-Combination of Dynamic Digital Content and Sustained, Job-Embedded Professional Development to Help District Create STEM Learning Environments that Promote Students Desire to Learn and Succeed-
Silver Spring, MD. (February 28, 2018) – New Mexico’s Loving Municipal School District (LMSD) today announced a new four-year partnership with Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms. This exciting collaboration combines Discovery Education’s Streaming Plus digital service with STEM Leader Corp, a four-year system for professional development, to create an exciting new systemic approach to STEM education districtwide that personalizes learning and creates an environment promoting students’ desire to learn and succeed.
LMSD is committed to using technology to personalize learning so that each child learns at an individualized pace and is challenged to excel against their own standards. LMSD’s new partnership with Discovery Education supports this commitment. By combining Discovery Education’s engaging digital content with a system of professional development that promotes a systemic culture of STEM education, LMSD’s talented educators are empowered to create exciting digital learning environments that encourage students’ development of the critical thinking and exploration skills.
The integration of Discovery Education Streaming Plus into teaching and learning across LMSD will help create these exciting digital learning environments. 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.
In addition, the STEM Leader Corp capacity building model, that will be used by district administrators and teachers, will support the adoption of new strategies and best practices for building and sustaining a culture of STEM in their schools and guide them as they master new STEM instructional approaches. With a focus on developing high-quality STEM instruction, creating interdisciplinary lessons and units, and vertically aligning STEM education school-wide, this initiative provides the robust professional development, job-embedded coaching, and administrative leadership support necessary to create centers of STEM excellence. In addition, STEM Leader Corp will also help LMSD educators integrate Discovery Education’s Streaming Plus digital content service deeper into classroom instruction.
“Located here in southeast New Mexico’s Permian Basin, our students have tremendous opportunities to work in the oil and gas industry upon graduation,” explained Loving Municipal School District Superintendent Dr. Ann Lynn McIlroy. “We want our children to be prepared to step into those types of careers, but also have the skills to be successful in any other career they choose. This new partnership with Discovery Education helps create the educational environment that will help all students develop the skills they need to be the master of their own future.”
The Discovery Education Community will support the LMSD educators’ efforts to create more personalized learning experiences for students through dynamic digital media. 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 partner with the Loving Municipal School District on this new project,” said Discovery Education’s Director of Education Partnerships Phillip Mikula. “We admire the tremendous enthusiasm everyone across the district has for this project and look forward to rolling up our sleeves and getting started.”
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 in half of U.S. classrooms, 50 percent of all primary schools in the UK, and more than 50 countries. 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.
