Knox County Schools educators participate in exclusive professional development and networking opportunity

KNOXVILLE – Matt Graves, an Instructional Technology Coordinator at Fulton High School, and Tim Childers, an assistant principal at L&N STEM Academy in Knox County Schools, joined 149 esteemed educators from across the U.S., Canada and United Kingdom at Vanderbilt University in Nashville for a prestigious week-long professional development experience hosted by Discovery Education’s Discovery Educator Network (DEN).

The six-day DEN Summer Institute (DENSI), held July 13-18, featured a number of seminars and hands-on workshops designed to support educators as they use the latest technologies to create authentic digital learning environments that engage students and improve achievement. In addition, the DENSI provided an opportunity for participants to connect, collaborate and share resources, ideas and strategies for integrating digital resources into classroom instruction.

“We are honored to have been selected to participate in the 2014 DENSI. This experience has allowed us to learn from and connect with other enthusiastic educators who share a passion for incorporating digital resources in our students’ education,” said Graves and Childers. “We are excited to inform our colleagues in Knox County Schools about these new, creative strategies and techniques for advancing student achievement, and to apply them in our district for the 2014-2015 school year.”

The DEN Summer Institute is exclusive to educators recognized by Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms, as STAR Discovery Educators. STAR Discovery Educators are active members of the DEN community and proven leaders in transforming teaching and learning. The DEN is the largest and most active community of educators who are passionate about teaching with technology and digital media, sharing resources, collaborating and networking. The DEN connects members across school systems and around the world through social media, virtual conferences, and in-person events like the DENSI, fostering valuable networking, idea sharing and inspiration.

“Matt and Tim’s selection for the DENSI demonstrates their outstanding leadership and commitment to using the most innovative methods to enhance students’ learning and classroom experiences,” said Lance Rougeux, vice president of learning communities and instructional implementation for Discovery Education. “The skills and knowledge Matt and Tim have gained from this learning experience will increase their students’ engagement in their own learning, and better prepare them with the critical skills needed for college, careers and citizenship.”

During the DEN Summer Institute, Graves and Childers heard from a variety of speakers, including Adam Bellow, Founder and President of eduTecher and eduClipper; Dr. Lodge McCammon, noted educational consultant specializing in curriculum-based music composition; Greg Siers, Director of Live Production and Technology at Discovery Communications; and Wyatt Channell, Executive Producer of Science Channel.

In addition to hearing from speakers, Graves and Childers participated in workshops led by the Discovery Education team and DEN Gurus about creating digital content and integrating mobile and web-based tools into instruction; collaborated with fellow educators on a variety of educational technology projects; and shared ideas and best practices with their peers. Childers, who is a member of the DEN Guru program, presented a session on teaching with images.

After participating in the DEN Summer Institute, Graves and Childers will return to Fulton High School in the fall with numerous classroom-ready multimedia projects as well as new strategies and techniques to integrate digital resources into curriculum and instruction to transform teaching and learning.

For more information about the DEN Summer Institute, visit www.discoveryeducation.com.

Published July 27, 2014