Discovery Education Blog: Recent Episodes
Discovery Education
Emotions and energy over holidays and extended school breaks are guaranteed to go up and down, for both grown-ups and kids. Here are three tips to help your students stay on the learning track during the holidays: 1. Offer flexible, timely content Embrace the flexibility that digital resources provide by sharing resources that students can […]
The post Three Tips to Keep Students Learning Over the Holidays appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Incorporating immersive learning tools transforms the learning experience by allowing students to “learn by doing,” putting them at the center of the learning process. Gamified experiences promote career readiness by introducing students to diverse career opportunities and allowing them to bridge the gap between academic learning and real-world applications. What is Immersion, and Why is […]
The post Create an Interactive Journey to Career Readiness appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
In the classroom, children get the real benefit of interacting with their teacher and other students. Online learning has distinct advantages too. That’s because online teaching can be tailored to individual students in several important ways. Keep reading to learn about six benefits of online learning: 1. Online learning is self-paced. Students can slow down […]
The post Six Ways Online Learning Really Benefits Kids appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Get ready to FALL in love with our upcoming Fall 2024 releases! We’re welcoming the season with a series of new Virtual Field Trips and the debut of our first-ever DE Doc. No permission slips required! These virtual events let you take students to amazing places and through engaging topics that give them remarkable experiences […]
The post Announcing the Fall 2024 Virtual Field Trip Lineup appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
The drive to engage and motivate students is a critical factor in their ability to learn and retain knowledge. Developing these for learners creates the conditions where they are giving their attention and want to learn. Motivation comes in two forms: extrinsic and intrinsic. Extrinsic is often related to a drive to finish, to achieve […]
The post Intrinsic Motivation: Why It’s Lacking in Students and How to Foster It appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
The world has changed substantially in the last 100 years, and education has changed as well! Ensuring our children are fully prepared for tomorrow calls for adjustments in lesson planning, instruction, and educational pathways. “One-size-fits-all” education may have been sufficient at one point in time. It’s not now. Today, a personalized learning approach that uses […]
The post How Personalized Learning Can Benefit Students appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Educators today wear many metaphorical hats, especially as technology develops. They are expected to become film directors, vloggers, and coding experts, not to mention navigating the world of AI and feeling the burden of their students’ online safety. It can be easy to forget that a key part of the mission of educational technology (EdTech) […]
The post Five Ways to Create Immersion in the Classroom appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Small group instruction and cooperative learning can significantly impact student achievement, and because small group instruction is a highly effective differentiating instructional strategy, it is widely used in elementary classrooms. Teachers who already use this strategy know that successful implementation doesn’t happen overnight. The work involved in preparing students to operate within a small group […]
The post Small Group Instruction as a Differentiating Strategy appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Things have changed when it comes to using technology. According to Pew Research Center, 54% of children ages five to eight-years-old use a laptop or desktop computer. If you’re a parent or guardian thinking about introducing your child to tech devices, here are a few tips to help you get started: 1. Set firm ground […]
The post Six Tips for Introducing Kids to Laptops appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Immersive moments have been happening in classrooms for many years. As new technology comes along, we can easily forget that immersion can be achieved with something as simple as a good story. Let’s consider the profound impact that traditional storytelling can have on students. Storytelling has been used for millennia to ensure that knowledge and […]
The post Fuel Curiosity with Immersive Storytelling appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
To create a cohesive student support team, teachers and family members must come together to encourage students throughout their educational journey. Open communication is a top priority for teachers, as they search for strategies to increase communication and keep families engaged throughout the school year. The DE Team asked members of the Discovery Educator Network to […]
The post How to Keep Communication Alive: Teachers, Students & Caregivers appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
In an age where digital technology dominates, it’s easy to forget that when we talk about ‘immersive learning experiences’ as a way to nurture curiosity, we’re not always thinking about augmented reality or virtual reality. VR and interactive simulations offer exciting possibilities, even with the world of education still striving towards digital equity. The high […]
The post The Five Senses: Immersion in the Classroom appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
The first two weeks of school are busy. You’re getting into the back-to-school mindset, building classroom community, practicing classroom routines and so much more. You’re also working to understand where students are in their learning and how to facilitate individual growth. Formative assessment is a critical way to monitor student learning – especially at the […]
The post Five Tips for Quick Formative Assessment appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Experiential learning transforms abstract concepts into tangible experiences, fostering a deeper curiosity and understanding for students. Below you’ll find some information about experiential learning, and five tips for successfully creating engaging learning opportunities that captivate students and encourage a lifelong love of discovery. What Is Experiential Learning and Why Is It Important? As the name […]
The post 5 Tips for Creating Experiential Learning Opportunities appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Summer school programs are an ideal way to provide learning recovery and reinforce critical math and reading skills. Yet, developing an effective summer program can come with unique challenges. Leaders have less time to plan and fewer teachers to help students who need the most support. Discovery Education Experience, DreamBox Math, and DreamBox Reading programs […]
The post How Discovery Education Helps Solve 3 Summer Program Challenges appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
It’s news to no one that kids like gaming. Say the word ‘game’ in an elementary school classroom and watch children’s ears collectively prick up, suddenly interested. Historically, games may have been reserved for the end of the school day or otherwise ‘bonus’ time. Nowadays, however, they are becoming a fundamental part of everyday instruction. […]
The post Gamification in the Classroom: Learning through Play appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
It’s an easy assumption to make that in order to incorporate game elements into your teaching, you need to find a fully functional, ready-made game that fits your topic or objective. But thankfully, this level of investment into game-based learning isn’t necessary. You can elevate your lessons and discover the benefits of gamification without spending […]
The post 8 Ways to Gamify Your Classroom Instruction appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
While gamification is the art of embedding game mechanics into everyday learning, game-based learning is an experience that is embedded within a game framework. Keep reading to learn more about the benefits of game-based learning and how it can amplify learning across the curriculum. What is Game-Based Learning? Discovery Education’s immersive game-based experiences are available […]
The post Game-Based Learning Experiences appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
ISTE Live 2024 just wrapped up, and it was an event full of timely conversations, innovative ideas, and emerging technologies. The Discovery Education Team enjoyed connecting with educators, listening to sessions, and learning about the latest technology coming to classrooms! Read on to find five memorable mantras we gleaned from ISTE 2024 and plan to […]
The post Top 5 Memorable Mantras from ISTE 2024 appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Every building you spend time in––schools, libraries, houses, apartment complexes, movie theaters, and even your favorite ice cream shop––is the product of mathematical principles applied to design and construction. Have you ever wondered how building professionals incorporate math to create the common structures you walk in and out of every day? What is Architecture? Before […]
The post Architecture and Construction Through Mathematics appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Just because it’s summer doesn’t mean students have to stop learning. Everywhere you look there are opportunities for them to expand their math and reading skills. Discovery Education is here to help teachers support students’ learning this summer. Here are six fun math and reading activities that families can enjoy together while students improve their […]
The post 6 Summer Reading and Math Activities for Elementary Students appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Today, Discovery Education celebrates a remarkable cohort of districts, schools, and educators recognized in the inaugural Discovery Education Awards! While the submissions were all unique, a common theme stood out: each awardee leads the way in fostering student growth and boundless learner curiosity. We had an excellent pool of worthy candidates and are thrilled to […]
The post Celebrating Educator Excellence with our First-Ever Discovery Education Award Recipients appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Step closer to summer with new resources from Discovery Education! Find engaging content for your May lessons to keep your students excited about learning through the end of the school year. Pop of Professional Learning What’s New Trending Topics Magic Moment Pop of Professional Learning Educators, administrators, and corporate leaders all agree: we need to […]
The post This Month at DE: May appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
It’s Teacher Appreciation Week and we couldn’t be more excited! Here at Discovery Education, every week is Teacher Appreciation Week. We are so grateful and so proud to be part of your daily lessons. To commemorate this annual May celebration, we want to share five things we absolutely love about our educators. 1. Teachers are […]
The post 5 Things DE Loves About Teachers appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
How can we improve reading outcomes for all of our students? Educators have asked themselves this question countless times. They have tried different strategies, software products, and professional development as potential answers. But with only 35% of U.S. fourth-grade students proficient in reading, where does reading instruction go from here? Numerous terms, including the science […]
The post Science Matters: Literacy Research is the Key to Improving Reading Outcomes appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Starting the Journey: Learn to Read Through Oral Reading Fluency Before we define silent reading fluency, it may be helpful to understand that before students can approach silent reading fluency, they begin their reading journey with oral reading. Oral reading is generally the focus of grades K – 2. Students build foundational skills, such as […]
The post Most Tested, Least Taught: Silent Reading Fluency appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Background: Who determined the five components of reading? Congress asked the National Reading Panel NRP to determine the best approaches to help children read. As a result of their research and evaluation, the organization issued an evidence-based, nearly 500-page report of their findings. Teaching Children to Read divided reading instruction into five components and summarized available research. […]
The post The Five Components of Reading appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Students’ learning needs are more diverse than ever. In a single classroom of 30 students, an educator may encounter 30 distinct levels of abilities, different skill sets, and various individual learning styles. With such variation, it can be difficult for educators to fully address each student’s unique needs. Educators must keep all students on positive […]
The post Remediation, Intervention, and Acceleration appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Educators, administrators, and corporate leaders all agree: we need to encourage girls to explore STEAM skills and consider STEM careers for their futures. But how? We asked members of the Discovery Educator Network to share content, programs, and ideas they have found to be successful in bringing more girls to the world of STEAM! Infusing STEAM […]
The post Strategies for Encouraging Girls to Explore STEAM appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Add something exciting to your April lessons with new, engaging resources from Discovery Education! Find ideas for Financial Literacy Month, explore behind-the-scenes with the NBA, and more! Pop of Professional Learning What’s New Trending Topics Magic Moment Pop of Professional Learning Virtual Field Trips take your students beyond the classroom walls and into some of […]
The post This Month at DE: April appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Educators have an extraordinary opportunity to ignite a passion for learning by embracing the dynamic world of STEAM learning. Incorporating STEAM isn’t just about teaching science or math—it’s about nurturing a mindset of curiosity that empowers students to question, experiment, and grow. The beginning of the school year is a great time to help students […]
The post Inspiring Creativity in the Classroom appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Lesson planning involves many steps—reviewing and matching standards to content, selecting strategies, writing activities—but a very important step is reflecting on the perspectives that are presented and whether they are relatable and authentic. For one Arizona teacher, Jillian Hernandez, the opportunity to help the Discovery Education team curate a channel highlighting Native Arizona stories and […]
The post Connecting Students with Native Stories appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
With Labor Day weekend behind us, students and teachers across the country are back in the swing of a new school year! Head back to school prepared by catching up on the latest EdTech news updates. For this edition of the DE EdTech News Roundup, we’ll cover: EdTech Changes Teacher Shortage New Tech in the […]
The post Discovery Education’s EdTech News Roundup – September 5 appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
In case you missed it, this year’s DEN Summer Institute (DENSI) was held on July 18 and 19. DENSI is a one-of-a-kind, community focused, professional learning experience exclusive for DEN STAR educators! Jessie Erickson, a DEN Leadership Council member, held one DENSI session to share her tips, tricks, and advice for building a strong classroom […]
The post Cultivating a Caring Classroom Community appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
In school, students learn academic content, build critical thinking skills, and grow as people! To create learning experiences that accomplish this, two educators in the Verona Area School District decided to join forces. They found an innovative way to bring high school and elementary school students together through Discovery Education’s Virtual Field Trips. Meet the […]
The post Inspiring Student Leadership and Learning appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Bring curiosity to your classroom this year with the latest from Discovery Education! We can’t wait to head back to school with you, and bring along our new content, enhancements that streamline lesson planning, and a new engaging professional learning series. This back-to-school season, let Discovery Education’s array of award-winning services help you ignite the […]
The post What’s New with Discovery Education appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Use these Top 10 Instructional Strategies to foster creativity and innovation with your students to increase their problem-solving skills.
The post SOS Top 10: The 4 C’s appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Kick off the new school year and catch up on new laws to support students, updates on cybersecurity and AI, and the latest insights from education and EdTech leaders. In this August 21 edition of the DE EdTech News Roundup, we’ll cover: Supporting Students Cybersecurity & AI Insights from Leaders Supporting Students The latest education […]
The post Discovery Education’s EdTech News Roundup – August 21 appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Planning an engaging lesson takes time (and effort), and teachers are often short on planning time. Finding the right resource, determining how it will be used, and sharing it with students in a way that will get them excited about learning are all vital to creating a dynamic learning experience, and planning these things takes […]
The post Innovative, Time-Saving Lessons for Impactful Learning Experiences appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Literacy is a leading indicator of student success, and it is an essential skill for any subject area! Students aren’t just reading books, poems, and stories in English Language Arts—they read laboratory experiment instructions in science, word problems in math, and maps in social studies! Reading is a complicated, multi-faceted skill, as it requires students […]
The post SOS Top 10: Developing Literacy appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Hello, August! As teachers and students prepare to head back to the classroom, catch up on what’s trending in EdTech news! In this edition of the DE EdTech News Roundup, we’ll cover: Putting Students First New Resources Insights from Leaders Putting Students First Student success and achievement is a primary driver of K-12 education. Check […]
The post Discovery Education’s EdTech News Roundup – August 7 appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
We all know professional learning helps teachers learn about changes in the profession and how to better serve their students. But, it can also be viewed as extra work (and a time suck) if it the presentation isn’t engaging and the information isn’t relevant for teachers. As schools work to find high-quality educators, creating dynamic […]
The post Planning a Dynamic Professional Learning Session appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Celebrate Discovery Channel’s Shark Week with fin-tastic Shark Week programming and curriculum-aligned lesson starters to fortify STEM concepts, investigate conservation, and explore career connections. Here to share her tips and ideas for diving into an exciting Shark Week with your students is DEN STAR and Texas educator, Dorothy-Ann “Dottie” Vakidis. For Discovery Education Shark Week, […]
The post Exciting Ideas for Shark Week Lessons appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Catch up on EdTech this week as we dive into policy changes, insights on AI, and how to prepare for the upcoming school year. In this July 24 edition of DE’s EdTech News Roundup, we’ll cover: Policy Updates Cultivating Classroom Culture Insights from Leaders Policy Updates As we prepare for the start of a new […]
The post Discovery Education’s EdTech News Roundup – July 24 appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
STEM is once again a hot topic in classrooms across the country, and it’s all because the rapidly growing career fields. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, STEM careers are expected to grow by 10.8% by 2031! That’s why teachers everywhere are focused on building exciting STEM lessons and engaging activities that introduce […]
The post Engaging Activities to Extend STEM Learning appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Education is constantly changing—from how to engage today’s students to updated technology in the classroom, there’s always something new to learn. So how can professional learning help keep educators up to speed with all these changes? Flexible, practical professional learning options are easier to manage over traditional, hour-long sessions (or even webinars), so the learning […]
The post Practical Professional Learning for Teachers appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
We hope you had a happy 4th of July holiday! Let’s catch up on updates from ISTE’s annual EdTech conference, changes on affirmative action and technology, and the latest insights from our bold leaders. In this July 10 edition of the EdTech News Roundup, we’ll cover: ISTE 2023 The Future of EdTech Insights from Leaders […]
The post Discovery Education’s EdTech News Roundup – July 10 appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Use these instructional strategies to make the most of your summer professional learning, encourage active participation, and make valuable connections with your fellow educators.
