SEPTEMBER 2012
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2012 Science Institutes
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Techbook Times
A Monthly Correspondence for the Betterment of the Techbook Community
1.
Implementation Tips and Tricks
2.
Professional Development
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Educator Spotlight
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Discovery’s Partners in Education
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DEN Community
Implementation Tips and Tricks Have you seen the updates to Techbook? Here are just a few new features that we love!!
Save Resources on the Fly
Find Specific Content Faster
Techbook Even More Mobile
Meet the Needs of All Your Students
Instead of having to add content one at a time to an assignment or My Content folder you can build a collection of resources as you browse the Techbook and add them to the “Quicklist” by clicking “+” in the upper right side of the resource.
So you can find small video segments in the Techbook, but of that 5 minute segment you only want the middle 2 minutes. Simply click on the video segment and choose “Transcript” at the top of the screen. Then choose where you want the video to start from using the transcribed text from the audio portion of the video.
You now have even greater access to the Techbook on your Smart Device. Thanks to our HTML 5 conversion, we are now fully iPad & iPhone compatible.
No longer do you have to worry about your students at different reading levels being able to decode the words. Students can have entire passages, sentences or words read aloud to them from within the Techbook by highlighting the text to and clicking Speak Text.
Bits and Bytes from the Blogs Kathy's Katch – Your Virtual Blue Binder Check out this amazing collection of resources from Kathy Schrock (MA) about online tools you can use to get better organized for the school year.
Tips and Tricks for Back-to-School Learn some of the ways our STAR Discovery Educators get ready for the new school year & have a chance to earn a free account from PhotoPeach
Google Docs and Evernote David Andrade (CT) shares why and when he uses these tools with his students.
Top Ten List of Kid Approved Cool Apps for Back to School Tracie Belt (FL) shares a great post about apps your students will love.
Implementation We are constantly updating content and features. Most recently we added the ability for you to save and assign individual reading sections within the Core Interactive Text. Check out this new feature here.
Professional Development If you haven’t logged into Discovery Education this summer, you have a wonderful surprise waiting. You asked for it and we’ve delivered. There’s more features and content, in a redesigned interface. The model lesson is front and center and the 5-Es are full of our new Core-Interactive-Texts (CITs). Best of all, Text-to-Speech is throughout the site, in both English and Spanish. To learn all about everything that’s new, attend one of the many upcoming Techbook 2.0 webinars. Click here for the schedule.
“Today was our first day of school for our district and when I was talking to my 7th graders who used textbooks in elementary last year, I wanted to emphasize that we will be doing something totally different, so I walked back to the bookshelf where we have our old textbooks and took one and threw it in the garbage. That is no longer the way to learn science. I said you will be experiencing the future of education, then very passionately told them briefly about DE. I actually had a few students cheer. My goal this year is for my students to be so engaged and interested in what they are doing that they do not even realize that they are learning” - Mike Williams, 7th and 8th grade teacher Wewahitchka Middle School in Gulf Co, FL
Upcoming September Webinars Click event to learn more & register September 5, 6:00 PM EDT Techbook 2.0 September 6, 4:00 PM EDT Techbook 2.0 September 11, 7:00 PM EDT Using Notebooks and Journals with the Discovery Education Science Techbook September 13, 6:00 PM EDT The Common Core Connection... Resources from the Science Techbook that Build Common Core Skills September 18, 7:00 PM EDT Creating Lessons with the NEW Discovery Education Science Techbook Click to see entire Techbook webinar list
Professional Development One of the main goals of the Discovery Educator Network is to connect educators with their best resource, other educators. Here’s an opportunity for you to share your advice with educators just beginning their journey with the Discovery Education Science Techbook. Check out What’s Your Advice for Going Beyond the Textbook? and share your advice and best practices.
Educator Spotlight: Peg Hartwig Peg Hartwig is a STEM Math teacher and Tech Integration Specialist in Marshfield WI. Peg first learned of all the wonders of Discovery Education through the Siemens STEM Institute in 2010. After taking advantage of her Discovery Education Subscription gift, Peg became more involved with Discovery Educator Network (DEN) activities and shared what she had gained in STEM integration with the Discovery Education resources. After obtaining STAR Status though sharing with her local teachers, she sought out more DEN connections throughout Wisconsin, participating in Discovery Education live and virtual events. Peg joined the Wisconsin Leadership Council, embracing the DEN community, writing for the WI DEN Blog. In 2011, Peg took on more responsibility, becoming the DEN Blog Chair, diligently writing informative blogs on Discovery Education and STEM integration as well as Discovery Education Events and iPad apps. Because of her STAR status, Peg had early access to the Techbook and has been integrating the Discovery Education Science Techbook in many unique, STEMazing ways for the last year. Peg's Honor's Algebra 2 students have taken advantage of the Discovery Education Techbook when researching scientific applications for the mathematical learning targets. Her students share these STEM applications on Edmodo with their classmates and using their connections to build STEM projects.
