District Five Teachers Attend Prestigious DEN Summer Institute

IRMO, SC – Two Lexington-Richland School District Five teachers have been chosen to participate in a prestigious week-long summer professional development and networking event.

Nursery Road Elementary’s Jessica Felker and Seven Oaks Elementary’s Karen Ogen are two of the more than 149 educators nationwide attending this year’s DEN Summer Institute (DENSI) at Vanderbilt University July 13-18. Hosted by Discovery Education’s Discovery Educator Network, the event gives educators the opportunity to connect and share ideas and strategies for integrating digital resources into classroom instruction.

“Jessica and Karen will participate in a number of seminars and hands-on workshops designed to support educators as they use the latest technologies to create authentic learning environments,” said Discover Education Partnerships Manager Anna Strassner. “Congratulations to Jessica and Karen for their commitment to learning new strategies and techniques to engage students and transform teaching and learning across Lexington-Richland 5 schools.”

DENSI participants are chosen through a competitive application process. The week features special guests and opportunities for educators to engage in conversations with each other and Discovery Education staff, organizers say.

Karen Ogen has attended DENSI for the past four years and now serves on the group’s leadership committee. She says educators consider the event a summer camp for technology educators.

“You work nonstop from morning to night learning, collaborating, communicating and making friends…It’s a week of leaning that’s a lot of fun and very intensive and just an amazing opportunity,” Ogen said. “I’ve been able to take the things that I’ve learned at the institute and apply it to the classroom. It’s just a great opportunity for me to network with educators that are like-minded and working hard to integrate technology across their curriculum.”