You Too Can Become a *STAR*

EME5050 - ABC Week 5

In my last post I shared information on a group of networked teachers called the Discovery Education Network (DEN).  On the DEN website at http://community.discoveryeducation.com/about.cfm the group is defined as a "global community of educators passionate about teaching with digital media, sharing resources, collaborating, and networking ("About the DEN," 2010).

Does that definition appeal to you?  If you are a teacher who works in a school district that has formed a partnership with Discovery Education to provide access to their outstanding educational content, then you are already a member of this network.  We are partners in the School District of Clay County, Florida and all of our teachers are already DEN members.  Unfortunately, the majority of them are probably not even aware of this fact, and I hope to use this post to help make them aware. 

If you are a Clay County School teacher then you are a member of the DEN.  All you have to do is navigate to the website provided above and log on with your DE username and password.  If you don't know your log on information, then you can see your school's media specialist for assistance.  If you still need additional help, you can email me at rpaine@mail.clay.k12.fl.us and I will be glad to assist you.  If you do not teach in Clay County, but you are a teacher in another school system, then you should contact one of your school administrators is find out about using Discovery Education in your particular district.

The purpose of this post is actually twofold.  I want to make ALL teachers aware of the DEN, and also inform them about the advantages of becoming a *STAR* in the DEN.  For more specific information on the DEN, please take a look at my last post called The Networked Teacher (DEN). 

So we've established the fact that if you are a teacher in a district that has formed a partnership with Discovery Education and you are able to log on to their website at http://community.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm with your own unique Discovery Education username and password you are automatically a member of the DEN.  If you have not already logged on to this website before, I strongly encourage you to do so as soon as you can.  You will be amazed by the wealth of information and instructional resources that will be available to you.  If that is not enough, there is another level of partnership you on your own can now form with Discovery Education.  You can be not only a Discovery Educator, but you can also become a "STAR Discovery Educator."  Take a look at some of the "perks" below that you will get when you become a "STAR":

• STAR Discovery Educators have access to exclusive promotions and contests.
• STAR Discovery Educators can share resources through the DEN website and their own personal DEN blog.
• STAR Discovery Educators can attend local, regional and national DEN events.

The main point is that these perks are not offered to regular DEN members, so there is an advantage to being a "STAR."  If your interest has been peaked and you would like to find out how "you too, can become a STAR," you will definitely want to read on.

The first step is to log on the Discovery Education website at http://community.discoveryeducation.com/about.cfm and you will see a link that says, "Become a STAR Discovery Educator...FIND OUT HOW."  When you click on this link you will be taken to the online application screen where you will view a short video called Become a STAR.  At the end of the video you will complete a short questionnaire about its contents which highlighted the various advantages and requirements for becoming a STAR Discovery Educator.  At the bottom of the questionnaire there will be a "Submit Application" button for you to use, and once you do, you will receive a confirmation message congratulating you for "submitting your initial application."  The last part of this application process is for you to "host your own Discovery Education event."  That may sound pretty daunting, but it really isn't.  Take a look below at examples of ways you can "host your own event."  You could:

• Lead your team or department in a review of the Discovery Education website and point out some of the helpful resources that are available
• Facilitate a webinar for a group of your teachers at your school on how to use Discovery Education to improve their students' process skills
• Host a grade-level meeting either after school or during lunch when you plan who to utilize different Discovery Education online resources to enhance your specific curriculum
• There are so many other possibilities that this list is literally endless!

The point is, that any time you "share the power of Discovery" with at least three or more other educators, you are "hosting an event."  Sounds pretty simple after all, doesn't it?  To maintain STAR Discovery Educator status you are only required to "host your own event" twice a year.  To document that you have completed these two events you just log on to the Discovery Education website and navigate to the STAR Discovery Educator section where you'll see prompts for "logging your event."


I'm hopeful that this post has not only inspired you to find out more about the Discovery Education Network, but it has also made you really consider becoming a STAR Discovery Educator for yourself.  If you have any questions, the first place to start would be with either your school's media specialist or one of your school's administrators.  If you would like any additional information, you can always contact me at rpaine@mail.clay.k12.fl.us and I will be glad to assist you.


Don't forget..."you too can become a STAR."


References:
About the DEN, (2010).  Retrieved from http://community.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm