— Digital Resources and Professional Learning Opportunities Coming to Classrooms This School Year Set to Energize Technology-Rich Learning Environments–
Silver Spring, MD (July 11, 2019) — Virginia’s Henry County Public Schools (HCPS) recently announced a new multiyear partnership with Discovery Education, the global leader in standards-aligned digital curriculum resources, engaging content, and professional learning for K-12 classrooms. This new collaboration supports the school system’s Inspire 2025 Strategic Plan, which is guiding the division’s efforts to provide all students high quality curriculum, instruction, and assessments that prepare them for future success.
One of the central goals of HCPS’s Inspire 2025 plan is the development and launch of an engaging, innovative, and rigorous curriculum that prepares all students for college, career, and citizenship. To help meet this goal, Discovery Education is providing classrooms division wide access to the latest generation of the award-winning Discovery Education Streaming Plus, Discovery Education Experience. This content will be delivered to students through the division’s recently implemented 1:1 initiative.
Discovery Education Experience supports instruction across all K-12 curricular areas. Through curated, personalized, one-of-a-kind digital curriculum resources delivered to the educator based on their preferences, Discovery Education Experience helps busy teachers save time and more easily differentiate instruction. The experiential and highly relevant content within Discovery Education Experience helps students relate to and better understand subject matter, driving deeper engagement and learning. In addition, the service’s up-to-date, high-quality, and ever-growing digital content collections, as well as a library of immersive virtual field trips, are drawn from trusted partners.
Discovery Education Experience’s engaging content is complemented by a rich library of creative, research-based instructional strategies for integrating digital media in meaningful, effective, and practical ways. Aligned to McREL International’s 6-Phase Model of Learning, these strategies foster skill development, complement different types of content, and are conveniently paired with content at the point of use. The new Discovery Education Experience also offers embedded content creation and real-time collaboration features through the Studio suite of tools.
HCPS educators at the Fieldale-Collinsville Middle School will also open the new school year by participating in a new professional development initiative called STEMformation. A comprehensive, three-year system of professional development, STEMformation helps educators strengthen and sustain a culture of STEM at individual school sites and guides educators as they master STEM instructional strategies. With a focus on developing high-quality STEM lessons, creating transdisciplinary lessons and units, and vertically aligning STEM education school-wide, STEMformation provides the robust professional development, job-embedded coaching, and administrative leadership to create a center of STEM excellence.
STEMFormation has been certified as meeting the Global STEM Alliance (GSA) STEM Education Framework, which was developed by the New York Academy of Sciences and SRI Education. Additional professional development opportunities outlining best practices for integrating technology and digital content into teaching and learning will also be made available to HCPS educators.
STEMFormation will support the integration of Discovery Education’s STEM Connect service into Fieldale-Collinsville Middle School’s classrooms. STEM Connect is a cutting-edge, web-based, interdisciplinary K-8 supplemental resource that helps students develop the creative, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration skills they need for success beyond graduation, and was recently awarded the prestigious CODiE award by the Software and Information Industry Association. Featuring flexible, modular learning units, STEM Connect provides students an easy-to-follow educational experience that includes real-world challenges, career connections, and hands-on activities.
“Through our 1:1 learning initiative, the Henry County Public Schools have created a technology rich infrastructure districtwide,” said Sandy Strayer, HCPS Superintendent. “Through this new collaboration with Discovery Education, this infrastructure will now come alive with the right digital content that will create the modern classroom experiences that will engage today’s students.”
HCPS educators will also continue to receive support from the Discovery Education Community. A global community of education professionals, the Discovery Education Community connects members across school systems and around the world through social media, virtual conferences, and in-person events, fostering valuable networking, idea sharing, and inspiration.
“Discovery Education is excited to launch its new partnership with the Henry County Public Schools,” said Discovery Education Partnerships Senior Manager Tony Swegle. “Superintendent Strayer and her entire team have worked hard to put in place a strong foundation for our digital resources, and we are excited to join the division’s efforts to prepare their students for the future.”
For more information about Discovery Education’s digital resources and professional learning services, visit www.discoveryeducation.com, and stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through Facebook, follow us on Twitter at @DiscoveryEd, or find us on Instagram and Pinterest.
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About Discovery Education
Discovery Education is the global leader in standards-aligned digital curriculum resources, engaging content, and professional learning for K-12 classrooms. Through its award-winning digital textbooks, multimedia resources, and the largest professional learning network of its kind, Discovery Education is transforming teaching and learning, creating immersive STEM experiences, and improving academic achievement around the globe. Discovery Education’s services are available in approximately half of U.S. classrooms and primary schools in the U.K. and reach over 5 million educators and 51 million students in more than 90 countries. Inspired by the global media company Discovery, Inc., Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and like-minded organizations to empower teachers with customized solutions that support the success of all learners. Explore the future of education at www.DiscoveryEducation.com.
Contact:
Discovery Education
Stephen Wakefield
Email: SWakefield@discoveryed.com
Phone: (240) 463-2894