Peg’s Resources Peg has taken the Discovery Education Science Techbook to the community, creating mini-STEM camps through University of Wisconsin Wood County/Marshfield extension. These week long institutes took advantage of the many features within the Discovery Education Techbook, creating excitement and interest through dynamic video, interactive glossary and activities. The first STEM institute was for Grade 6-8 students interested in Meteorology, Studying Severe Weather Science Click here for the post. Students created a Prezi using DE Science Techbook resources, NOAA, JellyCam, Animoto, Adobe Elements Premeire Green Screen, iPad PicCollage & ShowMe. Click here for the Prezi The second STEM institute focused on grade 4-6, Alternative Energy Exploration. Click here for the post Students Created a Glogster which shows the student's understanding of many different alternative energy sources using iPads. Students watched video segments relative to their energy source, taking screenshots the second time through the video to create an animoto which would explain what they had learned. DE Images were also used to Create a Green Screen video where each student articulated what they had learned about their energy source choice. Click here to view the glog. Check out Peg's Wiki to find great resources which define algebraic foundations for science applications. Click here to access the Wiki.
Educator Spotlight We have a robust network of educators that are utilizing the Discovery Science Techbook in their classrooms. Are you our next featured educator or do you a know a colleague we should feature. If so reach out to Mike Bryant (michael_bryant@discovery.com)
Featured Programs Partners In Education Discovery Education and Intel Get Curious..in the Classroom! Discovery Education and Intel just announced the expansion of CuriosityintheClassroom.com, an interactive, educational tool containing cutting-edge curriculum examining topics such as artificial intelligence, communications, computers, nanotechnology and robotics. The site now features new topics integrated into multidisciplinary lesson plans and activities for English/Language Arts and World History to make real world connections to STEM topics.
The Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge is the premier national science competition for students in grades 5 through 8. The Young Scientist Challenge is designed to encourage the exploration of science and innovation among America's youth and to promote the importance of science communication.
Win a Trip! The site also offers the “Catch Me Being Curious” sweepstakes, awarding one grand prize winner a vacation to an exciting U.S. destination of their choice: Grand Canyon National Park; Boston, MA; San Antonio, TX; or Philadelphia, PA. One second place prize, an Intel Ultrabook laptop computer, and five third place prizes, Intel Prize Packs, will also be awarded. Just for teachers! As a special part of the sweepstakes, one teacher will be selected from a teachers-only drawing to win a trip for two to the Intel International Science & Engineering Fair in Phoenix, AZ in May 2013!
Enter today @ http://www.curiosityintheclassroom.com/
Visit YoungScientistChallenge.com on October 16th to tune in LIVE to the final event! Watch the 10 finalists as they present their innovative projects for the chance at $25,000!”
Educational Partnerships Discovery Education partners with multiple organizations and corporations to bring the best content and programs to educators, parents and students around the globe. Explore these great programs by going to www.discoveryeducation.com clicking on teachers>featured programs
DEN Discovery Educator Network STAR Discovery Educators from around the world joined us at Montana State University for the 2012 DEN Summer Institute. The week included dynamic networking, free professional development, and a trip to Yellowstone.
Tap the power of the collective brain, become a STAR Educator. Discovery Education also hosted three Science Institutes in three states all within a few weeks of each other. Nearly 150 educators from across the country attended these 4 day professional development events. Each day’s sessions showcased instructional strategies for using the Techbook in the classroom. If you’d like to learn more about what was covered at each institute go to our wiki here for a recap and resources.
The Discovery Educator Network As one of the largest professional education learning communities, the DEN has impacted more than 1 million educators worldwide. Get connected and follow the conversation at http://denblogs.com
Upcoming In-Person Events Click event to learn more & register September 8: Discover Discovery: Omaha Zoo & Aquarium Event for Education Leaders September 22: Fall 2012 New England Day of Discovery October 17: MI REMC 5 Day of Discovery 2012 October 19: MI REMC 7 Day of Discovery 2012
Instructional & Techbook Implementation The Discovery Education Techbook implementation team is here to serve. How can we better support you using Techbook with your students?
Meet the team: Brad Fountain brad_fountain@discovery.com
Mike Bryant michael_bryant@discovery.com
Erica White erica_white@discovery.com
Instructional Implementation Director
Instructional Implementation Director
Techbook Implementation Director
Duane Waber duane_waber@discovery.com
Patti Duncan patti_duncan@discovery.com
Emily Waters emily_waters@discovery.com
Instructional Implementation Manager
Instructional Implementation Manager
Techbook Implementation Manager
Looking for additional help or you need technical support? Check out the Help section. The “Help” section can be accessed by clicking “Help” in the upper right of the screen. Here you will find Step-by-Step Guides, User Guides to help you provide access to your students, searching for content, accessing resources, and virtually any other issue you may experience. You will also find the phone number to our technical support team, who take great pride solving issues in a timely manner.
Techbook Times
A Monthly Correspondence for the Betterment of the Techbook Community