REFLECTIONS

It has been nearly two weeks since the end of the DEN LC Institute, and now I can finally reflect upon the great experience that I had. It was a wonderful to meet up with old friends and finally connect face to face with some new ones. The networking was incredible to say the least, and we learned a thing or two while we were there. Oh ya, I nearly forgot, we had some fun, too!

Day one began with a quick introduction and welcome by Lance and the gang from the DEN, then we were off and running. We met folks from around our region and began collaborating on a video, the infamous Boom-De-Yah-Da. There were only six of us to begin the project, but we meshed quickly and came up with what we think is a humorous rendition. You can see it on the TN LC Blog.

The Institute was nearly a reunion of sorts, too. There were many of us from last years Florida Excursion including Jen Dorman, Jennifer Gingerich, Bridget Belardi, Howard Martin and many many others. Jen, aka Cliotech, did a session on the value of PLNs, Jennifer Gingerich gave a great presentation on Digital Storytelling, Bridget introduced several of us to geocaching, and Howard taught us about wikis. You can check out everything we learned on the DEN wiki.

Oh, the fun; I nearly forgot! We enjoyed a carnival complete with prizes and special Discovery guests. The carnival had an animal trainer, fortune teller, and the infamous bearded lady. We played Wii, DENGO, and other traditional carnival prizes. One night we were treated to a dinner overlooking the Potomac, wow! The view was gorgeous and the food was wonderful.

I want to thank the DEN and Discovery for all they do for educators. We wouldn't know what to do without you!