Jennifer Riley, a science teacher at Ooltewah Middle School in Hamilton County Schools, joined more than 200 fellow educators from around the world for the 2019 DEN Summer Institute, an immersive, five-day professional development experience to improve student achievement using technology. A global community of education professionals supported by Discovery Education, the Discovery Educator Network connects members across school systems and around the world through social media, virtual conferences and in-person events.  The event fosters networking, idea sharing and inspiration between educators.  
 
Weber State University in Ogden, Ut. was the site of the 2019 DEN Summer Institute featuring interactive seminars and hands-on workshops.  The 2019 DENSI was designed to support educators as they combine the latest technologies and digital content to create authentic digital learning environments that engage students and improve achievement. Also, the 2019 DENSI provided an opportunity for participants to connect, collaborate and share resources, ideas and strategies for integrating the latest technologies and digital content into classroom instruction.
 
“Improvements in technology and its use in the classroom is a focus for Hamilton County Schools as middle schools, and high schools provide a Chromebook for every student to access the tremendous online resources available today,” said Dr. Bryan Johnson, superintendent of Hamilton County schools. “The students of Ooltewah Middle and Hamilton County Schools will benefit tremendously from the new approaches to using educational technology learned during the Discovery Education training.”
 
Participation in the 2019 DENSI was on an invitation-only basis.  The classroom teachers, school principals, instructional coaches, library media and technology specialists and other educators selected to participate in the 2019 DENSI were chosen for their outstanding leadership qualities, interest in integrating educational technologies into classroom instruction and dedication to creating dynamic digital learning environments.    
 
"Jennifer’s selection for DENSI demonstrates her outstanding leadership and commitment to using the latest technologies and innovative teaching strategies and techniques to improve student achievement,” said Lance Rougeux, vice president of Learning Communities and Innovation for Discovery Education. “Her participation in DENSI 2019 will help increase student engagement across Hamilton County Schools and support the effort to prepare all learners with the critical skills they need to succeed beyond the classroom.”
 
In addition to hearing from education experts, Ms. Riley participated in a series of interactive workshops led by the Discovery Education learning community team and other DEN members about creating digital content and integrating mobile and web-based tools into instruction. Ms. Riley also collaborated with fellow educators on a variety of educational technology projects while shared ideas and best practices.