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

(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)

That’s right all you DENners!  The annual DEN Virtual Conference is happening on Saturday, October 24 beginning at 9 AM EST.  And, while you could stay in bed all day in your comfy PJs and participate via Webex, we encourage you to find a live event near you and get even more from your Day of Discovery than you could have imagined!

Tennessee is hosting 3 locations for the Live/Virtual Conference.  These include Memphis, Knoxville, and Cleveland.  No, Cleveland, Tennessee!

The Virtual Agenda looks like this:

Schedule
(All times ET)

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?

11 AM
Thinking Outside the Slide

12 PM
Putting the Bling in Your Builders
with Steve Dembo

1 PM
What on Earth is a Gloggle?

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

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

The LIVE events will include even more workshop offerings for you!  Look for more information soon concerning how to register for the LIVE events in our state.  You won’t want to miss it!

The DEN Virtual Conference is getting ready to launch on Saturday, April 25th.  Hey! That’s NEXT Saturday!

The Knoxville Conference will be held at the Sarah Simpson Technology and Professional Development Center.   The Cleveland Conference will be at the Bradley County Schools Board Room.

You must register for the Virtual Conference.  This is so we may plan for breakfast and lunch.  We want you to have free food!  Here is our agenda for both locations:

8:30 to 9:00 - Registration and Breakfast

9:00 to 10:00 - The Benjamin Button Effect (Virtual Keynote with Lance Rougeux)

10:00 to 11:00 - 10 Websites Every Teacher Should Use Everyday (Live Session)

11:00 to 12:00 - Lunch

12:00 to 1:00 - Building School 2.0 (Virtual Keynote with Chad Lehmann)

1:00 to 2:00 - Taking Better Pictures (Live Session)

2:00 to 3:00 - Digital Storytelling (Live Session)

Don’t get left out!   Register Today!

I know what I’d like to do!  Take a look at this great opportunity from Discovery.  Just one more reason why the DEN is the greatest Personal Learning Network on the planet!

Join us as we discover more of our incredible planet earth together with adventure trips to Australia, South Africa, and China. In order to participate in this pilot trip, you must be a STAR Discovery Educator. Not only are you able to take part in this once in a lifetime opportunity, each STAR selected will be able to choose four of their students to join them on the adventure!  This is at no cost to you or your students!

So with no further ado… here’s the official wording and post importantly the link to apply.

In 2010, Discovery Education will launch Discovery Student Adventures, education-based international trips to eight destinations including: Arctic, Australia, China, Cost Rica, Ecuador/Galapagos Islands, Italy/Greece, New Zealand/Fiji Islands, and South Africa.

To effectively integrate educator feedback into these inaugural trips, a select group of educators will have the opportunity to travel with Discovery in the summer of 2009 as part of a one-time special opportunity to pilot a Discovery Student Adventure trip.

Educators will serve as chaperones to a group of students, and once selected for a trip, will also be an integral part of selecting the students for these pilot trips. Travel program will be at no cost to the selected educators and students. We are looking for educators that teach 5th through 12th grade.

We invite you to fill out an application for the opportunity to travel with us, giving us your thoughts and opinions along the way to help make Discovery Student Adventures a unique, premiere student travel program that brings the world to life for students and the teachers who lead the trips.

Australia
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 – Thursday, June 11, 2009
Description: Melbourne, Ayers Rock, Townsville, Great Barrier Reef

South Africa
Tuesday, June 2, 2009 - Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Description: Johannesburg, Cape Town, Kruger National Park

China
Tuesday August 4, 2008 – Tuesday, August 18, 2008
Description: Beijing, Chengde, Luoyang

Travel Dates are estimates only and subject to change.

To apply please visit https://discoverystudentadventures.wufoo.com/forms/pilot-program-application/

The application will be closed on Thursday, March 19, 2009 at 5 pm PST. All applicants will be informed of their status by April 1, 2009.