The post SOS Top 10: Summer Professional Learning appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Catch up on the current conversations around Artificial Intelligence in the classroom, student and parent opinions, using performance data, and ideas from education experts. In this June 26 edition of DE’s EdTech News Roundup, we’ll cover: Tech Updates School Evaluations Insights from Leaders Tech Updates Conversations around how Artificial Intelligence can complement education are continuing, […]
The post Discovery Education’s EdTech News Roundup – June 26 appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Hello, June! For many teachers and students, June marks the end of a school year and the start of a much-deserved summer break. Stay connected to what’s going on in EdTech by reading DE’s roundup of the latest news: From K12 to Career Still on ESSER Insights from Experts From K12 to Career When considering […]
The post Discovery Education’s EdTech News Roundup – June 12 appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
The month of May has flown by, and we hope you had a great Memorial Day Weekend! Now you can catch up on what’s trending in EdTech news with this edition of the DE EdTech News Roundup. We’ll cover: The Pandemic’s Effects Political Happenings Insights from Experts The Pandemic’s Effects While health mandates have all […]
The post Discovery Education’s EdTech News Roundup – May 30 appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Summer is supposed to be fun—and summer learning should be, too! Whether you’re looking for curriculum support, new content, at-home activities for students, or professional learning resources, DE is here to help you make this summer one to remember! New games from Arcademics! Grades K-8 Boost learning and engagement with 14 new skill-building multiplayer math […]
The post This Summer at DE appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Whether you’re a teacher, administrator, student, or community member, you’ve probably heard lots of conversation surrounding reading over the last school year. Particularly discussions about literacy instruction and student reading proficiency, both critical to the success of students’ academic careers. One teacher, Judith Philias, shared her insights with the Discovery Education team about why she […]
The post Strengthening Student Literacy Skills appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Augmented Reality (AR) is technology that blurs the line between the digital and the real world. Using AR in education to replace a tabletop with a mountain range or the school hallway with the surface of the moon lets students interact with their surroundings in entirely new, immersive ways. Read on to go behind the […]
The post Augmented Reality: Meet the Makers appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
As summer break nears, lots of fun things come to mind like warmer weather, end of school celebrations, and time to recharge. While the excitement for summer builds, a well-known challenge also arises—keeping students focused on school through the end of the year. Texas teacher Leann Rains-Sharma was happy to share some insights on how […]
The post Overcoming Shrinking Student Attention Spans appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Check out what’s trending in EdTech news! From Teacher Appreciation Week to shifting technologies, it’s a busy time in education. For this edition of the DE EdTech News Roundup, we’ll cover: Appreciating Teachers The “Tech” in EdTech Insights from Education Leaders Appreciating Teachers In case you missed it, May 8 – 12 was Teacher Appreciation […]
The post Discovery Education’s EdTech News Roundup – May 15 appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Catch up on what’s new in EdTech! From evolving opinions about EdTech, revelations about reading, and new insights from ACSD and POTUS, there's plenty to discuss. For this May edition of the DE EdTech News Roundup, we’ll cover:
EdTech TrendsReadings about ReadingInsights from Education LeadersEdTech TrendsAs EdTech tools seem to be emerging everywhere you look, educators are working to balance how these tools can help enhance learning while not over-stimulating their students. Read on to catch up on the latest conversations around EdTech!
How Much EdTech is Ideal? Some Educators Want MoreWhen it comes to the ideal amount of educational technology in classrooms, most K-12 officials say they’d like to either continue with what they have now or add more, a new EdWeek Market Brief survey finds. The nationally representative 2022 survey asked 215 district leaders, 531 principals, and 538 teachers for their opinion on the proper amount of EdTech in schools. Their responses underscore leaders’ and educators’ quickly evolving, and in some respects contradictory, views of the role of tech in teaching and learning. Attitudes toward technology in school districts continue to shift, as educators move further from the pandemic and the rapid take-up of digital tools that came with it.
Learn More Banning ChatGPT In Schools Is Like Banning Calculators In Math ClassChatGPT and other Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) tools have caused swaths of school districts and government officials to ban the technology in classrooms—or at least attempt to. Concerned that these services will eliminate critical thinking and impact our ability to standardize assessment of intelligence, these leaders have left out one critical point of assessment: these tools aren’t going away and by banning the tools they are failing to prepare their students for the world they will graduate into.
Learn More 4 Resources to Differentiate Computer Science InstructionLearn how one Florida educator uses EdTech products and services, including the award-winning Discovery Education Science Techbook, to differentiate instruction and make computer science more accessible to students.
Learn More Can we make STEM more accessible for girls?Achieving gender parity in STEM fields in’t just about social equity, it’s about meeting the future economic demand for highly-skilled workers. The number of open tech jobs far outpaces the population of traditionally qualified candidates, and focusing on eliminating barriers to STEM education can support girls as they pursue STEM studies.
Learn More Readings About Reading Literacy is the #1 indicator of student success and a core function of succeeding in other subjects, which makes reading a hot topic for parents and educators. We’ve gathered some readings that summarize the major conversations about reading – check out the following articles to join the conversation:
‘Kids Can’t Read’: The Revolt That Is Taking On the Education EstablishmentFed up parents, civil rights activists, newly awakened educators and lawmakers are crusading for “the science of reading.” Can they get results? Read on to find out!
Learn More How AI and VR will Enhance Language Learning Beyond 2023This article provides a breakdown of three specific technologies educators should watch out for and how each enhances language learning differently.
Learn More Insights from Education LeadersRead the top takeaways from the latest speeches by leaders in education, politics, and the medical field.
10 Key Takeaways from ASCD 2023 Identity, dissent, and diamonds were all important lessons educator Fred Ende gleaned during the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ACSD) 2023 conference.
Learn More Kids’ Declining Mental Health Is the ‘Crisis of Our Time,’ Surgeon General Says U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy is bringing attention to the increase in youth mental health needs, which he calls “the defining public health crisis of our time.” He points to social media, sleep schedules, and the COVID-19 pandemic as issues affecting kids’ mental health. Read along to get the details on the mental health decline and what the Surgeon General says we can do to help young people.
Learn More Biden Celebrates Nation's Top Teachers President Joe Biden celebrated the National Teacher of the Year and Council of Chief State School Officers’ 2023 honorees from each state. During his remarks, Biden addressed the challenges that teachers face, including safety concerns and a recent uptick in book bans.
Learn More Visit our News page to see more ways we're extending support and strategies to educators around the globe. Go There Now Get Started with DE The post Discovery Education’s EdTech News Roundup – May appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Step closer to summer with new resources from Discovery Education! Find engaging content for your May lessons to keep your students excited about learning through the end of the school year.
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month ###### Grades K-12
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, meant to commemorate the rich heritage, historical roots, culture, and achievements of Asian Americans and Asian American Pacific Islanders. Highlight the various cultures and countries that make up the continent of Asia, and how Asian Americans and AAPIs continue to shape the United States as activists, authors, and changemakers with content from DE’s AAPI Heritage Channel.
Learn More Cinco De Mayo ###### Grades K-12
On May 5, celebrate Cinco de Mayo, a holiday that commemorates the Mexican army’s victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. Cinco de Mayo is a chance for Mexicans all over the world to show their national pride by playing music, cooking traditional dishes, dancing, and being with family. Introduce the history and traditions of Cinco de Mayo with this new Studio Board or find more resources on the Cinco De Mayo channel!
Learn More Canada Users Malcom X Day###### Grades K-12
Born Malcolm Little, rights activist Malcolm X found throughout much of his career, including his transformation after his pilgrimage to Mecca, that people misunderstood his intentions and his goals. May 19 is Malcom X Day, which is a great chance to learn more about Malcom X’s career and contributions to the Civil Rights Movement.
Learn More Find more timely tools and resources to support your daily lessons! Go There Now Request a Demo Memorial Day###### Grades K-12
Celebrate Memorial Day on May 30! This United States holiday was created to honor those who fought in the U.S. Civil War. On this day, many people attend parades, spend time with family and friends, and remember those who have served our country. Check out Wonderscapes’ new video, Holiday Kids: Memorial Day, learn more about the Armed Forces, explore the new Memorial Day Studio Board, and find more content to honor this holiday on the Memorial Day Channel.
Learn More National Mental Health Month ###### Grades K-12
Did you know May is National Mental Health Month? Take a mindful moment to infuse mindfulness and Social-Emotional Learning into your lessons to celebrate National Mental Health Month! Discovery Education’s Social-Emotional Learning Center and other resources share information about the interpersonal skills used to identify emotions, set goals, show empathy, maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.
Learn More National Physical Fitness Month ###### Grades K-12
Pump up your May lessons for National Physical Fitness Month! The American Heart Association and the National Football League, working together with Discovery Education, have joined forces to create NFL PLAY 60. The channel’s custom set of lessons, videos and interactive activities, are meant to inspire physically active lifestyles in schools and provide students nationwide with the tools they need to get the necessary 60 minutes or more of physical activity each day.
Learn More New Titles from Seeker ###### Grades K-12
Seeker digital collection empowers curious middle and high school students to understand the science that is shaping our world, with stories about the natural forces and groundbreaking innovations that impact our lives, our planet, and our universe. With Seeker’s three new titles, students can learn about what killed the dinosaurs, self-aware robots, and performing surgery in space!
Learn More Canada Users Find these relevant resources for May right in your DE learning platform! Go There Now Learn More About DE Canada Users The post This Month at DE: May appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! Commemorate this annual celebration that recognizes the rich heritages, cultures, histories, and accomplishments of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) in the United States. This includes people from the Far East, Southeast Asia, and the Indian subcontinent, as well as those who have origins in the Pacific Islands of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia.
Dive into content from Discovery Education and pique your students’ interest in Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month!
Introducing Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Start your AAPI Heritage Month celebrations by learning more about the various cultures and countries that make up the continent of Asia. Check out the Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Channel to find articles, audiobooks, podcasts, and activities that reveal how Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders celebrate their heritage and continue to shape the United States as activists, authors, and changemakers.
Easily plan your lessons for students in grades 3-8 with DE’s ready-to-use background builder or teacher choice board to help students build context around the importance of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage.
Travel to the Past Learn about the history of different countries and people of Asia and the Pacific Islands with videos and reading passages from DE! Go back in time to over 1,400 years ago, when the South Pacific Islanders observed the migration of the pacific golden plover. See how the Polynesians followed the flock for over 400 years, and how it eventually led them to the Hawaiian Islands.
Look into the truth of historical women’s experiences with a reading passage that reveals the truth about how women in ancient China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and Korea fought in wars. Discover how female skeletons show battle scars consistent with fighting injuries, revealing that women likely fought alongside men in ancient times.
Explore the Cultures Step into the shoes of different Asian and Pacific Islander cultures by learning about the different countries and their people. With videos from DE, students can see these countries with their own eyes. Introduce younger students to the country of India with this video highlighting five interesting facts about the country of India, including one about a festival where you paint an elephant from trunk to toe!
Take students in grades 6-12 to Cambodia with this video that illuminates the impacts of sand dredging on Cambodia’s identity, values, and survival. Students can hear from a Native Cambodian woman who shows how the manufactured removal of land from Cambodia’s coastline threatens to overpower their culture.
Learn more about the written and spoken languages of Asian and Pacific Islander cultures with this selection of classic fairy tales from Japan, featuring the son of a peach, a cruel stepmother and an enchanted mirror, and a warrior with a mission from the Dragon King! These tales were first translated in 1908 by Yei Theodora Ozaki, based on the Japanese version by Sadanami Sanjin.
Next, share this video that reveals the meaning behind Land of Big Numbers author Te-Ping Chen’s name. In this video, she tells students how she learned to embrace her heritage and how it shaped her identity.
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month starts on May 1! Honor the history and contributions of these cultures and countries with engaging resources from Discovery Education for the month of May or throughout the entire school year.
Find more May content and holiday resources through our This Month at DE blog! Go There Now Request a Demo The post #CelebrateWithDE: Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Another week, another wave of big news across education. From the continued conversations on ESSER, the impacts of technology, and what state officials are pushing for, there's plenty to pay attention to. For this edition of the DE EdTech News Roundup, we’ll cover:
EdTech TrendsESSER FundingInsights from Education LeadersICYMIEdTech TrendsEducation technology (EdTech) combines teaching and learning strategies with digital tools. In an increasingly digital and interconnected world, EdTech tools aren’t just about the tech! They can take learning to the next level, making lessons more relevant and engaging for students, while also helping educators save time.
EdTech is Critical in Evolving School EnvironmentsThe new State of Technology in Education reports that educators consider technology critical to effective education. In fact, of the 1,700 educators survey, 99% reported that technology is an essential tool for making teaching easier. That includes key priority areas for schools, like student wellness, engagement, and educator retention.
Learn More Harnessing EdTech for Deeper Science EngagementIn this article, a Florida educator shares how combining interactive EdTech resources with student choice encourages engagement, ownership, and academic success. It also showcases the power of EdTech resources for teaching and learning, like Discovery Education’s Science Techbook series.
