CUMMING - Forsyth County Schools’ Jennifer Vanderbunt, assistant principal at Whitlow Elementary, and Melinda Castleberry, principal at Whitlow Elementary, recently joined 48 fellow principals from across the U.S and Canada for the 2015 DEN Summer Institute (DENSI) Principal Summit, an immersive, four day-long professional development and networking experience. A global community of education professionals supported by Discovery Education, the Discovery Educator Network (DEN) connects members across school systems and around the world through social media, virtual conferences, and in-person events, fostering valuable networking, idea sharing, and inspiration. The professional learning experience was held July 9-12 at American University in Washington, D.C.
During the DENSI Principal Summit 2015, Vanderbunt and Castleberry learned new strategies for using technology and digital content to energize their own leadership and empower their teachers from nationally recognized speakers, Discovery Education experts, and their peers. Summit attendees also participated in a number of interactive workshops led by the Discovery Education professional development team and other DEN members, and engaged in dialogue on topics such as supporting teachers through the digital transition, digital literacy across the curriculums, building their school’s brand, and how to showcase their school’s success to the community.
“We are honored to have been selected to participate in the 2015 DENSI Principal Summit. During this experience we learned from and connected with other innovative principals across North America who share a passion for using the latest technologies and digital content to support the success of each learner in their school,” said Vanderbunt and Castleberry. “We are excited to share the new, creative strategies and techniques for using technology to enhance the learning experience with our colleagues at Forsyth County Schools, so even more students can benefit from this great professional learning opportunity.”
Vanderbunt and Castleberry were selected to attend the DENSI Principal Summit through a competitive application process which involved written and video explanations of how they are helping transform teaching, learning and culture at their schools, and how they will share with others what they learned during the summit.
“These educators’ selection for the DENSI Principal Summit demonstrates their outstanding leadership and commitment to using the latest innovations in teaching and learning to enhance students’ learning and classroom experiences,” said Lance Rougeux, vice president of learning communities and innovation for Discovery Education. “The skills and knowledge they have gained from this learning experience will help them improve teaching and learning at their schools, and better prepare students for success beyond the classroom.”
During the DENSI Principal Summit, Vanderbunt and Castleberry heard about the latest trends in education from a variety of noted experts, including Thomas Murray, State and District Digital Learning Policy and Advocacy Director, Alliance for Excellent Education; Jayne Ellspermann, Principal of West Port High School in in Ocala, Fla. and 2015 National Principal of the Year; and Dr. Christopher Harrington, President of eLearn Institute, Inc. and Chief Executive Officer of Harrington Education Associates, LLC.
After participating in the DEN Summer Institute, Vanderbunt and Castleberry will return to Forsyth County Schools with new strategies and techniques they can share with their teachers to integrate digital resources into curriculum and instruction to transform teaching and learning.
For more information about the DEN Summer Institute, visit http://www.discoveryeducation.com/what-we-offer/community/connect-with-the-den/den-summer-institute.cfm.
To learn more about the DEN and Discovery Education’s other services and initiatives, visit www.discoveryeducation.com
