–School System Set to Begin Integrating the New Discovery Education Experience and Social Studies Techbook Into Classroom Instruction at the Beginning of the 2019-2020 School Year–
Silver Spring, MD (July 1, 2019) — Kanawha County Schools (KCS), the largest school system in West Virginia, announced today it is deepening its partnership with Discovery Education, the global leader in standards-aligned digital curriculum resources, engaging content, and professional learning for K-12 classrooms. In the latest phase of this collaboration, Discovery Education will add a host of new digital curriculum resources to the district’s content collection, bolstering KCS’s 1:1 program and creating engaging, real-world learning experiences for students districtwide.
Serving more than 26,000 students each school day, KCS’s talented educators are dedicated to delivering to the region’s diverse student body a rich, world-class education that sets learners up for success in the future. Supporting the district’s efforts to prepare students for the world beyond the classroom is a trove of digital resources, including the middle school, earth science, and biology editions of Discovery Education’s award-winning Science Techbook series, which are available to teachers and students through the district’s learning management system.
Today’s announcement from KCS signals the start of a new stage in the school system’s six-year partnership with Discovery Education. Beginning at the start of the 2019-2020 school year, K-12 teachers and students districtwide will return to the classroom and begin using the latest generation of the award-winning Discovery Education Streaming Plus, Discovery Education Experience, for teaching and learning.
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.
In addition, KCS educators in grades 6-8 will begin integrating Discovery Education’s Social Studies Techbook into instruction this coming Fall. The Social Studies Techbook uses an inquiry-based instructional approach that emphasizes informational text literacy, analytical writing, and problem-solving skills that students will apply in the classroom and beyond. This revolutionary digital curriculum is standards-aligned and features exciting content that strengthens literacy, critical thinking, and citizenship skills. Social Studies Techbook allows students to approach inquiry through the 5Es: Engage, Explore, Explain, Extend, and Evaluate. From stories of ancient cultures to current events, this comprehensive digital textbook takes concepts off the pages and brings lessons to life.
To help KCS educators integrate their new digital resources into classroom instruction in the coming school year, Discovery Education will provide district educators numerous professional development opportunities. Through these interactive professional learning opportunities, participants will learn best practices for integrating technology and digital content into teaching and learning in ways that will maximize the power of their new resources, increase student engagement in instruction, and improve students’ academic achievement.
“The integration of these digital resources from Discovery Education into our powerful learning management system will help students and teachers realize the full value of our 1:1 initiative,” said Rosie Rhodes, Kanawha County Schools’ Secondary Science Curriculum Specialist. “We couldn’t be more pleased to turn to our partners at Discovery Education to aid in this effort, which is giving students valuable tools to prepare them for the challenges of the 21st century.”
KCS 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.
“Through their continued investment in digital curriculum resources and smart technologies, KCS is creating a powerful, flexible learning environment for all their learners,” said Discovery Education Partnerships Senior Manager Kelly Burleson. “We look forward to working more closely with the staff and educators of this inspirational school district.”
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