Learn More Two Educator Approved Ways To Gamify Financial LiteracyGamifying education remains a popular tactic to engage students and a popular topic in K-12 education. An educator from California writes about how she captures and sustains student’s attention in financial literacy with gamified resources, including Discover Venture Valley (a program from The Singleton Foundation and Discovery Education).
Learn More ESSER FundingESSER is still in action! The Elementary and Secondary School Relief Fund (ESSER) are congressionally-approved rounds (3 total) of relief aid totaling $190 billion for school districts. We’re in Round II (due September 30, 2023) and districts and EdTech companies continue to gear up for Round III (due September 30, 2024).
In relation to ESSER, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said: “The time is now. This is our moment. It’s up to all of us to raise the bar in education.”
Read some key stories about what’s happening with ESSER and how it continues to impact K-12 education.
As ESSER Spending Ramps Up, Experts Offer Tips to Make Sure Students Truly Benefit, Now and LaterAccording to ED’s Education Stabilization Fund Transparency Portal, about 66% of ESSER II funds and about 25% of the $91 billion in ESSER III funds had been allocated as of February 2023. This article summarizes the budget and planning guidance various EdTech companies have offered to school districts as they determine how to spend their funding in a sustainable manner.
Learn More ESSER Funding: An Innovation OpportunityDiscovery Education’s Vice President of Partner Success, Dr. Todd Wirt, writes how ESSER is an unprecedented opportunity to jumpstart innovation in K-12 education nationwide. Based on discussions he had with school superintendents across the country, he learned that there are several critically important factors school leaders must keep in mind when evaluating how they will utilize their remaining federal stimulus funding.
Learn More 6 Reasons ESSER Spending Will ‘Make Or Break’ Districts This SpringIn a recent webinar, Director of Georgetown University’s Edunomics Lab, Marguerite Roza, stated that “School closures may become necessary for districts that continue to overspend without producing meaningful outcomes.” Schools have come to rely on ESSER funds, but as they dry up in 2024, that will change school districts’ plans. As some districts use these funds for recurring financial commitments via budget backfilling, new hires, or permanent raises, the current budget choices will greatly impact future spending ability.
Learn More Insights from Education LeadersWhile each governor has their own unique plans for education in their state, there are many common priorities among various state leaders.
Teacher Pay, School Choice, Literacy: Top Priorities for 44 Governors in 2023Surprisingly, gubernatorial speeches this year have not referenced the COVID pandemic in relation to education. Instead, state leaders are focusing on key topics like the teaching profession, school choice, curriculum and instruction, early and higher ed, workforce development, and mental health.
Learn More ICYMI Catch up on some of the theories and tools that have been starting conversations among educators.
7 Digital Learning Theories and Models You Should Know While educators learned these theories in school, a refresher is always good, especially given that EdTech tools rely on various learning models and theories.
Learn More ChatGPT: Here’s What You Need to KnowYou’ve probably seen ChatGPT everywhere but maybe you’re not sure what it is. Here’s a good explainer on ChatGPT and its potential, and current, impacts on education according to an educator in Pennsylvania.
Learn More Visit our News page to see more ways we're extending support and strategies to educators around the globe. Go There Now Get Started with DE The post Discovery Education’s EdTech News Roundup – April 17 appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Teacher shortage has become a top issue again this year, as school districts everywhere are working harder than ever to recruit new teachers and retain the ones they currently have. The Discovery Education team interviewed Dr. Andrew Houlihan, Superintendent of North Carolina’s Union County Public Schools, to hear his thoughts on teacher recruitment, retention, and the success he’s seen so far in his district’s efforts to tackle this crisis.
What was your personal inspiration to become an educator? What continues to drive you today? I grew up in a household of educators—my mom was a counselor and my dad was a teacher, principal, and a superintendent—so I knew that world. I also swore I would never be a superintendent.
When I was in high school, I took a class called “Peer Helpers,” where I tutored elementary kids at a Title I feeder school. I really enjoyed it, and at the same time was exploring options for college. Back then, we had the North Carolina Teaching Fellows Scholarship, which was basically a full ride to a significant number of state universities. I was awarded that scholarship, and after graduating, worked in Wake County as a second-grade teacher at a Title I school.
In fact, much of my career has focused on, and been devoted to, our neediest kids. Whether they’re in a Title I environment or not, making sure that, from an equity and access standpoint with programming, innovation, resources, or funding, that we’re doing all that we can each day to ensure that all our kids receive a high-quality education.
That’s really what drives me every single day—making a difference, making an impact, and hoping that our students matriculate, then graduate, beyond prepared for success and life.
As a leader in your district, what effects of the teacher shortage have you noticed on your students and staff? When you’re missing individuals in classrooms due to vacancies, your principals have to be very creative on how we ensure our kids are safe and continue to receive a high-quality education.
Primarily we have seen an impact with the North Carolina K-3 class size law. By law we are required to put our teachers in our K-3 buildings first, then we allocate staff to grades 4-12. Because we’re a growing district and have vacancies, we often must combine classes or have larger class sizes. In some cases, like during the pandemic, we had to have classes in the auditorium or the cafeteria, and really expand the reach of our highly effective teachers to teach more kids.
We’ve also seen an impact with the number of available substitute teachers. We were at about a 33% fill rate earlier in the year, so we made the decision to hire a third-party staffing company in December. Now we’re at about a 75% fill rate, so we’ve made some growth there.
This is a situation where we need trusted adults who are not only certified to teach and who want to teach, but who can also keep kids safe. We’ve been fortunate and safety has been a huge priority, but that is always a big concern and one we have to recognize.
Are there teacher recruitment strategies you’ve tried, or are currently using, that made a difference in bringing new teachers into your district? The biggest push we’ve made is building a relationship, as a superintendent and as an HR staff, with deans of colleges of education in our region and state. We need to proactively get in front of future teachers when they’re a freshman or a sophomore, before they’re deciding where they might want to go teach. There are several local universities that bring us many of our teachers when they graduate, and these relationships have been a great help to our recruitment efforts.
Another strategy I’ve used before (sort of a secret recipe) is using your state or district compensation to your advantage. North Carolina certainly has a ways to go to advance teacher pay, but we have found some success in recruiting teachers from areas where our compensation plan is stronger than their local school district or state’s salary schedules.
A change in recruitment that resulted from the pandemic is how job fairs have evolved. With the pandemic, everyone went virtual, and became used to that. As a result, we’ve noticed in the past couple of years that our enrollment for those fairs has declined. However, our virtual recruiting efforts, depending on the college or university, have brought in higher attendance numbers. That’s a pivot we’ve had to figure out and, while we haven’t figured it out completely, it’s another recruitment strategy we’re capitalizing on.
How has teacher recruitment changed over the course of your career? How has today’s educator changed compared to when you first started in education? We have to recognize that the generation of 22-24 year-old teachers have different perspectives than the ones from when I went through college and graduated. They’ve experienced life differently, gone through a global pandemic, and are likely much more adept and adapt with technology. Recognizing the strengths of those perspectives, but also the gaps, of those who come into teaching is important.
We also must figure out how to partner better with our higher ed agencies to develop other alternatively licensed pathways through which we can recruit.
One strategy we’ve used to address this is our daily in-school tutoring program. We launched this program in our lowest performing schools before the pandemic, and we’ve seen a good pipeline of non-certified individuals that pass a series of assessments and credentials, to then become full-time teachers over the course of a year or two. The recruitment, we must recognize, doesn’t necessarily come from just a college anymore—there are other entities that we have to recruit from.
"The recruitment, we have to recognize, doesn’t necessarily come from just a college anymore—we have to find other outlets for recruiting new teachers."
Dr. Andrew Houlihan, Superintendent of Union County Public SchoolsTweet
Have you been working with high schools to introduce younger students to the field of education? We announced in February a new program called Teach UCPS. It is a targeted effort for both current employees and students. Beginning in 9th grade, there are three pathways:
The first pathway is an aggressive associate degree that starts in 9th grade. Students in this program work through a course sequence with our local community college and their high school, and they graduate with a two-year associate degree at the same time as their high school diploma. Next, students take the “Gateway to Wingate Scholarship” to finish their bachelor’s degree at Wingate University for only $2,500 a year. Once they graduate from Wingate, they are hired to teach in UCPS.
The other two options are based on our Academy model, where beginning in 10th grade, students can take a series of courses and graduate from high school with 7 college credit hours. They can choose to attend our local community college for free afterwards, and are eligible to then access the same scholarship to attend Wingate University.
We’re also currently working on raising scholarship money so students can graduate from Wingate entirely debt free, and then in return, teach in UCPS for a minimum of three years in a Title I school or a minimum of four years in a non-Title I school. We’re really excited about this, and are introducing it to our 8th graders, as well as high school students, who might want to be part of the Academy model. This program is a longer-term investment—we aren’t going to see any return on it for at least 3-4 more years, but it’s an innovative strategy that we believe will have huge benefits!
Why is retaining teachers past the first five years of their career important? How does it affect student success?There’s plenty of research that explains the benefits of how experienced teachers impact student achievement. These studies show that the longer you’re in the teaching profession, the more you grow and adapt—making you an expert. I still think that research holds true today and that there is significant value in experience. I also believe retaining new teachers hasn’t changed either: our teachers need support. They can’t work in silos or in isolation.
The need for new teacher support has become much more important as we feel the effects the pandemic has had on education. Teachers are now expected to start their first year knowing how to teach reading skills, know their content, and simply know what a 10-year veteran teacher to know. These skills are not going to be gained by new teachers without support from their school district, other teachers, and their school site leadership.
A few years ago, UCPS funded our Beginning Teacher Support Team, so we have an in-house division that does nothing but work with our teachers in their first three years. They’re coaches, not evaluators—they are purely there to observe, give feedback, and work with leadership for further support. They help create structures like partnering new teachers with mentor teachers and providing targeted professional development. Those first three years are critical, but it’s a balance of offering new teachers support while not overwhelming them.
Retention is important when it comes to student achievement and growth, but it’s also important from an economic standpoint. When teachers leave, starting over with new hires impacts a district’s budget, support plan, and slows down growth from the prior year’s work. We like to invest in our employees, but we need to see those investments pay off. The longer you stay with us, the bigger the investment and the payoff we’re all going to see!
What advice can you offer to other education leaders who are trying to retain their teachers? I believe that teachers like to stay in a district for the same reasons today as they did 20 years ago, when research was put together on retention. Here they are, in order:
- They want to have a highly effective leader. The effectiveness and quality of the building principal makes a huge difference.
- They want professional development opportunities. They want the chance to grow in their craft and to get better.
- They want leadership opportunities. What can you do as a building leader or a district leader to ensure that your teachers are having leadership opportunities at both the district and school levels? That is incredibly important.
- They want fair compensation—leaders should be advocating at the local, state, and federal levels to increase teacher pay, supplements, and stipends. A lot of people say that teachers won’t come into the profession because of pay, and that is certainly part of the reason, but I don’t believe it’s the top reason.
One last piece of advice: we can’t have our own teachers telling our students to avoid the teaching profession. Building a culture where educators are seen as professionals, decision makers, and leaders, and encouraging our youth to enter the profession, takes hard work at the district and school levels. We continue to strive for this type of environment every day!
How are teachers in your district involved with high-level decisions? How is their feedback gathered and used? I have stakeholder structures for feedback collection, with advisory councils that meet with my cabinet staff and me at least once a quarter. We have councils for principals, elementary school students, high school students, parents, and teachers to gather with their peers, discuss relevant topics, and share feedback.
Our teacher advisory council is made up of 53 teachers, one teacher elected from each school. When our teacher advisory council meets, they prepare and send their questions before our meeting date. During our meetings, we spend some time elaborating on those questions if there are any concerns, but most of our time is spent gathering feedback on a problem of practice, a policy, or an upcoming decision.
One recent topic was our budget process—we always ask our teachers to prioritize what we should advocate for in our budget. At our upcoming teacher advisory council meeting, we’re going to break the members up and ask for feedback on our recently launched portrait of a UCPS graduate. We’re going to dive into what these attributes look like in the classroom so we can then implement curriculum resources that support teachers in helping students build these skills.
Whether it’s policy, funding, or whatever the topic is, we always want to gather feedback from our teachers because we value their expertise—they’re the ones with boots on the ground.
Dr. Andrew Houlihan, Superintendent of Union County Public SchoolsTweet
Do you find that in these different advisory councils, the issues or concerns that are brought up are similar? Yes! It’s interesting to hear a 5-year-old student and an 18-year-old student advocate for the same things. We have a common topic that our cabinet selects, and we ask all the councils the same questions. Next, we figure out the trends and triangulate the data across these different groups to identify the key points. More times than not, we get a lot of overlap!
How could local and state education leaders help your teacher retention and recruitment efforts? There are three major areas that come to mind:
- We need to figure out a way to better incentivize our youth to enter the teaching profession. We’re doing all we can to innovate locally, but having some statewide or federal assistance would certainly help school districts create a more robust pipeline of new educators.
- Going back to the compensation discussion, we need to pay our teachers a professional wage, not just a livable wage. Teacher salaries are often decided by leaders at the state level, so they can make a worthy change there.
- From a policy standpoint, any additional flexibility we can have with teacher licensure would be helpful. North Carolina charter schools have a tremendous amount of flexibility with that, and in the public school setting we do not. In my opinion, that same licensure flexibility should be offered to all our schools.
Those are some of the top ways our state leaders can help us, but we’re all proud of the work we’ve done at UCPS. We’ve historically been the highest performing large district in the state, and we work hard every day at maintaining that high performance. At the end of the day, we need to recruit and retain as many people as possible in this profession, which takes hard work—a lot of marketing, education, and creativity.
When it comes to recruiting and retaining teachers, school districts are finding ways to get creative and keep up with the challenges that pop up along the way. While the details of each school district’s staffing concerns will be unique, learning the steps other educational leaders are taking to tackle teacher recruitment and retention can help refresh strategies. The bottom line for finding teachers comes down to providing a high-quality education for students, something every student deserves!
