Celebrities Close and Weihenmayer join Verizon President Denny Strigl at Education Technology Conference


From left to right: Denny Strigl, Erik Weihenmayer, Eric Close, Kathryn Brown, and Patrick Gaston

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) hosted its annual National Educational Computing Conference (NECC) in Washington, DC June 28 - July 1. Attended by more than 18,000 educators, NECC is the premier forum in which to learn, explore and survey the field of educational technology. Verizon's President and Chief Operating Officer, Denny Strigl opened a celebrity filled session by first thanking ISTE for leading the way in recognizing what a profound impact technology would have on how teachers teach and how students learn. "That is why the Verizon Foundation has partnered with the top educational organizations, in each of the academic subjects and literacy, to bring you the extraordinary free resources of Verizon Thinkfinity.org. We believe we have a responsibility to support you as educators and enable you to inspire your students to achieve. We not only want you to succeed, we need you to succeed and send us the next generations of innovators...for our workforce, for our economy and for our future as a nation," Strigl said.
Watch Mr. Strigl's opening remarks.

In a session titled "Inspiring the Inner Explorer: Creating a Spirit of Adventure in the Classroom," sponsored by the Verizon Foundation, blind mountain climber, adventurer and author Erik Weihenmayer teamed with actor-director Eric Close of the CBS series "Without A Trace" to demonstrate how bringing a sense of adventure to the classroom can inspire and engage students to reach their full potential.

From left to right: Bette Seeley, Denny Strigl and Patrick Gaston

Weihenmayer, a former teacher, and Close appeared together for the first time in this new initiative, which pairs principles of adventure sports with practical tools such as Verizon's Thinkfinity.org, to help teachers move beyond the textbook when teaching.

Weihenmayer put that concept into action by inviting Close and several teachers from the audience to take part in a rope team exercise to demonstrate the importance of teamwork on the mountain and in the classroom.

The ropes course used during the demonstration was generously provided by GO-Adventure Sports (www.go-adventuresports.com).
Watch the rope team exercise.

Among the resources included in the Thinkfinity.org adventure feature are:

  • Blind Mountain Climber on Summiting Everest -- In the fifty years since Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzig Norgay first saw the view from the top of Mount Everest, thousands have tried to reach that lofty vantage point. In this question-and-answer session with Weihenmayer, the only blind person to ever stand on Everest's peak, National Geographic offers a first-hand account of the brutal cold, savage winds and crushing fatigue at 29,000 feet (8,840 meters).
  • Blast Off to Learn New Words -- This lesson plan from the National Council of Teachers of English and the International Reading Association's Readwritethink.org, will take students on a virtual trip to the moon to help children become excited about reading and develop new vocabulary skills. For grades K-2.
  • On Top of the World -- If you were standing on the top of Mount Everest, how far would you be able to see to the horizon? In this lesson, students will consider two different strategies for finding an answer. The first strategy is algebraic -- using data about the distance to the horizon from various heights to generate a rule. The second strategy is geometric -- using the radius of the Earth and right-triangle relationships to construct a formula. For grades 9-12.

"Resources such as Verizon's Thinkfinity.org allow students to experience a subject rather than simply hearing about it," said Patrick Gaston, president of the Verizon Foundation. "Whether it's a virtual field trip to the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History or an online activity from American Association for the Advancement of Science's NetLinks that teaches about gravity, Thinkfinity.org can help bring learning to life."

See an exclusive video webcast of the event!

Opening Remarks
Dr. Trina Davis, Assistant Professor and Director of eEducation, Texas A&M University
Patrick Gaston, President, Verizon Foundation
Denny Strigl, President & COO, Verizon Communications

Inspiring the Inner Explorer
Eric Close, Actor/Director & Thinkfinity Champion

From the Classroom to the Top of Everest
Erik, Weihenmayer, Author, Adventurer & Motivational Speaker

Ropes Courses
Eric Close & audience volunteers

Verizon Thinkfinity
Christen Dodd, Thinkfinity Distance Learning Coordinator

Closing Remarks
Patrick Gaston, President Verizon Foundation