California’s Beaumont Unified School District Selects Discovery Education to Support STEM Teaching and Learning in District Elementary School
- Discovery Education´s Digital Resources and Comprehensive Professional Development System to Create Authentic STEM Teaching and Learning Environments for Elementary Students-
Silver Spring, Md. (April 5, 2018) – California’s Beaumont Unified School District (Beaumont USD) today announced that Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms, has been selected to support the development of STEM teaching and learning environments in the district. Beaumont USD’s Palm Elementary School is the focal point of this new collaboration, which seeks to create the area’s premier STEM school through a unique combination of Discovery Education’s award-winning digital resources and robust STEM-focused professional development services.
Beaumont USD’s Local Control and Accountability Plan outlines the district’s commitment to creating viable 21st-century learning environments for all students and optimum learning and working environments for educators. As part of the effort to meet these goals, Beaumont USD is creating a strong culture of STEM that will transform instruction as it contributes to a positive climate in the district’s Palm Elementary School. To achieve this goal, Palm Elementary School’s educators will soon begin integrating Discovery Education’s digital resources into classroom instruction. Those resources include:
- Discovery Education’s award-winning Science Techbook. Discovery Education’s Science Techbook series empowers educators to transform science instruction. Utilizing an inquiry-based format built on the Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate (5E) model, each Science Techbook includes rich, standards-aligned content such as video, audio, text, interactives with hands-on activities, and virtual labs that help educators differentiate instruction and provide a rich and engaging learning experience for students. Additional student features include bilingual text-to-speech and leveled reading tools, and note-taking and highlighting capabilities. The Science Techbooks series also includes valuable STEM/STEAM resources.
- Discovery Education Streaming Plus. A comprehensive digital service supplementing instruction across all K-12 curricular areas, Discovery Education Streaming Plus helps build students’ mastery in interpreting, understanding, and evaluating information. Students can access a variety of digital assets including images, primary source documents, podcasts, oral interviews, books on tape, articles, videos, and more, and are empowered to become content creators with a suite of content creation tools that help teachers and students safely and easily collaborate in real-time on virtual projects. Teacher resources include lesson plans, instructional strategies, and content collections organized around themes, as well as a collection of new STEM/STEAM resources designed to fuel a cultural shift in teaching and learning.
- Discovery Education’s latest digital service, STEM Connect. STEM Connect enhances core curriculum and brings STEM to life in classrooms. A cutting-edge, web-based, interdisciplinary K-8 supplemental resource built on a 4Cs STEM skills framework, STEM Connect helps students develop the creative, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration skills they need for success beyond graduation. 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.
“Beaumont USD is dedicated to providing students engaging new learning opportunities that will increase their interest in STEM and nurture the important 21st Century skills needed for future success,” said Beaumont USD Superintendent Terrance Davis. “We believe Discovery Education is the right partner to help us build the classroom environments that will help us achieve this goal, and we look forward to beginning this important initiative.”
To support the integration of dynamic digital resources into classroom instruction, Palm Elementary School’s educators will also participate in a new professional development initiative from Discovery Education called STEMFormation. A three-year system for professional learning designed to build and sustain a culture of STEM teaching and learning, STEMFormation helps create a shared STEM vision, develops educators and administrators, cultivates inquiry-based, transdisciplinary instruction, and prepares our future workforce.
The Discovery Education Community will also support Palm Elementary School’s educators’ efforts to create more personalized learning experiences. This global community of education professionals 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 this new collaboration with the talented team at Beaumont USD’s Palm Elementary School,” said Andrew Bradigan, Discovery Education Regional Vice President. “We admire Beaumont USD’s commitment to creating a world-class STEM school, and look forward to supporting Superintendent Davis and the Palm Elementary faculty on this innovative effort.”
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For more information about Discovery Education’s professional development programs and other 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-based digital content for K-12, transforming teaching and learning with award-winning digital textbooks, multimedia content, professional development, and the largest professional learning community of its kind. Serving 4.5 million educators and over 50 million students, Discovery Education’s services are available in approximately half of U.S. classrooms and 50 percent of all primary schools in the UK, and more than 50 countries worldwide. Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and like-minded organizations to captivate students, empower teachers, and transform classrooms with customized solutions that increase academic achievement. Discovery Education is powered by Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the number one nonfiction media company in the world. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.