Andrew G. Houlihan, Ed. DDr. Andrew G. Houlihan is currently in his seventh year as Superintendent of the Union County Public Schools. In 2022, Education Week recognized him as a national Leader to Learn From for his strategic leadership, he was named the 2022 Superintendent of the Year for the Southwest Regional Alliance (Region 6), and he was a finalist for the North Carolina State Superintendent of the Year. Prior to joining UCPS, he served in numerous roles within the Houston Independent School District and served in various leadership roles in the Austin Independent School District.
Union County Public Schools is the sixth-largest public school system in North Carolina. It serves approximately 41,000 students at 53 schools and has approximately 5,000 staff members. Known as a leader in academics, UCPS offers a wide variety of coursework to its students, with a long-term goal of ensuring all students are equipped to succeed in college, career and life.
Learn more about retaining your best educators with DE's new eBook on teacher shortage! Download Your eBook The post A Positive, Proactive Approach to Handling Teacher Shortage appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Teacher and student needs are changing all the time — teachers need resources they can count on and implement without hassle; students need learning experiences that challenge their skills and help them grow. That’s why the Discovery Education team is continuously innovating to best meet the evolving needs of you and your students.
Now, we’re happy to share our latest enhancements designed to engage students more deeply, better support your daily instruction, and reach even more learners to set them up for success beyond the classroom.
Read along here and register for our webinar to learn more about these powerful new resources and capabilities in our award-winning learning platform, popular curriculum packs, and supplemental programs!
Not sure which product you have? It’s easy to find out! From your DE Homepage, navigate to the Curriculum Packs section to see which products your district has made available to you.
Engage Students More Deeply Unique learning experiences with inquiry, excitement, and exploration are what keep students’ attention while also challenging them academically! The DE team is committed to helping students not only strengthen academic skills, but also prepare them to be lifelong learners.
Check out our learning platform’s latest content to spark student interest and promote critical thinking.
- The launch of an all-new DE Original Series, Real-World Phenomena Jr.! Short videos in English and Spanish showcase compelling natural science phenomena and are paired with ready-to-use instructional activities.
- 10 new learning games from Arcademics! These skill-building, multi-player games help students build critical skills in math, language arts, and social studies.
-
Sesame Workshop’s new collection of social studies and civics education resources, Coming Together, now in DE’s Sesame Learning Channel. Take advantage of innovative multi-media learning resources, interactives, and hands-on activities that bring math, science, and social studies to life!
-
New features from Pivot Interactives for more phenomena-based, active learning, including graphing and scientific formula updates, and drag-and-drop questions that enhance critical thinking.
- 400+ updated videos in Social Studies Techbook invite students on an inquiry-based exploration of the stories, institutions, and cultures that enrich our world.
- Limited early availability of DoodleMath – personalized math practice for grades K-5 that builds skills, fluency, and confidence. The DE team is working hard to build videos, interactives, and learning experiences to help students practice innovative thinking and make learning fun—for all grades and subjects! Assign one of these new resources or encourage students to set up their Student Explore page to get recommendations that match their interests.
Join us for a webinar on April 27 at 3:00pm ETfor a deep dive into these enhancements! Register Now Save Time with Better Instructional Support We know how challenging it can be to find the right resources to bring lessons to life, and once the perfect resource is found, the work doesn’t end there. Next comes scaffolding, gathering materials, and grading. These new DE updates are meant to help save you precious planning time while enhancing your daily instruction.
The DE learning platform is full of easy-to-use, grab-and-go lessons and activities that include engaging content and embedded instructional support. Now it’s even easier to find, build, and deliver compelling lessons right from the platform with improvements in Quiz, Studio, and Assignments. In addition, we’re launching a new Teacher Certification program to enhance the experience of all DE educators!
Save time with new monthly Activity Calendars for grades K-5 that feature grab-and-go lesson activities, such as Choice Boards, Studio Quiz activities, and slideshows. Perfect for a quick lesson on timely topics and holidays!
Teachers can count on Mystery Science for engaging science content for their students. Now there are even more lessons to choose from! Each lesson includes material checklists, digital and print options, and clear prep instructions with teaching tips.
Need to find that “perfect fit” for students? Pivot Interactives has improved scaffolding in its lessons to help teachers align them to their students’ needs. Plus, the updated grading functionality improves auto grading and personalized feedback throughout activities.
Whether you need support with planning, scaffolding, teaching, or grading, you’ll find new easy-to-use, time-saving resources and support to help through every step!
Enhance Equitable Access to Learning OpportunitiesFrom improved language variety to diverse perspectives, Discovery Education offers relevant content and differentiated learning opportunities to help you create engaging lessons in which all students can see themselves!
Want to make career-readiness fun, but don’t have a ton of prep time? Discovery Education offers real-world, diverse content from major brands like Lego, Boeing, and the Country Music Association. And, check out the STEM Careers Coalition or Virtual Field Trips for low-prep, intriguing learning experiences!
Literacy is the #1 indicator of student success and a core function of succeeding in other subjects. Discovery Education’s reading and language supports are designed to ensure all students have what they need to achieve their reading goals and can access learning resources in a way that sets them up for success. These new and updated literacy tools include:
- Microsoft Immersive Reader
- High-contrast text and the ability to navigate without a mouse
- The “Read this to me” button from Pivot Interactives
- Language localization in Science Techbook We’re continuously improving the content and resources we offer to inspire learning for all. As teachers search for their go-to resource or students hope for invigorating instruction, Discovery Education is here to help!
Find new, updated content in the Discovery Education learning platform! Sign In Now Request a Demo The post Discovery Education’s Latest Product Updates appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Celebrate Earth Day with Discovery Education’s collection of Earth Day activities to build an understanding of sustainability, the Earth’s natural resources, and how we can all take action to keep our planet healthy. This Earth Day, invest in our planet and inspire your students with lessons that teach about climate literacy, ending plastic use, cleaning up our planet, and sustainable fashion!
Climate LiteracyFind ways to help our planet from land to sea! Wondering about the importance of water to our world, what issues our planet is facing, or how we can help? DE has pulled together engaging lessons, videos, and activities to show how we can care for our environment.
Start the climate literacy journey for students in grades PK-5 with DE’s Earth to Luna: So Much Water, Fishtronaut: The Case of the Underwater Desert, and Fishtronaut: A Case of the Missing River videos to learn where our water comes from and how to protect the creatures that live in it. Next, let students in grades 3-5 dive into the different climates and weather conditions around the world with DEmystified: Climate and consider how human choices affect the environment as they explore Minecraft’s Sustainability City.
Take climate literacy to the next level for students in grades 6-12 by exploring real-world environmental issues. Learn about greenhouse gases with DE videos on The Greenhouse Effect and SF6 greenhouse gas, then investigate climate change. Apply this newfound knowledge of environmental issues to the real world and learn about people living in a California drought with When a Town Runs Dry or about how commercial farming impacts life in the Gamo Highlands of Africa with A Thousand Suns.
End PlasticsEvaluate the problems single use plastics create for our planet and learn about ways to help the planet! Peer into The Problem With Plastics and consider how even the smallest plastic use can impact the environment with Earth to Luna: No More Straws and Fishtronaut: The Case of the Plastic Bottles.
Next, take a peek at the solutions scientists are creating for handling plastic waste and helping the environment. Watch The Recycling Process video to discover how plastic bottles, cardboard boxes, and aluminum cans can be transformed into something new, then consider how recycling procedures are being improved further with In Real Life: Plastic Time Bomb. Step into a science lab in this Elements video to learn about a new “super enzyme” that can degrade plastic materials faster than before.
Check out DE’s Earth Day Collection to find on-demand events and resources for students of all grade levels! Go There Now Plant Trees Plant seeds of knowledge about how planting new trees can help our planet! Ask your students to consider what life would be like without trees, and introduce them to how our planet’s natural resources impact our daily lives with DEmystified’s video: What are Natural Resources? Next, branch out and learn about what it takes to help trees grow and flourish with Earth To Luna: Yummy Dirt and the Plant a Seed Exercise!
Grow students’ understanding of how planting new trees can help the planet with real-world stories! For students in grades PK-2, read the story of Jadav “Molai” Payeng in The Boy Who Grew a Forest from Vooks, and completing the activity sheet about the story after reading. Students in grades PK-8 can learn about how living things are all connected with stories of real students’ actions in We Are One, and students in grades 3-12 can see the impact newly planted trees are having on climate changes in cities around the world with Newsy: How Cities are Using Trees to Combat Climate Change.
Global Clean UpGet your students excited to create a better tomorrow for our communities by cleaning up our communities, lakes, rivers, and parks! Our actions can help keep our environment clean and take care of nature. Help students in grades PK-2 see how their actions matter with the Make Our Earth Better video and mini-lesson, and guide older students toward sustainable living with N*GEN’s video on Sustainable Living.
One big reason to keep our planet clean is to help preserve the Earth’s resources! Learn about the difference between renewable and nonrenewable resources, and determine how to protect these resources with videos from DEmystified, then take the resource research even further with Elements videos that explain how we can clean up our water and create useful materials from trash!
Sustainable FashionBring sustainability into style by learning about sustainable fashion options! Fashion is a global industry that can be improved for the environment, and DE has a variety of resources to help students learn about the impact fashion has on the planet.
Find out about Fast Fashion’s Impact on the Environment with a video from Newsy, which shines a light on the effects of inexpensive clothing and provides solutions to help avoid clothing waste. Next, turn your classroom into a design studio with the Plastic Fabric STEM Challenge, and encourage your students to learn about the sustainability of everyday materials by creating a makeshift fabric from recycled plastic.
Wrap up your fashion-focused lessons for students in grades 6-12 with the following reading passages about the fashion industry’s impact on our environment and how we can make a change:
- Why Today’s ‘Fast Fashions’ Can Be Bad for the Planet
- Scientists Find a ‘Greener’ Way to Make Jeans Blue
- Old Clothes May Soon Be Recycled Earth Day is on April 22 each year, but we should invest in our planet year-round! With engaging content from Discovery Education, you can elevate your students’ understanding of environmental issues any time of the year.
Find more timely DE learning resources for April on our This Month at DE blog! Go There Now The post #CelebrateWithDE: Earth Day appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
GPT, ESSER Funding, teacher shortages, and more. The education world is rapidly changing, so staying informed is critical. To help you stay on top of what's going on in the K-12 world and how Discovery Education supports the latest trends in education and EdTech, we're introducing the new series DE EdTech News Roundup!
Every two weeks, we’ll bring you a collection of news stories about K-12 teaching and learning, EdTech, and Discovery Education. Catch up on what’s trending, what’s new, and what’s happening in the world of education with this new series on the DE blog! For this first edition of the DE EdTech News Roundup, we’ll cover ESSER funding, digital learning innovations, STEM teaching, and highlight some words of wisdom from leaders in education.
ESSER Funding xxxxxxxxxxxxDigital Learning InnovationsSTEM Teaching xxxxxxxxxxxxInsights from Education LeadersESSER FundingSince three rounds of funding for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund were distributed in 2020 and 2021, they’ve been a topic of interest for educators, leaders, and parents. How will the funds be used? How should the funds be used? Read some of the newest updates on ESSER funding use below. For guidance on how to sustain your ESSER investments beyond 2025, check out our free ESSER funding guide to learn more.
Ed. Dept. approves extensions for ESSER, GEER spendingMultiple states recently got approval from the U.S. Department of Education to spend the first round of federal COVID-19 relief funds.
Learn More ESSER pressure: How one district intends to spend wisely as deadline loomsCheck out how Denver’s schools are using ESSER funds to produce real academic gains with resources from Discovery Education.
Learn More Engaging Students with Career and Technical Education OpportunitiesResearch shows that students who complete CTE courses in high school are more likely to graduate and enroll in postsecondary education or succeed in work. Discover how ESSER, CTE, and Discovery Education combine in Delaware with support from DuPont to empower students.
Learn More Digital Learning InnovationsIt can feel like there are new innovations in education every day—how can you stay up to date with these changes, let alone implement them? We’ve gathered a few news stories highlighting the latest trends in education and how educators are using them.
5 Innovative Ways Educators are Using Digital Learning ToolsThe right resources can inspire students and make learning more meaningful. This article from eSchool News offers insight from 5 educators about the digital learning tools they’ve found effective in their classrooms, including Discovery Education’s Pivot Interactives!
Learn More What is GPT-4? What Educators Need to Know About ChatGPT’s Next ChapterWe’ve all seen and read in sci-fi about the power of AI to change the world and when ChatGPT hit the market in November 2022, education began to feel the impact. Now, GPT-4 (the most advanced version of OpenAI’s chatbot) was published on March 14. Why does this matter for educators? The free version of ChatGPT is powered by GPT-3.5. GPT-4 is even more intuitive, presenting a new world of opportunities, and challenges, for education.
Learn More What is Discovery Education? Tips & Tricks Whether you’re new to Discovery Education or are a seasoned user who wants to take a deeper dive into DE, this article from Tech & Learning gives some great insight on how to use the award-winning K-12 learning platform and resources.
Learn More Best Virtual Field TripsVirtual field trips (VFTs) are a fun and engaging way to connect students to the real world and take them to places they may never get to visit in person. Places like the Arctic tundra, behind-the-scenes at a Boeing facility, or seeing firsthand how the CMA Awards are produced. Check out this curated collection of the top VFTs, including some from Discovery Education with Comcast, Stanley Black & Decker, and First Lady, Jill Biden.
Learn More STEM TeachingThe STEM workforce has been steadily growing and will continue to grow exponentially as new technology continues to be released. Teachers are working to prepare students for the future, and STEM teaching is a major part of that preparation! Read along to learn about what educators are doing to increase STEM awareness, aptitude, and career exposure.
Helping students understand the Nature of ScienceIn this article from eSchool News, Discovery Education’s own Ted Willard, a science subject matter expert, shares how the Nature of Science distinguishes science from other methods of knowing and the implications of that for students.
Learn More STEM Educators Report Shortage of STEM Faculty in Their Schools A new research study conducted by Samsung shows that while educators agree that STEM is important for students, there’s a lack of STEM professionals in schools. Fewer staff members teaching STEM coursework is impacting students’ opportunities to experience STEM learning. Catch the highlights of this study in this report from The Journal!
