborator, Creator and Director
with Justin Karkow

10 AM
Do You Have the Audacity to Podcast?
with Jennifer Dorman

11 AM
Thinking Outside the Slide
with Mike Bryant

12 PM
Putting the Bling in Your Builders
with Steve Dembo

1 PM
What on Earth is a Gloggle?
with Traci Blozoski

2 PM
Be Nice and Share: Publishing Your Media-Infused Projects for the World to See
with Steve Dembo

3 PM
Can I Help You With That?  The Student as Collaborator, Creator and Director
encore presentation with Justin Karkow

We had a great time at Gresham Middle School this past Saturday morning.  Five of our LC members were in attendance with just under 20 participants, so there was plenty of time for personal connections and one-on-one help as we worked through the DE Streaming site.  Many of the teachers were on the site for the very first time.

It was also a first for us (I think).  It was the first time we were at an event that was all Mac.  Not a PC in sight.  Well, as long as you don’t count mine fired up hiding in a corner so it wouldn’t feel so inferior.  At least by the end of the day I knew where the volume button is on a Mac keyboard!

Sally and Carole kicked off the event with an introduction into the basics of Streaming.  Tina followed up with a look at the Builders, and Teryl and Tim finished out the session with some tricks to using DE Streaming more effectively in the classroom.  And Teryl convinced 5 or 6 to start the STAR application process while they were there.  Go, Teryl!

I have to mention the incredible library facilities we used at Gresham.  Carole, one of our newer LC members, is the media specialist at Gresham, so we were in her element.  The main seating area (which you can see in the Animoto video below) has the old, hard, wooden chairs.  But they have a tremendous twist!  Each chair has been meticulously painted in the style of some famous painting.  It really adds an incredible charm to the seating area!

We had a great time at Gresham.  I hope we get to go back soon!

On our last Day of Discovery in Bradley County, Discovery Education sent a video team in to shoot lots of footage and get interviews from DE Streaming users.  We have all waited in great anticipation to see what the final video looked like.  Well, we are waiting no more!

Thanks to the video crew, Discovery Education, and the dozens of teachers from all over Eastern Tennessee who participated in the day to make it a huge success for the DEN!

Mark your football calendars!  The TN DEN is conducting its Punt, Pass, Kick workshop at Gresham Middle School on Saturday, November 14, from 8:30 to 12:30!

We will cover three areas of DE Streaming that morning:

• DE Streaming Basics
• Building a Better Builder
• Beyond the Stream (50 ways to use DE Streaming in your classroom)

Fill out the form below today! Space is limited.  And the door prizes are fantastic!

Click here to register!!

(Thanks to RJ Stangherlin for posting this on the Pennsylvania DEN Blog) 

We had a Leadership Council webinar last evening, so I would like to share some of the important reminders and information from Lance.

Without a doubt, the DEN Tech or Trear Fall Virtual Conference was an astounding success. We held the same numbers of attendees as we had last year. But–and here’s the good news–we grew our Live Event sites and numbers.

Want to be a DEN GURU? That would step you up to Level 4 in DEN. You ask, what are the “levels.” And the answer is:

1. DEN
2. DEN STAR
3. DEN LC
4. DEN GURU.

There are advantages at any level, but if you step up to GURU (up to 5 people will be chosen this first year), you will have noticeable benefits that set you apart. Perhaps the largest benefit is that Discovery will take you, free of charge, to a national convention. Application deadline: November 15, 2009

This brings me to the big event I really want to push because completing this one is easy and a lot of fun. You can make a podcast or a video telling how you use Discovery Education resources in your classroom. Doesn’t have to be a big deal project–keep it short and simple (the KISS philosophy) and then upload it. Fun, fast, and a FREE Discovery hoodie, limited edition is in the mail to you. And just in case the idea of uploading to Media Share daunts you, this upload is to a simple spot where Discovery will mine your golden uses. Do it today, because the deadline is November 15.

Some of my best friends are actively engaged in pursuing the MS in Instructional Media offered by Discovery Education and Wilkes University. I remember the kick-off two years ago at the National Institute. We were even offered 3 credits for a minimal fee to begin the degree work with our week’s intense completion of learning. Although I am not one to regret decisions, I often wish I had made the choice to study for this degree. Keeping in touch with my friends who were the first class to begin this program, I can tell you that the subject matter is extremely engaging, timely and worthwhile.

This summer I had the good fortune to follow the China Adventure. What an amazing trip this was, packed with singular experiences that only could be found in a Discovery Education adventure. Nothing beats repeating a good thing, so the China and Australia trips are encores. New to the venue are the Arctic, Anarctica, Costa Rica, and Ecudor/Galapagos Islands. You will definitely need to have your prospective students fund raise, but if you get 5 students to sign on, you as their teacher travels free.

Not exactly Fast Five, but there you have it, a synopsis of some of the best and time-sensitive offers from Discovery. - R.J. Stangherlin (PN DEN LC)