Tennessee Educators Volunteer to Help Peers Statewide Teach with Technology

Tennessee Educators Volunteer to Help Peers Statewide Teach with Technology

Teachers share skills and expertise through trainings, networking events and social media

SILVER SPRING, Md., April 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Educators across Tennessee are empowering their peers through the Tennessee Discovery Educator Network Leadership Council. The Council's goal is to help teachers throughout Tennessee improve student achievement through the integration of educational technology and digital media into classroom instruction.

The Tennessee Discovery Educator Network Leadership Council is comprised of educators who volunteer to organize and lead professional development events that support state teachers as they integrate technology into existing curriculum. Any educator in the state is welcome to participate in the group's events.

In January 2008, Tennessee became one of the first states in the country to organize a leadership council. According to Teryl Magee, fourth grade teacher at Knox County School District and chair of the Tennessee Discovery Educator Network Leadership Council, the group was formed by teachers in the state who believe in the power of educational technology and digital media to heighten student engagement in learning. These teachers, said Magee, were eager to meet others who shared their outlook and wanted to collaborate and identify new ways to integrate technology into classroom activities.

"Teachers across the state, from Memphis to Knoxville, share the same challenges," said Magee. "All educators desperately want to put technology in their classrooms to the best possible use to encourage their students to become productive 21st century citizens. The Tennessee Discovery Educator Network Leadership Council offers events and resources designed to support Tennessee teachers, regardless of their familiarity with technology, as they implement new hi-tech tools to improve student achievement."

In her role as Council chair, Magee coordinates statewide efforts to organize and conduct a variety of in-person conferences and workshops, online events, discussion boards, and blogs, which showcase the technology available to educators and provide guidance on how to integrate these resources into their instruction. Assisting Magee is Tim Childers of Bradley County School District who serves as the Council's blog coordinator, and Sally Walter and Karla Halcomb, educators at Knox County School District, who manage the planning of events.

"When we first began to plan events, we were concerned about people not showing up," said Magee. "Happily, we found that teachers were excited to learn about how to better engage students through streaming video and interactive whiteboards. I think the response we've seen regarding our events really illustrates the enthusiasm Tennessee teachers have for the use of educational technology." To date, registration for every event has been full.

A recent Council event included a photography class held at a Knoxville-area Best Buy. On February 21, teachers, librarians and principals gathered at the store before it opened to discuss the pros and cons of camcorders and digital cameras. Following the event, participants reviewed movie-editing software for classroom use, and shared best practices for each program.

This month, the Council will be hosting a regional gathering in conjunction with the international Discovery Educator Network Virtual Conference. Councils nationwide will be hosting in-person events complimenting the online sessions hosted by Discovery Education staff. The event will take place on April 25 at the Discovery Education Nashville office. The Discovery Educator Network Virtual Conference is presented by the Discovery Educator Network, a global community of more than 88,000 educators passionate about integrating media into classroom curriculum.

"I encourage educators everywhere to attend this free professional development event," said Magee. "Not only is the Discovery Educator Network Virtual Conference an opportunity to learn the latest strategies and techniques to improve student achievement with educational technology, it's a great way to network with educators around the world."

The Tennessee Discovery Educator Network Leadership Council is supported by Discovery Education, a division of Discovery Communications, whose networks include the Discovery Channel and Science Channel.

To learn more about the Tennessee Discovery Educator Network Leadership Council, visit

http://blog.discoveryeducation.com/tennessee/. To register for the Discovery Educator Network Virtual Conference, visit http://blog.discoveryeducation.com/denvirtcon.

About Discovery Education

Discovery Communications (NASDAQ:DISCA)(NASDAQ:DISCB)(NASDAQ:DISCK) revolutionized television with Discovery Channel and is now transforming classrooms through Discovery Education. Powered by the number one nonfiction media company in the world, Discovery Education combines scientifically proven, standards-based digital media and a dynamic user community in order to empower teachers to improve student achievement. Already, more than half of all U.S. schools access Discovery Education digital services. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.

Source: Discovery Education

CONTACT: Stephen Wakefield of Discovery Education, +1-240-662-2893,
stephen_wakefield@discovery.com; or Emily Embury of C. Blohm & Associates,
+1-608-839-9806, emily@cblohm.com, for Discovery Education

Web Site: http://www.discoveryeducation.com/

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