Learn More Why aren’t female students sticking with STEM? An article eSchool News delves into the results of new research from YouScience about female students’ aptitude for STEM in comparison to their interest in STEM careers. Check out the article to learn more about the STEM career exposure gap for female students.
Learn More Insights from Education LeadersWe look to our leaders to help us drive efforts in reshaping education for the betterment of students. Read some sentiments from a leader in education that inspire a new wave of teaching and learning!
What the Education Secretary Said School Leaders Should Prioritize Right NowU.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona has called on state and local school leaders to focus their attention on creating more career and technical education programs, raising academic standards, and expanding mental health supports for students. Read Education Week’s summary of his speeches at the legislative and policy conferences for the Council of Chief State School Officers and the Council of the Great City Schools.
Learn More Visit our News page to see more ways we're extending support and strategies to educators around the globe. Go There Now Get Started with DE The post Discovery Education’s EdTech News Roundup – March 31 appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Preparing future-ready students means helping them build the skills needed to succeed beyond the classroom. And what better way to help students focus on life skills than to celebrate Financial Literacy Month! Discovery Education has a wealth of resources to teach all students about money management, financial responsibility, and all about the economy.
Introducing Financial LiteracyIt is never too early to learn about financial literacy! Discovery Education’s Money Channel and Financial Literacy Channel are great places to find videos and instructional activities that will introduce a strong foundation of financial understanding for students in K-12.
The Money Channel invites students to dive into the role money plays in our world. Find age-appropriate topics—from identifying money to understanding investments—and activities for grades K-5, 6-8, and 9-12. As younger students begin identifying how goods and services connect to the role of money, older students can put these concepts into practice by considering how to save, spend, and invest in the real world.
Once students understand the purpose of money, they are one step closer to learning how to manage money. The Financial Literacy Channel helps students understand how making good financial choices and using the right money management tools can make a community of wise consumers who can achieve their dreams. From discussions about earning money to analyzing how to budget wisely, the resources in the Financial Literacy Channel can help all students prepare for future financial choices.
Find more timely DE learning resources for April on our This Month at DE blog! Go There Now Looking to the Future As students in grades 6-12 grow closer to entering the workforce, it’s important to connect their financial education to the real world to help students visualize how they will interact with money as they move into adulthood.
Econ Essentials brings the basics of economics and financial principles to life with standards-aligned instructional materials from Futures Fundamentals. This growing collection of videos, collaborative activities, and self-guided learning modules introduces how financial decisions can be affected by economic systems in place and explores how students will interact with these systems in the future.
“The Econ Essentials site is filled with interesting things. The video series, behavioral economics content, fundamentals, digital learning modules are all so relevant. I love how these resources act as an introduction to some of these valuable topics. So necessary..”Rita MortensenEducational Technology Coach
WisconsinThe Pathway to Financial Success Channel, created in partnership with Discover and Discovery Education, provides middle and high school students with a comprehensive unit-based curriculum enhanced by videos, self-paced modules, and cross-curricular activities. Students can progress through relevant topics such as financial responsibility, identifying a career, and using credit wisely. Making major financial decisions calls for major preparation – and Pathway to Financial Success is a great means of preparation!
Students can sharpen their entrepreneurial skills with videos and interactive lessons from Discover Venture Valley, as the activities and videos get students started on the path to becoming the game-changing entrepreneurs of the future. Help students imagine the possibilities of their future from both a financial and business standpoint with simple ways to start envisioning themselves as entrepreneurs.
Don’t forget! Financial Literacy Month kicks off April 1 and Discovery Education has plenty of activities, videos, and resources to help your students find their financial footing!
Sign in today to find more timely tools and resources! Go There Now Request a Demo Follow Discovery Education on Twitter and Instagram for more timely content and updates!
The post #CelebrateWithDE: Financial Literacy Month appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
This April, make a difference on planet Earth – and in your lessons! Whether you’re reflecting on your impact on our planet for Earth Day or reading poetry to celebrate National Poetry Month, Discovery Education has timely content for a month full of exciting classroom activities.
DNA Day ###### Grades 6-12
Did you know DNA Day is April 25? Inspire students in grades 6-12 to unlock the power of genomics and impact the future with DNA Decoded, a collection of ready-to-go, standards-aligned lessons from the Illumina Foundation and Discovery Education. For students in grades 9-12, bring biotechnology out of the laboratory and into the classroom with ready-to-use resources from Genetech and Discovery Education’s Futurelab+.
Learn More Earth Day###### Grades K-12
Enjoy Earth Day on April 22 with Discovery Education’s unique collection of engaging activities all about our home planet and how to make a meaningful difference in protecting it. Celebrate sustainability in your classroom with Virtual Field Trips, lessons, activities, and On-Demand Events brought to you by DE!
Learn More Canada Users Financial Literacy Month###### Grades K-12
Find ways to infuse financial literacy into your lessons for Financial Literacy Month! Check out DE’s Financial Literacy Channel, Money Channel, and other resources to equip students in grades K-12 with the knowledge, tools, and practice they need to make informed financial decisions that help them reach their goals and dreams.
Learn More Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom HaShoah)###### Grades K-12
Honor Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom HaShoah) on April 17 and 18 with resources from the USC Shoah Foundation and Discovery Education. The Teaching with Testimony: USC Shoah Foundation Channel has student activities, lessons, Virtual Field Trips, and audio-visual interviews with survivors and witnesses of the Holocaust and other genocides.
Learn More Canada Users Find more timely tools and resources to support your daily lessons! Go There Now Request a Demo National Poetry Month###### Grades K-12
Did you know April is National Poetry Month? Look into the 5 essential elements of poetry and how poets use them in Wonderscape’s new video, Literature Kids: Studying Black Poets. Next, delve into Discovery Education’s Poetry Channel to learn about groundbreaking poets from history and about how everyday people—including students—can use poetry to convey feelings and enrich their lives.
Learn More International Day of Human Space Flight###### Grades PreK-12
Take your students to the stars with NASA’s newest video, Windows on Earth: Night Lights! Use this video to look at Earth from above for International Day of Human Space Flight on April 12, and expand your perspective from Earth, to the solar system, and to the edges of space with Discovery Education’s Space Channel.
Learn More Canada Users World Health Day ###### Grades K-12
Help students build a healthy future for World Health Day on April 7! Explore the Health Channel’s collection of high-quality K-12 resources about wellness, the science of the human body, positive behaviors, healthy eating, life and health skills, and more. Create agents of change and inspire students in grades 6-8 to embrace health equity and confront the realities of global health inequities with creative solutions through resources from Takeda and Discovery Education’s Better Health in Action.
Learn More Canada Users Find these relevant resources for April right in your DE learning platform! Learn More About DE Go There Now Canada Users The post This Month at DE: April appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Schools are adapting to keep up with students' needs, which means teachers' work is changing rapidly. As teachers navigate updates to curriculum, staffing changes, and new policies in their schools, they need support to continue being successful. Every school’s situation is unique, but teacher retention, time management, and job-related stress are all common concerns for school employees.
To get some insight from inside the classroom, the Discovery Education team interviewed Peter Panico, a North Carolina teacher and member of the DEN Leadership Council. Read on to learn Peter's advice for school leaders about retaining their current teaching staff, providing adequate time for teachers’ tasks, and helping teachers manage their stress levels.
Peter PanicoNorth Carolina Teacher and DEN Leadership Council Member
Teacher Retention - What are some ways school leaders can help retain their teachers? “In my opinion, there are three types of teachers. The first type are the ones that lead by example, following all their administrators’ expectations and instruct the curriculum with fidelity to the best of their abilities. Then there are the teachers who know and teach the curriculum with their own creative flair. Lastly, there are the educators like me who know and teach the standards with fidelity, but with unique and innovative methods to push the boundaries of student learning. It is imperative that administrators support and encourage all three types of teachers.
Provide support, structure, and explicit directions for some, encourage creativity for others, and celebrate all teachers who are making a difference. Knowing your teachers and what they need to continue their success is the key to being an effective leader. Let teachers show what they know and lead, while providing support and resources for those who ask for it.”
Check out the Discovery Educator Network to learn more about how DE supports teachers! Go There Now Time - How can school leaders give teachers adequate time for their tasks? What support is needed to help teachers accomplish what matters?“It seems every year more non-instructional tasks are added to a teachers’ workload. From multiple documentations, data collections, lesson plans, committees, extracurricular activities, and duties. Many are out of the school leaders’ control, however the implementation can be managed in more effective ways.
Currently, documenting lessons and weekly agendas is the most time-consuming task. Completing the mandated checklists school leaders require to view weekly to ensure teachers are performing their jobs takes away precious personal time. Effective teachers know what they are doing in the classroom, let them organize their day their way and trust that they will get it done.
During planning meetings, have the teachers lead the meetings and provide support and insight when needed. Let the teachers collaborate to come up with strong lessons to best support their students. Teachers are natural leaders, and can thrive when allowed to lead as they plan.”
Teacher Stress - How can school leaders create an environment that helps teachers manage their stress levels? “Retaining teachers has a lot to do with self-worth and accomplishment. Educators have the innate ability to help and support others, and knowing they are accomplishing that goal is a long-lasting sense of joy. A quick compliment or small note on their classroom door can make all the difference.
Administration walkthroughs and observations are a part of the job in education, however they create anxiety and self-doubt as teachers await to hear what they have done wrong, or what they need to improve upon. Instead, make these opportunities for teachers to be acknowledged for what is being done well in the classroom. Instead of “I gotcha”, make it “I get ya, I like what you are doing here.” and provide positive, constructive feedback so they continue what they are doing well.
Provide opportunities for educators to share their success with the rest of the staff during staff meetings and professional development. Let the teachers support and encourage one another by building a community of educators that want to learn, share, and connect with each other.
What has made the biggest impact as an educator was knowing that I was not alone; I was a part of a community of like-minded individuals that supported and encouraged each other. The Discovery Educator Network (DEN) gave me that community. The DEN has been a life changing experience for me as a person and as an educator. Educators loosely use the term PLC in their schools. A true PLC is built with people you can rely on and who support and assist you. That is who the DEN is to me. School leaders who create the same sense of community for staff, students, and parents have buy-in from everyone and truly generate a place where everyone involved wants to learn.”
Not every teacher’s opinion on retention, workload, or stress are going to be the same, but one great first step to understanding these challenges can be to hear from teachers themselves. Teachers are working tirelessly to keep up with the changes in education, and support from school leaders, communities, and partners can help encourage them on the journey toward school success.
The post Insights from Inside the Classroom appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
When Leanne Fan, an 8th grader from San Diego, witnessed her mother’s frequent issues with ear pain and infections, she knew there had to be a better way to help her face this problem. But how? Turning an idea into a reality is no easy feat, especially for a student her age. Luckily, Leanne discovered the 3M Young Scientist Challenge and saw an opportunity.
The 3M Young Scientist Challenge is a unique, project-based learning opportunity that gives students in grades 5-8 the chance to change the world for the better with an innovative idea. Students are asked submit a 1–2-minute video in which they describe a new innovation or solution that could solve or impact an everyday problem. Ten student finalists are then selected each year to participate in a virtual summer mentorship, where they are paired with a 3M Scientist who helps guide the student make their idea a reality.
In 2022, Leanne Fan became one of those 10 students. Along with her 3M Scientist mentor, she was able to pursue her idea of how to detect and treat middle ear infections and develop a working prototype to help her mother, and of course, other people around the world.
The Discovery Education team interviewed Leanne, the 2022 3M Young Scientist Challenge winner, where she discussed her experience competing in the challenge, offered advice for students thinking of participating, and shared her goals for the future. Read on to learn more about Leanne’s winning innovation and what she learned from the 3M Young Scientist Challenge!
Meet Leanne Fan – Winner of the 2022 3M Young Scientist Challenge!I’m currently in 9th grade, and I won the 3M Young Scientist Challenge last year in 2022. I live in San Diego, California. I love drawing and playing golf because of how relaxing they both are, and they allow me to take my mind off of school. My favorite class I’ve taken so far is AP Chemistry. The content is definitely very difficult but it’s also really fun to know about why things work the way they do!
Tell us about your 3M Young Scientist Challenge innovation. What inspired it? My project, the Finsen Headphones, detect and treat middle ear infections as a low-cost preventative measure to hearing loss, especially in children. They use acoustic reflectometry and machine learning to detect the ear infections, and use blue light to treat them, all in one pair of headphones! These were inspired by my mom because she got ear infections often and was in a lot of pain due to recurring infections. I wanted to make my device easy to use, so I combined the detection and treatment into headphones so that you can listen to music while treating your ear infection.
What was the most important thing you learned from competing in the 3M Young Scientist Challenge? The most important thing I learned in competing in the 3M Young Scientist Challenge is the importance of teamwork! We participated in multiple challenges that all required us to work together efficiently to solve a problem. I noticed that these challenges were only possible if we shared what we knew with each other, therefore allowing us to come to an accurate conclusion. Communication is super important, and making sure everyone knows what they are doing and is included allows for a better overall result!
Check out the 3M YSC Challenge application process and get started today! Go There Now What was the biggest obstacle you faced from competing in the 3M Young Scientist Challenge?The biggest obstacle I faced from competing in the 3M Young Scientist Challenge was honestly just having to say goodbye to everyone. I had such an amazing time learning more about how science can be applied to life and hanging out with the other finalists, I really didn’t want to leave! Other than that, I had some problems that I came across when I was developing my prototype, such as not being able to find a lab and the bacteria not growing well, although in the end I was able to solve these problems!
“If you’re deciding whether or not you want to try the challenge, you should definitely apply. I can confidently say that my time at the 3M innovation center was the best few days of my life!”Leann Fan2022 3M Young Scientist Challenge WinnerHow did your mentor help you through the process?My mentor, Ross, was really helpful in guiding me through the problems I faced and just the overall process of going from idea to prototype. It was amazing to be able to meet with him every week and just talk about my project and potential solutions to things that didn’t go right. For example, Ross was able to get me in contact with a microbiologist and an ENT so I could gain more knowledge about those fields! I was able to improve my project so much faster under his mentorship, and it was also really nice to learn about the different fields of science in 3M!
