Part 2: Virtual Programs while Social Distancing

Here are some virtual programs and projects that you could consider doing with your chapter members from the comfort of your living room while we are practicing social distancing. 

1. If you’re retired, reach out (from home) to current educators and see if they need any help.
1. Record yourself reading a story to share with students
2. Offer your email address to help answer students’ questions online
2. Plan time to take a virtual tour of a museum or gallery and then discuss online as a group. 
1. Take a Trip to the San Diego Zoo 
2. Watch the animals at the Georgia Aquarium
3. Watch a Live Stream of Polars Bear in the Tundra  
4. Visit Yellowstone National Park 
5. Visit the Louvre Museum in France 
6. Take a trip to China and explore The Great Wall Of China
7. Take in an opera at the Metropolitan Opera in NYC
8. Admire all of Van Gogh’s work at The Van Gough Museum in Amsterdam
9. Visit over 500 Museums and Art Galleries all over the world
10. Travel new places using Google Earth’s Virtual Reality
3. Let your artsy side out...work on a poem and or piece of art and consider submitting it to the DKG Fine Arts Gallery  
4. Have a book chat
5. Do a film study.  Watch the same movie and use online mediums to discuss
6. Watch a TED Talk together 
7. Try meditation using one of the many videos on youtube

How Do We Recognize The Contributions Of Our 50+ Year Members?

The chapter is the heart of DKG. As the chapter functions, so goes the Society. So what is the chapter status of 50+ year members?  Examination of this question in some chapters has revealed that some members are still actively contributing to DKG on the chapter, state organization and international level and others are no longer able to do so. How does your chapter honor the contributions of 50+ year members?  What practices are found in your chapter customs or chapter rules? Chapter membership chairs need to have members complete and periodically update a biographical information form which should contain contact information, with the directions for preferences of continued membership, should the member become unable to make their own financial or membership decisions.

Part 1: Ways to Stay Connected while Social Distancing

Most regions in the country have closed schools and people are being advised to practice social distancing.  How does that impact what we do as DKG members? With the new guidelines and restrictions on groups of people, there are other ways to connect with members while at home. Try looking into some of these digital tools to connect with others.

• Google Chat
• Google Hangouts
• iPhone Messages
• Emails
• DKG Communities @ dkg.org
• Facebook Messenger 
• Facebook Group or Page
• Skype
• Zoom
   

How to keep the qualities of the face-to-face meeting

With the new social media landscape and the multitude of possibilities to get connected electronically, we often forget that meeting face-to-face is the most stimulating way for communication. Chat is needed for questions and short, rather superficial messages. Blogs can go deeper, but as our Estonian friends wrote, a face-to-face meeting is more stimulating and dynamic and we learn more from each other, which is the heart of the Society. GoToMeeting, Skype, etc. are wonderful tools for electronic meetings but not a holistic way to learn, engage, and develop new ideas. An active network is very important for the educational future, both at national and international levels. Physical meetings are important in this respect. In the European countries, there is a decline in the interest of young teachers to be active members of teacher organisations due to both the development of social media and through lack of time. DKG Society has a very important mission to try to identify ways forward. Our Society is unique, not only owing to our core values but also that we are the only pedagogical organisation which engages teachers from all levels, all fields and with an international diversity, both geographically and culturally.  So, we need to highlight the importance of face-to-face meetings both at thematic conferences and at international conventions, and we need to find an electronic communication which is closer to face-to-face discussion. If you have fresh ideas, Iet’s try the blog to discuss.

Study Abroad: World Fellowship Helps!

World Fellowship (WF) applications submitted for 2019 offered valuable and interesting reasons that helped the committee determine who would best benefit from receiving WF funds. Some reasons were academic while others noted more global emphasis and personal motivation. All provided a better understanding of how World Fellowship Program provides women around the world the opportunity to have additional support to complete their postgraduate studies and give back to their own communities.
A major reason that women submit a WF application centers on academics. Applicants often express a need to learn more from international organizations that contribute to training programs. They seek broader and specialized knowledge in the disciplines they study within the United States and Canada. Another reason, commonly cited, is the applicant’s desire to expand her view of the world through cultural exchange, closely associated with the importance given to becoming more of a citizen of the world.
But, there are additional emotional factors tied to the environment in which these women have grown and developed academically and socially. Some of the applicants' countries of origin suffer internal wars: genocide; lack of freedom of the press; racial, religious and cultural discrimination; and other discriminatory practices. The fact that they are women prevents them from finding support in their families, communities, and countries. An educated, strengthened woman can help change these situations upon her return. Most WF recipients, knowing this, express the desire to return and make a difference in their communities upon obtaining the educational degrees they earn.
DKG through its association with World Fellowship actively contributes to improving the quality of life for those women who are distinguished with a World Fellowship Program grant. DKG member contributions made a difference in the individual and in the communities these recipients represent worldwide.

Share, Share, Share through Publicity and Marketing

 

In the last blog post, we talked about the goods and services that DKG promotes and provides that we can MARKET. Now let’s talk Publicity! How are we currently publicizing what we do? Many chapters and states are already using LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and other social media, which are proven, effective ways to connect to our current customers (members). Consistency in posting and sharing information is key to an effective site. “Use it or lose it,” so they say. These are vehicles that are at our fingertips so that we can share, share, share! You want to be the reliable, go-to source for your members. Pictures are worth a thousand words (be sure to have member’s permission). Develop and maintain a chapter or state website to inform members about activities and upcoming events. Consider partnering with other local and state organizations to provide learning opportunities for educators and publicize what we are doing!

Each one of us has an impact on education so let’s get LOUD! Let’s bring new ideas to the table to market and publicize ourselves across the globe. Together, we CAN make a huge impact on teachers, students and their families!