Jessi Anderson, a teacher at Lake Joy Elementary in Houston County Schools, joined more than 100 educators from across the U.S. and Canada in Burlington, Vt., for an exclusive week-long professional development and networking experience hosted by Discovery Education’s Discovery Educator Network (DEN).
The six-day DEN Summer Institute, held July 14-19, featured a variety of speakers and hands-on workshops designed to empower educators to enliven curriculum and engage students using the latest innovations in teaching and learning. It also provided an opportunity for educators to connect, collaborate and share resources, ideas and strategies with fellow educators from across North America.
“I am honored to have been selected to participate in the DEN Summer Institute and to have had the opportunity to learn from, collaborate and network with leading educators from across North America,” said Anderson. “Participating in this experience provided me a unique opportunity to connect with industry professionals and fellow educators and learn new strategies and techniques to keep my teaching skills sharp and further inspire and engage my students.”
The DEN Summer Institute was exclusive to educators recognized by Discovery Education as STAR Discovery Educators. STAR Discovery Educators are active members of the DEN 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. Through blogs, virtual conferences and in-person events like the Summer Institute, the DEN connects educators and supports them in leveraging digital resources to inspire and engage today’s students and accelerate achievement.
“As a STAR Discovery Educator and participant in the DEN Summer Institute, Jessi has demonstrated her leadership and commitment to using the latest innovations in teaching and learning to enrich classroom experiences,” said Lance Rougeux, vice president of learning communities and instructional implementation for Discovery Education.
“Through her participation in the professional development event, Jessi has gained new skills and ideas to apply in her classroom and share with fellow Houston County Schools educators to accelerate student engagement and achievement and ensure students gain skills critical for college, careers and citizenship.”
During the DEN Summer Institute, Anderson heard from a variety of speakers, including Hall Davidson, senior director of global learning initiatives for Discovery Education; Dean Shareski, community manager of the Canadian Discovery Educator Network; and Kristin Wilcox, associate producer for the Discovery Channel, who discussed the art of storytelling and provided a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the series North America.
Anderson participated in workshops 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 her peers.
After participating in the DEN Summer Institute, Anderson returned to Lake Joy Elementary 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.
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