What advice do you have for students who are thinking about competing in the 3M Young Scientist Challenge? My advice for students who are interested in competing in the 3M Young Scientist Challenge is to not hesitate and go for it! It’s really helpful to make a list of problems you want to solve or the ideas you have, and narrow them down to the things you’re really passionate about. There are so many resources online about how to build prototypes and even just how to write a hypothesis. Don’t be afraid, because you can always keep submitting your improved projects. If you don’t get in one year, keep on trying, because I didn’t get into the top 10 on my first try!
What career path are you interested in and what inspired you to consider it?I’m really interested in going into the medical field, and have been debating between being an ENT or an orthodontist. I’ve been doing research on ears for over three years, so being an ENT kind of just makes sense to me! I already know it’s something I enjoy. I’m also considering becoming an orthodontist or even an orthopedic surgeon because I love smiles and like the idea of making people more confident and comfortable with themselves! Overall, it’s pretty much in my nature to gravitate towards anything medical and scientific. Even as a kid, I would borrow my dad’s books about diseases to read, being fascinated by how they are treated. A huge teller for me has been that I can easily remember concepts in chemistry because I find them interesting, but I struggled in history class a lot because I couldn’t remember the names of presidents or explain how parts of the government worked. I just want to do something I will be happy with!
Inspire scientific exploration and innovation for students in grades 5-8 with the 3M Young Scientist Challenge! Encourage students to learn more about a topic they’re interested in for the chance to win a 3M mentorship.
Not sure where to start on your entry or have a question about the entry process? We are here to help! Register to attend the 3M YSC Office Hours on March 28, 2023 from 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM ET for an overview of the challenge and a live Q&A session.
Are you a DE Educator? Sign in to find 3M Young Scientist Challenge resources from Discovery Education. Go There Now The post Words of Wisdom from a 3M Young Scientist Challenge Winner appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Education is a changing landscape, and while changes can be exciting, their uncertainty can also cause stress. As teachers and students navigate the shifts in curriculum, technology, and learning experiences, it’s more important than ever for schools to provide emotional and wellness support for both teachers and students.
With International Social-Emotional Learning Day on March 2, it’s a great time to reflect on the ways schools and communities can provide resources for social-emotional wellbeing. As students grow and mature, access to relevant learning experiences about emotions and social skills, as well as how these influence their self-image and interpersonal relationships, are critical to their well-being. While teachers balance the stresses of their positions and guide students through emotional challenges, they should also have access to resources that will help them cope with these feelings in healthy ways. We’ve pulled together activities and resources from Discovery Education to help support teacher and student wellness.
Student Wellness Students in grades K-12 are not only learning new academic skills and content each year, but they are also learning how to handle new emotional challenges as they grow. Discovery Education has a variety of resources that share information about age-appropriate wellness topics. It’s no surprise that wellness looks different for a student in grades K-5 when compared to a student in grades 6-12, so the implementation of SEL content needs to match the students’ needs! With activities about identifying emotions, setting goals, showing empathy, maintaining positive relationships, and making responsible decisions, it is easy to find DE lessons that will help students grow in all areas of emotional wellness.
The Social-Emotional Learning Coalition has no-cost, curated resources for grades K-2, 3-5, and 6-12 based on the emotional skills students are developing during those ages and topics that are relevant during those times. The SEL Coalition is created in partnership with numerous organizations dedicated to the social and emotional wellbeing of students. Discovery Education’s SEL Center organizes these materials for DE users, making them simple for teachers to assign and for students to find.
The Wellness Channel offers content to support conversations in the classroom about emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, occupational, physical, social, and spiritual wellness for students in grades K-12. The SEL Center and Wellness Channel are great places for teachers to start when identifying SEL resources for their students, as they can quickly find activities and instructional supports for their grade level.
Sign in today to find more timely tools and resources! Go There Now Request a Demo Grade-Specific ResourcesFor our youngest students, grades PK-2 are full of remarkable emotional and social growth—from the productive struggles of learning new rules and routines to the joys (and frustrations) of making new friends! Sesame Learning and Discovery Education have joined together to present Feelings Time, a channel full of lesson plans, child-centered video content, and Brain Break mini-lessons to help students to become emotionally strong, self-assured, and more resilient.
“I love everything about the Sesame Learning Channel! I have found the Feelings Time videos to be very helpful. During this post-pandemic time we are seeing many children struggle with emotions and feelings. These videos are great to help children understand their feelings.”Kathleen McDadeTechnology Integration Teacher
Sayreville, NJ School DistrictAs K-5 students develop self-awareness and social skills, it’s important to make wellness activities part of a regular, fun routine. Discovery Education’s Virtual Field Trips can help students dive right into emotional wellness content and make these lessons exciting and interesting. Teachers can bring SEL to life for K-5 students with the Soar with Wings Virtual Field Trip, which delves into the key pillars of emotional intelligence and shares stories of real-life students. Self-esteem and bullying are very relevant topics to tackle with students in grades 3-5, and the Amazing Me Virtual Field Trip takes students on a journey to explore how to be kinder to themselves. With characters from Cartoon Network’s Steven Universe as well as ambassadors from the Dove Self-Esteem Project and Discovery Education, students can build life-long confidence and self-esteem!
Students in grades 6-12 are preparing for the next steps in their life, so it is important to help them learn about ways to maintain their emotional wellness through new challenges such as drug addiction, cyber-safety, teenage friendships, self-awareness, and stress management. The DEA and Discovery Education have worked together to build Operation Prevention, which has a Virtual Field Trip, lesson plans, and other engaging online tools to help students explore how addiction impacts people’s lives.
Teacher WellnessWhile teachers help students navigate their emotions and develop healthy responses to stressful situations, they are often balancing their own stresses. Providing emotional wellness resources to teachers can not only help strengthen their own coping and interpersonal skills, but can also help make them confident about implementing SEL lessons in the classroom for their students. Discovery Education’s SEL Center has short videos, podcasts, webinars, and “microlearnings” that teach about SEL and are relevant to day-to-day life as an educator. The Discovery Educator Network is also a great wellness resource, as it offers the opportunity for teachers to build connections and support each other as they embrace the exciting and overwhelming moments of teaching.
Whether it’s International SEL Day or it’s just another day in the classroom, implementing SEL lessons and discussing emotional wellness topics can help both students and teachers feel heard and supported throughout the school year. Discovery Education is here to help make SEL implementation simple and engaging for both teachers and students!
Follow Discovery Education on Twitter and Instagram for more timely content and updates!
The post Social-Emotional Learning Resources for Supporting Students and Teachers appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Move into March with New Chapters from Discovery Education! Make your mark with engaging lessons that honor Women’s History Month, celebrate International SEL Day, add new fun to Read Across America Day, and more!
Discover Your Happy###### Grades K-12
Dive into International Day of Happiness on March 20 with Discover Your Happy! LG and Discovery Education have set out to equip young people with the skills necessary to reduce stress and create sustainable happiness in their lives. As part of the LG Experience Happiness movement, Discover Your Happy provides science-based tools for students and educators to show how happiness can be achieved through learnable skills and practices.
Start with the Six Sustainable Happiness Skills in the Happiness in Action Virtual Field Trip, or choose one of the standards-aligned student activities to identify actionable ways to bring happiness to their communities.
Learn More Canada Users International Social-Emotional Learning Day ###### Grades K-2, 3-5
Explore our Social-Emotional Learning Center to grab learning resources for International SEL Day (March 11)! Social-emotional learning is often described as the process through which children and adults obtain the interpersonal skills to identify emotions, set goals, show empathy, maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. In the SEL Center, you’ll find a curated collection of resources that support professional learning, SEL integration into classrooms, and student-facing digital content for all grades.
Learn More Canada Users Pi Day ###### Grades K-12
Prepare for a Pi Day party on March 14! First recognized in 1988, Pi Day is an annual celebration of the mathematical constant, Pi. This holiday is celebrated on March 14, as the month-date format is 3/14, and 3, 1, and 4 are the first three digits of Pi. The day includes eating pies, throwing pies, and discussing the significance of the Pi in mathematical research and its everyday applications. Go to our Pi Day Channel for videos, simulations, and articles related to this numerical holiday.
Learn More Canada Users Find more timely tools and resources to support your daily lessons! Go There Now Request a Demo Read Across America Day ###### Grades K-12
Revamp your plans for Read Across America Day! For grades K-5, experience a Virtual Read-Aloud featuring internationally renowned writer and activist Alice Walker. Brought to you by Vooks and Tra Publishing, listen to Alice Walker read her powerful book Sweet People Are Everywhere with an explanation of the illustration process from illustrator Quim Torres.
Look further into the importance of reading for all grades with Discovery Education’s Literacy Channel, with content exploring developments in literacy around the world and throughout history and activities designed to help strengthen literacy skills.
Learn More Women’s History Month ###### Grades K-12
Celebrate Women’s History Month with Discovery Education’s curated collection of resources! Recognize the remarkable journey and impact of women throughout history and learn contemporary stories of women changing the world. The Women in History Channel showcases stories of pioneering women throughout history who fought for equality regardless of gender. Move through March by exploring the impact women have had politically, in STEM, in the arts, in sports, and more.
Learn More World Wildlife Day ###### Grades K-12
Wave hello to World Wildlife Day with Discovery Education’s variety of videos and activities about the plants and animals on our planet! Investigate the vast world of the animal kingdom with the newest addition to the Animals Channel, WWF’s Wild Classroom: All About Elephants, or consider how to protect our wildlife with the Conservation Channel.
Learn More Canada Users Find these relevant resources for March right in your DE learning platform! Learn More About DE Go There Now Canada Users The post This Month at DE: March appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Black History Month is the perfect opportunity to explore the many remarkable people, events, and accomplishments that have helped shaped our nation and changed our lives forever. Explore these curated collections of powerful, authentic resources that celebrate Black History.
As you look for ways to bring a new dimension to these powerful milestones, consider ways to go beyond what’s commonly covered to help your students draw meaningful connections to their learning. Introduce your class to the first African American women to travel to space or dig into the impact of the Harlem Renaissance. Offering new perspectives and experiences will drive deeper cultural understanding and help your students seem themselves in the history.
Celebrating Black HistoryK-12
Find everything you need in this comprehensive collection of high-quality, authentic content and diverse learning resources. Browse content highlighting the lives and contributions of Black writers, soldiers, scientists, politicians, artists, and more! Learn about a variety of prominent figures in history and learn new perspectives that help students see themselves in history.
Learn More Voices of the Civil Rights Movement Grades 6-12
Find First-Hand accounts and learn more about the people behind the Civil Rights Movements, a pivotal time in America’s history! Created in partnership with Comcast NBCUniversal, Voices of the Civil Rights Movement‘s videos and related activities will help students discover new, authentic perspectives of this historic era.
Learn More African American ExperiencesK-12
Show students how the contributions, struggles, and triumphs of African Americans are woven into the fabric of American history and culture. Developed in partnership with Los Angeles Unified School District, these learning resources are organized by two frameworks: the Learning for Justice Social Justice Standards and the African American Studies curriculum organization of Culture, History, and Politics. Students will learn about America’s complex history, gain insight into the experiences of classmates, and imagine a more equitable future for all.
Learn More African American History: Achievement in a Hostile EraGrades 3-5, 6-8
Celebrate the achievements of black advancement and pride at the turn of the 20th century with this insightful audio clip. From George Washington Carver to ragtime musician Scott Joplin and writer Paul Lawrence Dunbar, the track reviews the accomplishments of African Americans in the arts and sciences while going on to explain the contrasting ideologies of Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois, two leaders who made a lasting difference in American history and culture.
Learn More Hidden Figuras: How Mae Jemison Diversified SpaceGrades 6-8, 9-12
Introduce students to Mae Jemison, the first female African American astronaut to travel to space and one of the most accomplished women of her time—in addition to her work as an astronaut, she is also a doctor, engineer, author, and philanthropist!
This video is also a part of our BESE Channel, a curated collection of digital resources that recontextualize narratives around how young people connect to today’s America. Founded by actress Zoe Saldana, each series from BESE promotes inclusivity and navigates the American tapestry of cultures, identities, and nations.
Learn More Find more timely and relevant resources through our This Month at DE blogs and Studio Boards! Go There Now Request a Demo Honor the Red TailsGrades 3-5, 6-8. 9-12
Share the incredible true story of the Red Tail Squadron as told by Colonel Charles McGee, one of the last living members of the Tuskegee Airmen. Dive into the history of the Tuskegee Airmen and the accomplishments of African American pilots during World War II. Then learn how the Red Tails fought, not only to protect American lives, but to also end segregation and racism in the US Armed Forces. End the video with a panel discussion featuring Colonel McGee and his fellow Tuskegee Airman, Cadet William T. Fauntroy, Jr., as well as Command Sergeant Major Michele S. Jones—the first woman in the U.S. Army Reserve to reach the esteemed position.
Learn More Ready-to-Use ActivitiesAll Grade Levels
Explore these ready-to-use activities to incorporate into your Black History Month lesson! Spanning all grade levels, browse Sentence Fix-Its for younger students or full February Activity Calendars for grades K-8 that offer an activity for every day of the month! Or, check out this comprehensive Student Choice Board that lets students pick from a variety of topics to follow their own interests and then “show what they know” with one of the recommended SOS Instructional Strategies.
Learn More Remember Rosa ParksGrades PreK–8
Remember Rosa Parks on her birthday (February 4) with Discovery Education’s Rosa Parks resources! Introduce PreK-5 students to her impacts on the Civil Rights Movement with the Curiosity: Rosa Parks video, which shows how Rosa Parks made a stand against segregation from her famous bus ride through the rest of her life. Next, get K-2 students thinking critically about Rosa Parks with the Rosa Parks activity or have 6-8 students summarize what they’ve learned with the Tweet Tweet activity.
Learn More Sign in today to find even more resources to engage students in timely events and holidays. Go to My DE Platform Request a Demo The post Teaching Black History with Authentic Voices appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Turn your calendar to “February” and explore New Chapters of Discovery Education! Find something engaging for your upcoming lessons, like celebrating Black History Month, stepping into a new Sesame Learning lesson, or practicing multiplication with the penguins from Arcademics.
Check out the newest chapter in Discovery Education resources for a fantastic February lesson lineup!
