Indiana and Louisiana have joined Oregon in adopting the Discovery Education Science Techbook as a digital core instructional resource for elementary- and middle-school science instruction through their state textbook adoption processes.
“Discovery Education Science Techbook brings the world of science alive for every type of learner through dynamic videos, reading passages, hands-on activities, interactive virtual labs, and more,” said superintendent Linda Florence, whose Ontario, Ore., school district this year began implementing the Techbook as its core instructional resource for 4th- and 5th-grade science curricula. “This resource helps district educators address every type of learning modality and engages students in the digital world in which they live.”
“Superior critical-thinking skills will fuel today’s students’ success in tomorrow’s global economy," said Robert Onsi, Discovery Education vice president of product management. "In addition to engaging students in science education in a dynamic and relevant manner, our Techbooks empower Indiana and Louisiana educators to create learning environments that promote collaboration, creativity, and participatory learning.”
Each edition of the Discovery Education Science Techbook series is built from the ground up to address individual state standards and is intended to serve as the new primary instructional resource for Indiana and Louisiana elementary and middle schools. The dynamic, interactive resources included in each state’s edition support the 5E model of instruction. A real-time assessment component that measures students’ progress and recommends individualized resources that reinforce classroom instruction is also included.
In addition to meeting the way today’s students learn, Discovery Education Science Techbooks are easy to implement. Built around state-specific courses, each Techbook is a holistic learning system that integrates the nature of science and inquiry into every phase of learning.
Also aiding implementation of this new service is a variety of teacher resources, ranging from 5-Minute Preps that provide educators valuable refreshers on science content, to full days of custom, in-person professional development that build educators’ capacity to leverage the power of digital content to engage students. Finally, the Discovery Education Science Techbook is a substantially less expensive option per student than traditional textbooks, with additional savings derived from a lack of textbook replacement or inventory costs.
“Multiple state review boards approving Discovery Education’s digital science service as a core instructional resource signals a systemic shift at the state level toward the acceptance of digital content as a textbook alternative. These adoptions are evidence of the growing movement away from static textbooks towards engaging, current, cost-effective digital teaching solutions,” said Kelli Campbell, senior vice president of global product and content strategy, Discovery Education.
