DISCOVERY EDUCATION RECOGNIZES FIVE EDUCATORS AS LEADERS IN THEIR FIELD FOR IMPROVING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH USE OF TECHNOLOGY
May 27, 2014
Silver Spring, Md. (May 27, 2014) - Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms, is pleased to announce that five distinguished educators from across the country have been named 2014 Discovery Educator Network (DEN) Gurus. The DEN Guru program recognizes educators who have distinguished themselves as thought leaders through their work in transforming teaching and learning with digital content and educational technologies. Supported by Discovery Education, the DEN is a global community of education professionals who are passionate about transforming the learning experience with digital media.
The five educators chosen to be 2014 DEN Gurus have demonstrated their expertise in one or more pedagogical topic areas - such as differentiated instruction and project-based learning -through a variety of professional experiences, and have been acknowledged as advocates for the meaningful integration of educational technologies and digital content into curriculum. DEN Gurus are frequently called upon to share their expertise during virtual conferences, monthly webinars and pre-conference events.
DEN Gurus are chosen for their expertise, spirit of collaboration and advocacy for the integration of digital content and educational technology into classroom instruction. To be considered for the honor, applicants must be STAR Discovery Educators. STAR Discovery Educators are active members of the DEN committed to sharing the power of using digital media to support student learning.
"I am incredibly humbled to be selected as a Guru by a global organization of such consistent quality and importance to educators, schools, and students as Discovery Education," said 2014 DEN Guru Sandi Dennis of Georgia's City Schools of Decatur. "As a DEN Guru in the class of 2014 I will proudly share instructional strategies and ideas which incorporate Discovery Education products and initiatives with educators around the world."
The 2014 DEN Gurus are:
Dacia Jones, Durham Public Schools, North Carolina. Jones is an Area Instructional Facilitator with Durham Public Schools and has been teaching for 20 years. She is a National Schools Attuned Trainer and Math Foundations Trainer. Jones has also presented at educational conferences including NCTM, NCCTM, NCSTA, NSTA and NCATA.
Alexander (Sandy) MacDougall, Halifax Regional School Board, Nova Scotia. MacDougall has been an educator for nearly 30 years. He taught a wide variety of subjects while he worked in an alternative high school and then taught primarily English, science and healthy living while teaching grade seven. For the last several years, MacDougall has been working centrally as a Technology Integration Leader at Halifax Regional School Board.
Sandi Dennis, City Schools of Decatur, Georgia. Dennis is a Library Media and Instructional Technology Specialist in a charter school district in Decatur, Ga., just outside Atlanta. In this role, she works with students, teachers, and families to help integrate media in print and electronic formats into their lives and educational experiences. She designs instruction, online courses, training materials and training presentations. Recently, Dennis helped coordinate a 1:1 iPad program which earned an Apple Distinguished School award, joined Georgia Bureau of Investigation's Cybersafety Educator Team, and was accepted as a presenter at ISTE in Atlanta.
Dave Tchozewski, Jenison Public Schools, Michigan. Tchozewski is in his 27th year in education. After 22 years in the high school math classroom, Dave moved into his current role as Director of Information Technology for Jenison Public Schools. He now leads his district in providing access to appropriate technology services that positively impact teaching and learning.
Dennis Grice, St. John's Lutheran School, California. Grice is a K-8 Technology Teacher at St. John's Lutheran School in Orange, Calif. He is also a STAR Discovery Educator and Leadership Council Member, Peer Coaching Workshop Facilitator, and has shared his passion for integrating technology into curriculum at workshops and conferences across the country.
"This year's class of talented DEN Gurus epitomizes the spirit of the Discovery Educator Network," said Lance Rougeux, vice president of learning communities and instructional implementation for Discovery Education. "Each of these passionate and committed educators has spent years fostering valuable networking, idea-sharing and inspiration among their peers, and through these activities, they've helped support the success of thousands of students around the world."
For more information about Discovery Education and the Discovery Educator Network, visit www.discoveryeducation.com.
About Discovery Education
Discovery Education is the global leader in standards-based digital content and professional development for K-12, transforming teaching and learning with award-winning digital textbooks, multimedia content that supports the implementation of Common Core, professional development, assessment tools, and the largest professional learning community of its kind. Available in over half of all U.S. schools and primary schools in England, community colleges and in 50 countries around the world, Discovery Education partners with districts, states and like-minded organizations to captivate students, empower teachers, and transform classrooms with customized solutions that accelerate academic achievement. Discovery Education is powered by Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the number one nonfiction media company in the world. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.