American Heart Month###### Grades K-8
Pump up your lesson for American Heart Month with Discovery Education’s NFL Play 60 Channel! The American Heart Association and the National Football League joined forces with Discovery Education to create a custom set of lessons, videos, and interactive activities that help students stay heart healthy with 60 minutes or more of physical activity each day.
Learn More Arcademics ###### Grades K-5
Find new ways to boost learning and engagement for February’s lessons with ten new skill-building multiplayer math games and language arts games from Arcademics! Race to the finish line or hop to victory by demonstrating knowledge of multiplication, division, subject-verb agreement, the parts of speech, and so much more.
Learn More Celebrating Black History ###### Grades K-12
Honor Black History Month with our curated content collections that highlight the lives and contributions of Black writers, soldiers, activists, scientists, politicians, athletes, artists, and more. With high-quality videos, audio clips, and activities, such as the newest Wonderscape Education video, History Kids: Black History Month, or the Celebrating Black History Channel, students can learn about the many remarkable people, events, and accomplishments that have shaped our nation.
Learn More Find more timely learning resources to support your daily lessons! Go There Now Learn More about DE Canada Users National Engineers Week ###### Grades K-12
Enjoy National Engineers Week (February 19 – February 25) by exploring different STEM careers! We offer a wide range of engaging, authentic, and diverse resources about life as an engineer.
For K-5 students, check out LEGO’s Build the Change program to learn through play!
For 6-12 students, embark on the latest Virtual Field Trip from Boeing, consider the construction of wooden skyscrapers, ponder STEM career possibilities with the IF/THEN video series, or reach for the sky with Hudson Yards.
For all K-12 students, dream big with ASME or extend your engineering exploration even further with the ready-to-use lesson activities in the Engineering Channel!
Learn More Presidents’ Day ###### Grades K-12
Learn more about the history of Presidents’ Day (February 20) with our Presidents’ Day Channel, and take a deep dive on democracy with Civics Connected. Explore engaging resources that teach about current and past leaders, the role of the executive branch, and the history of the holiday.
Learn More Sesame Learning ###### Grades PreK-2
Catch Sesame Learning’s new collection, Coming Together! The resources are organized in a flexible order that supports children’s positive identity development and sense of belonging. In Coming Together, each lesson contains a PDF Lesson Plan (complete with PD Tips) and child-centered video content.
Learn More World Read Aloud Day###### Grades K-5
Turn up the volume for World Read Aloud Day (February 1) with new videos and activities from Vooks! Celebrate World Read Aloud Day with Discovery Education’s ready-to-use activities that highlight the Vooks storybooks brought to life through animation. Each resource contains activities for your K-2 students to do throughout and after each story!
Learn More Find these timely learning resources for Februaryright in your DE learning platform! Sign in Today Learn More About DE Canada Users The post This Month at DE: February appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Welcome back! As we jump into January, we invite you and your students to continue our exploration of our phenomenal world—from the far reaches of outer space to the inspiring words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. Check out the latest timely learning resources from Discovery Education that will engage your students in new ways, just in time for the new year!
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Channel ###### Grades K-12
Celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to honor the pastor who led and inspired others to demand equal rights. Dr. King advocated for peaceful resistance to unfair laws and to this day, continues to inspire people around the world to work for freedom and equality.
For 6-12 students, listen to the new 60-Second Civics podcasts from Center for Civic Education that explore Dr. King’s 6 Principles of Nonviolence.
For 3-8 students, share the latest video Holiday Kids: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day from Wonderscape, that spotlights the life and legacy of Dr. King.
Learn More English Language Arts Interactives###### Grades K-12
Dive into the world of language arts and literacy with this engaging collection of new ELA interactives, including Arcademics. Explore games and quizzes that focus on key ELA subject areas and competencies, from digital literacy to grammar, reading, spelling, and so much more!
Learn More Explore Space: NASA's Missions of Exploration###### Grades K-12
From the first lunar landing to the latest Mars rover, NASA has paved the way for humankind to explore the wonders of the cosmos. Learn about the groundbreaking technologies, daunting missions, and extraordinary talent of astronauts past and present. This month, explore 7 new images from the James Webb Space Telescope! Then, join NASA on January 27 in a National Day of Remembrance that honors those who lost their lives in the pursuit of space exploration.
Learn More Fishtronaut###### Grades K-5
Join Fishtronaut, Marina, and Zeek in the popular animated series of STEM problem solvers! Each case helps young students understand life science and earth-related topics like biodiversity, environmental pollution, and more. Check out 8 new video adventures (available in English and Spanish) like The Case of the Little Sheep, The Case of the Molten Ice, and The Case of the Blue Wings.
Learn More Find more timely learning resources to support your daily lessons! Go There Now Learn More about DE Lunar New Year###### Grades K-12
Discover the rich history and cultural traditions of Lunar New Year, celebrated on January 22 this year. In this collection, learn about the fifteen-day long festival beginning with the first new moon of the year and culminating with the dance of the lion or a traditional lantern festival. This channel showcases the customary dances, foods, and festivities that are symbolic of the Lunar New Year celebrations.
Learn More Math Interactives###### Grades K-12
Engage in real-world math problems with this exclusive selection of math interactives and games. Customize race cars using expressions, defend yourself from an army of skeletons using absolute values, find ancient artifacts by exploring a coordinate plane, and more! This month you’ll find 11 new interactives for K-5, like Shape Snap, Telling the Time, and Matching Pizza Fractions!
Learn More Enjoy these timely learning resources for Januaryright in your DE learning platform! Sign in Today Learn More About DE The post This Month at DE: January appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Ahhh! Winter break. It's much-needed downtime for students and educators as you enjoy the festivities and reconnect with family and friends. It's a time for leisurely pursuits with no pressure. Stay in your jammies all day? Absolutely!While students take full advantage of it, it's not uncommon for teachers to have one hand on your favorite holiday latte and the other hand preparing for a return to the classroom. So, as you contemplate your next move, here are a few ideas, complete with pre-built learning resources and instructional strategies, to help students transition back to the classroom and re-engage in the learning process.
Start with Some Free TimeStudents are full of energy when they return from vacation. Meet them where they are and give them 15 or 20 minutes to relax and reconnect with their friends. This recess will allow you time to circulate and chat with everyone as you welcome them back to class. Your recognition is essential for anxious students who need to feel a sense of belonging and acceptance. When ready, get them up and moving with a game tied to an upcoming lesson.
Idea 1: Scavenger Hunts to Break the IceScavenger hunts get students active and thinking in a fun environment, and they’re easily customized for any age group and subject matter. Hunts can be as simple as finding objects and following clues to requiring students to solve problems with each hint. Check out these ready-to-use choice boards for a few ideas to help you get started. Or, take advantage of the Spotlight on Strategies: Vocabulary Scavenger Hunt, a favorite among DE educators!
Idea 2: Mini-Exhibit to Collaborate & LearnA great way to get students up and collaborating with their peers is to stage a mini-exhibit. Give students voice and choice as they work together in teams to demonstrate something they learned.
- Break students up into groups of four.
- Give each group a theme related to upcoming learning to research.
- Give them time to create a learning exhibit using a chosen medium—written, art, podcast, storytelling, etc.
- On the day of the exhibit, have each group set up a learning station somewhere in the room.
- Allow one group at a time to visit each station and jot down what they learned. Questions about the material are encouraged.
- When back in their groups, have them choose one person from each group to summarize what they learned verbally.
This exciting introduction to new material will spark curiosity about upcoming learning. And for a bonus, students can put their final exhibit into DE’s Studio for others to explore. Then use the Spotlight on Strategies: IDEA Share for feedback on projects.
Explore more engaging learning resources and helpful instructional strategies in DE. Go There Now Learn More about DE Idea 3: Easy Active Strategy: See-Think-WonderFor those of you with special time constraints, try this Spotlight on Strategies: See-Think-Wonder to spark students’ thinking and satisfy their need for peer collaboration. Choose an image related to an upcoming topic and supply pencils and paper.
Separate students into small groups and ask them to brainstorm about the image using these three questions:
- What do you see?
- What do you think about that?
- What does it make you wonder?
When time is up, have one group member share their findings. Use this information to stimulate a discussion leading to an upcoming lesson.
Idea 4: Virtual Field TripsInteractive Virtual Field Trips ease students back into learning with super-fun experiences, from visiting LEGO® Brick in Denmark to going backstage at the Country Music Awards to exploring STEM with Olympian Katie Ledecky. These virtual field trips are available on most any subject matter, curated for different age groups, grades, and difficulty levels.
When the trip is complete, break students into small groups and ask them to summarize the field trip and include a list of questions for future discussions. You can also take advantage of ready-to-use activities that support DE’s most popular virtual field trips.
Idea 5: The Gold Standard for Engagement: Augmented RealityNothing says “attention” like transporting students into a new reality. It’s more than a cognitive experience. Stimulate your students at an emotional level and spark their imagination. Content presented in this way is more meaningful and memorable, and research shows students retain information at a much higher level when exposed to immersive activities.
Virtual reality may be out of reach due to the cost of the equipment, but augmented reality (AR) is cost-effective and easy to use. All you need is a smartphone or tablet, and you’ll be ready to download an AR app. Scavenger hunts work great with this technology!
Augmented reality sandboxes are especially fun for breaking the ice. With an app like Sandbox AR (available on iPads only), students can create virtual spaces and populate them with unique objects taken from science, nature, history, and the “built” worlds.
Create a maker space and ask students to take turns building a city one object at a time. It will stimulate their imaginations and bring them back to the world of learning!
As you return to the classroom, we hope these learning resources and strategies help you feel confident you can spark students’ curiosity and re-engage them in the learning process. Create fun and inviting activities aligned to the upcoming curriculum and ease the transition from vacation-mode to learning-mode!
About the Author
Rose Lattanze is an educational consultant and writer helping educators blend technology with instructional growth. She trained in Dr. Robert Marzano’s research-based instructional strategies, serving schools and districts as they transformed from teacher-based to student-based instruction. Currently, she writes about all things education for various EdTech companies.
The post 5 Strategies to Re-Engage Students After a Break appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Equity in education. There are many questions circling this topic, from access to technology, resources to funding. But what about about equity in early childhood education and how does this affect engaging early learners?
We recently met with Alberto Carvalho, Superintendent of Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), and Akimi Gibson, Vice-President and Education Publisher at Sesame Workshop, in the season 4 premiere of Equity Talks to discuss this topic near and dear to their hearts. According to them, true equity in education starts with investment in early education programs and innovative ways to bring those programs to underserved communities. Why? Because early childhood, those formative years between birth and third grade, are the most important development period and therefore the most impactful.
What does the data say about early learning?For decades, data has shown that children 3-4 years old who have access to quality early education see more predictable, and higher, reading scores in third grade. And a study by the Annie E. Casey Foundation found that students who were not proficient in reading by the end of third grade were four times more likely to drop out of high school than proficient readers.
A recent study conducted by the School Effectiveness and Inequality Initiative at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on the long-term effects of Boston’s preschool program found that participation in the program led to significant long-term improvements in academic and behavioral outcomes in children.
Even global data supports the critical importance of early education. According to UNICEF, children enrolled in at least one year of pre-primary education are more likely to develop the critical skills they need to succeed in school and less likely to repeat grades or drop out. From the most rural district to the most populated city, the data speaks for itself. Yet, we still see an alarming lack of buy-in and funding for early childhood education programs. Why?
Funding Early Childhood ProgramsAlberto Carvalho gets to the heart of why funding continues to be a big hurdle for early childhood programs. “There are many individuals, particularly policy makers, who don’t understand that investment in early education is much more effective—by far—than investment in remediation years later, and usually at a premium. They also, unfortunately, want to see immediate results, but that can be shortsighted.”
Superintendent Carvalho believes that changing the mindset of what investment means, and how to track ROI, is the key to unlocking funding for this critical period in every student’s academic career. “If you want to see long-term results from early education investment, especially in underserved and under-resourced communities,” states Carvalho, “focus on major benchmarks like 3rd grade reading performance, 8th grade transitional performance, high school graduation rates, and school enrollment.”
Investments in early childhood programs can also have an impact on social welfare programs, special education programs, and even higher college graduation rates. Superintendent Carvalho has seen this firsthand at LAUSD, where he credits investment in equitable access to early learning resources and programs for delivering long-term savings as well as notable educational and societal benefits.
Sesame Workshop: A Success Story in Early Childhood EducationAs one of the longest standing non-profits in media and education, Sesame Workshop's model is all about how to leverage technology to reach the child wherever the child is, and break down barriers between home and school. “While we know that the idea of A, B, C doesn’t change," explains Akimi Gibson, "the science around the acquisition of knowledge and given the diversity of children out there, we are committed to innovation. The child tells us what is working and what isn’t because we are an advocate for the child.”
Sesame Workshop sees itself as a research organization, first and foremost. With educational programs in 150 countries, they capture individual, anonymized data to inform how they should think globally, but act locally. In other words, identifying universal themes, topics, and ideas, but presenting them in a relevant way to the rich diverse groups of today's world. In order to do this, Sesame Workshop is committed to formative, summative, and evaluative research. They also partner with organizations such as Discovery Education to help design and deliver engaging resources for educators, students, and families.
Learn More about Sesame Learning with Discovery Education Equity and Early LearningData show that learning gaps are most pronounced for children from underserved communities and historically marginalized communities. The same ones that also see consistent inequities and opportunity gaps from generation to generation. If we know where it’s happening and to whom, how do we break the cycle?
By starting students on a strong foundational path and inviting the parents to be part of that journey, districts can solidify the long-term academic success of those students. This means investing in early childhood education as much as possible, and in the most critical communities.
Superintendent Carvalho has brought strategic ideas on how to tackle this challenge to LAUSD, starting with universal early childhood programs. “Districts with good strategic orientation, through a lens of equity, should begin making these investments in early education in these historically underserved communities. If you start early enough, you can obliterate the inequities in our education system.”
Another example is LAUSD’s “Golden Box” program sent to every child born in the area. It includes a book, a diploma with their name, clothing, and information on early education programs and centers. By “capturing the parent’s attention as early as possible in their child’s life,” believes Carvalho, “you will keep them through high school.” LAUSD also offers universal TK programs, starting with areas that have the greatest need.
And it’s no surprise that Sesame Workshop supports the idea of prioritizing investment in early education and parent involvement to address inequities in education . Akimi loves the “simplicity” of LAUSD’s Golden Box program because it sends a message to parents that “someone believes in you, is paying attention to your child’s needs, and is here for you.” Families need to safe, heard, and valued if they are going to successfully partner with a school community.
Taking a holistic approach to equity and early learning. To sum up, Superintendent Carvalho and Akimi Gibson shared their thoughts on what it means to take a holistic, innovative approach to engaging early learners. It’s about pulling multiple collaborative levers with families, communities, and government entities, all in the name of eliminating inequities in education.
- Make the parents our partners.
- Invest in equitable access to the right technology.
- Meet social-emotional needs of students and families.
- Work collaboratively with groups that serve all families.
- Greatly improve the salaries for early education professionals.
- Partner with outside agencies to support kids, families, and staff.
- Press our local, state and federal entities to commit to recurring investments.
- Ensure our early learning programs have the facilities, materials, and budget to be successful.
These are all great levers to pull, but first and foremost our leaders need the courage to invest in them before problems like the achievement gap and low test scores can fester. For Superintendent Carvalho, that begins with “a shift from the PreK-12 conundrum to B-14, or birth through 14 years of schooling.” Let’s start early and lay the groundwork for successful academic paths for all students.
Want to learn more about equity and engaging early learners? Listen to the full Equity Talks episode! Listen Now The post ICYMI: Equity Talks & Engaging Early Learners appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Every day, Discovery Education helps educators deliver equitable learning experiences engaging all students. Here are a handful of stories highlighting how Discovery Education supports learning wherever it takes place and continues to drive innovation in education.
Inspiring the Next Generation of Sustainability Leaders through STEM Education###### Trane Technologies
Trane Technologies’ partnership with Discovery Education shows how corporate citizenship and sustainability go hand in hand. Learn more about this new initiative and how together we are inspiring the next generation of sustainability leaders!
Learn More Karen M. Beerer & Frank Edelblut: Sparking Curiosity in Education###### UnionLeader.com
Read about the impact Discovery Education’s innovative partnership with the New Hampshire Department of Education is having on students, starting with equitable access to high-quality learning resources, and how they are facilitating incredible modern learning experiences.
Learn More Stronger Than Hate: Cheshire Pupils Win International Anti-Hate Challenge###### ictforeducation.cok.uk
The Students from Sandbach High School are encouraging people around the world to unite against racism through award-winning works of art. Learn more about these inspiring students and their connection to Discovery Education and the USC Shoah Foundation!
Learn More Teaching Science with Interactive Lessons###### BlogTalkRadio
Pivot Interactives just became part of the Discovery Education family of EdTech solutions! Listen as co-founders and fellow educators, Matt Vonk and Peter Bohacek, talk about what inspired them to start Pivot Interactives, where it’s going, and its future with Discovery Education.
Learn More Visit our News page to see more ways we're extending support and strategies to educators around the globe. Go There Now Get Started with DE The post DE in the News: November 2022 appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
December is full of exciting events and holidays—from Christmas and Hanukkah to Computer Education Week and International Mountain Day—that highlight our phenomenal world! Invite your students to see just how phenomenal it truly is through these engaging and timely learning resources.
Albert Whitman & Co Stories###### Grades K-5
When Albert Whitman was founded more than a century ago, their goal was simple: make good books that kids want to read. Today, they continue this tradition, guided by a deeper mission to create stories that also educate and empower children. Together, we can help children become global citizens, ones who seek to understand themselves and the world around them. Our latest additions to this collection include holiday stories:
- Ruby Celebrates! The Hanukkah Hunt
- Feliz New Year, Ava Gabriela!
- Ava’s Homemade Hanukkah
- Seven Spools of Thread: A Kwanzaa Story DEmystified###### Grades K-12
In this DE Original Series, join Discovery Education on our endless journey to DEmystify the wonders of our world—you might just be surprised by what you find. This month, you’ll find new videos around the characteristics of stars, fossils, digestive system, living and non-living things, plants, density, and so much more.
Learn More Christmas###### Grades K-12
Learn about the history of Christmas and explore the diverse ways we celebrate, and get into the spirit with holiday-themed activities. Learn more about the traditions and customs around the holiday in one of our ready-to-use activities for K-2, 3-5, and 6-8 or explore the entire collection of resources in the channel.
Learn More Hanukkah###### Grades K-12
One of the most joyous holidays celebrated in the Jewish community, Hanukkah marks the time when ancient Jewish people recovered their temple and religious freedom. Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days to commemorate the miracle of the oil lasting for eight days during the first Hanukkah celebration. Recognize the traditions of Hanukkah through one of our ready-to-use activities for K-2, 3-5, and 6-8, or dive into the entire collection of resources in the channel.
Learn More Find more timely learning resources to support your daily lessons! Go There Now Learn More about DE Kwanzaa###### Grades K-12
Celebrate the African American winter holiday of Kwanzaa! During this seven-day cultural festival, Black Americans center Kwanzaa activities around Nguzo Saba, The Seven Principles, and end the time with a communal feast. Recognize the traditions of Kwanzaa through one of our ready-to-use activities for K-2, 3-5, and 6-8 or dive into the entire collection of resources in the channel.
Learn More Center for Civic Education###### Grades 6-12
60-Second Civics is a podcast that provides a quick and convenient way for listeners to learn about our nation’s government, the Constitution, and our history. The podcast explores themes related to civics and government, the constitutional issues behind the headlines, and the people and ideas that formed our nation’s history and government. New podcasts have been added this month around many digital citizenship topics.
Learn More Weathering, Erosion, and Soil###### Grades K-12
Whether you’re celebrating World Soil Day on December 5 or International Mountain Day on December 11, our refreshed channels have all the resources you need to teach students about these topics. Explore dynamic changes to the surface of Earth and the development of soil as well as witness how Earth changes all around you due to weathering and erosion.
Soil Channel Weathering & Erosion Enjoy these timely learning resources for Decemberright in your DE learning platform! Sign in Today Learn More About DE The post This Month at DE: December appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Teaching technology is a wonderful and sometimes tricky endeavor. There is so much information and it’s always changing. While everything about my favorite subject is fun, in my 20-plus years of teaching computer science in a K-8 school, the one thing that has been the most exciting for me is Coding. Coding has opened the […]
The post Computers, Coding, and Careers appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
We see you. You’ve got your classroom routines set. Your students know your expectations and they’re actively learning in your classroom. But as you head into December, you know the calendar gets crazy (so many holidays, right?) and you’re looking for new and creative ways to keep students engaged until that first winter break. Have […]
The post Why Interactives are Trending in Classrooms appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Recently, Discovery Education had the honor of hosting a group of innovative leaders, including state commissioners, school superintendents, national experts, and policy makers, at our 8th Annual Leadership Symposium on September 28 and 29 in Denver, CO. Speakers like Cody Keenan and Dr. Robert Marzano, engaging sessions on topics like equity, federal funding, and competency-bases systems, and […]
The post Discovery Education Leadership Symposium appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
The post Protected: #CelebratewithDE: Native American Heritage Month appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Do your students ever imagine themselves as a pilot, video game designer, environmentalist, or surgeon? STEM professionals work in nearly all industries and for a variety of organizations. In their everyday lives, people with STEM backgrounds engage in investigative and diagnostic experiences to seek solutions to real-world problems and enhance technological innovations—sharing their exciting findings […]
The post #CelebrateWithDE: National STEM Day appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Every day, Discovery Education helps educators deliver equitable learning experiences engaging all students. While there is so much to celebrate, here are a handful of stories highlighting how Discovery Education support learning wherever it takes place: The brightest young minds gather in St. Paul to be “America’s Top Young Scientist CBS Minnesota Did you know […]
The post DE in the News: October 2022 appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
As fall approaches and we begin to enjoy all the little things that it brings, we invite you to explore timely learning resources from DE that will help your students to reflect on the past, note the present, and look to the future with hope and wonder. Featured Channel Celebrating Native American Heritage Native American […]
The post This Month at DE: November appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Find the right resources to spread awareness and empower all students for Red Ribbon Week! Observed annually every October 23-31 to honor the memory of Drug Enforcement Agent Enrique (Kiki) Camarena, Red Ribbon Week is a time to reinforce alcohol, tobacco, and drug prevention, recognizing the harmful effects of substance abuse and promoting the importance of […]
The post Powerful Resources for Recognizing Red Ribbon Week appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Blast off this month with out-of-this-world content from DE! Start strong with Space Week and new resources from NASA, then keep the fun going all month long with timely content for all of October’s exciting celebrations. Featured Partner NASA See spectacular images from the James Webb space telescope, travel to the moon with Artemis, meet […]
The post This Month at DE: October appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Read the latest collection of Discovery Education in the News to see how DE is impacting schools and students around the world. From empowering Arizona schools with dynamic Hispanic Heritage Month resources to introducing exciting career explorations to students through interactive STEM experiences, we’re proud to bring creative, engaging instructional resources to educators everywhere. How a District […]
The post DE in the News: September 2022 appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Early learning has become essential to the long-term academic and social success of our students. Early education programs can positively impact student learning at a critical point in their development, helping them to interpret and form relationships and develop an emotional understanding that they will be able to build on and carry with them throughout […]
The post Effective Early Education Programs & Activities for Young Learners appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
I have used Discovery Education for several years, and the gradual change to invoke students’ voices has revolutionized my classroom for the better. I have witnessed the steady improvement in my students’ writing based on “feeling” to evidence. Students apply methodical thinking and evaluation like scientists and engineers to address abstract problem solving and reflect […]
The post Giving Students a Voice with SOS Strategies & Science Techbook appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
You made it. The bulletin boards are hung, the word wall is complete, student names are on desks, you’ve got your first day read-aloud, and even picked out your first day of school outfit. Your students walk through the door. Now what? We know you’ve already got your plans set for the school days, but […]
The post Teacher Strategies & Activities for Creating a Positive Classroom Culture appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Get students excited about learning this school year with a ton of new September content from Discovery Education. Find everything you need to engage students in learning this month, from timely holiday resources to ready-to-use activities and upcoming Virtual Field Trips! Constitution Day Channel All Grade Levels Celebrate Constitution Day by exploring the history, purpose, […]
The post This Month at DE: September appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
It’s College Savings Month! To support students and educators during September’s College Savings Month (and beyond), we’re teaming up with our Social Impact Partners to give you an array of digital resources focused on financial literacy for all ages. This selection of dynamic content gives younger students stepping stones for responsible financial decision-making and inspires […]
The post College Savings Month: FinLit Resources for All Grades appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Hispanic heritage is American heritage, woven into our country’s colorful history and ingrained into every aspect of our society, values, and culture. While September marks the start of our annual Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15), it’s so important to take time now and throughout the school year to recognize and celebrate the […]
The post #CelebrateWithDE: Hispanic Heritage Month appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Discovery Education is dedicated to creating dynamic digital learning environments that prepare today’s students for the world of tomorrow. Often, stories of our work in the community are highlighted in the media. Read the top August DE news stories to see how we’re impacting schools and students around the world. Discovery Education Buys Minneapolis eLearning […]
The post DE in the News: August 2022 appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Where did the summer go?! The past few years have been anything but ordinary, and wrapping your head around a whole new school year can be… a lot. It’s important to take the time to look back on the last year, recognize challenges faced and lessons learned, and incorporate those experiences into prepping for this […]
The post Prepping for Back to School appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Start the school year right with these fun Virtual Field Trips! Find creative ways to connect students to the real world through Virtual Field Trips that introduce them to present challenges, future possibilities, and potential career pathways. Register for our two new Virtual Field Trips debuting this September, and check out a few others that […]
The post Virtual Field Trips for Back to School appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
The shift to student-centered instruction is well worth the effort. Student-centered instruction and learning lead to greater rates of achievement and transferrable life skills for success in school and long after. The goal is to move beyond passive learning and help students become actively engaged through increased agency, hands-on and group experiences, and high—but completely […]
The post Shifting to Student-Centered Instruction appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
I clearly remember the first day of my first year of teaching. I walked into the high school… I was 22 years old, about to teach 18-year-olds. How could anyone think that was a good idea? I knew no one and was surrounded by so many veteran teachers who had been around for such a […]
The post High-Impact Teaching Strategies & Resources for Today’s Classroom appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Return confidently to the classroom this year with tons of back-to-school resources and new August content from DE! Level up and review the latest DE updates here, then keep reading for learning resources to use this month and beyond. Cram Jams Grades 2-6 We’re pleased to welcome Cram Jams to our ever-growing library of resources […]
The post This Month at DE: August appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Get ready for back to school with the latest from DE! Whether you prefer made by DE or made by you, we’ve made it easier—and more intuitive—to find, build, and deliver compelling lessons that capture students’ attention, no matter what you’re teaching. Easily Find Time-Saving Resources for Daily Lessons From game-like interactives and ready-to-use activities […]
The post Back to School Survival Guide appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Around the world, Discovery Education is creating dynamic digital learning environments that prepare today’s students for the world of tomorrow. Often, stories of our work in the community are highlighted in the media. Read the latest collection of Discovery Education in the News to see how DE is impacting schools and students around the world. […]
The post DE in the News: July 2022 appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Hello DEN Community! We hope this message finds you well and in good spirits as you enjoy your much-deserved summer break! Looking ahead to the upcoming school year, we are 100% focused on supporting your love of teaching and collaborating with fellow educators. Therefore, we’d like to introduce you to the new DE Blog! We […]
The post An Open Letter to Our DEN Community appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
Augmented reality (AR) is entering the classroom with a roar! Educators and students everywhere are becoming immediately engaged and amazed by the endless possibilities these virtual worlds unlock. Now is a great time to familiarize yourself with this game-changing tech for your classroom and see what it can do for your learners. So, What is […]
The post Exploring Augmented Reality in Education appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.
No matter how you go back to school, that summer feeling doesn’t have to end! Bring it to the classroom. Educators have gone above and beyond to keep students comfortable and engaged over the last 18 months. It has been a heroic challenge to adapt to new parameters—from virtual classrooms to schedule changes—but it also […]
The post Does Summer Break Have to End? appeared first on Discovery Education Blog.