-A Combination of Discovery Education’s New STEM Connect Digital Service and Sustained Professional Development is Set to Drive District’s Efforts to Grow Student Interest in STEM Education-
Silver Spring, Md. (March 14, 2018) – Missouri’s Mehlville School District (MSD) today announced an expansion of its partnership with Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms. Through this latest phase of MSD’s multi-year collaboration with Discovery Education, the district will create dynamic digital STEM teaching and learning environments across the school system through a unique combination of digital content and job-embedded professional development.
The MSD community seeks to build a system of learning that supports a culture of continuous improvement and helps every child engage in their future. In 2013, to support all 10,600 MSD students as they strive to reach their fullest potential and become life-long learners, Discovery Education Streaming Plus was introduced into all classrooms across the school system. Since the integration of the award-winning digital service into instruction, interest in STEM has grown among district students, and especially, among young girls. To continue building student interest and engagement in STEM education, the district is expanding its partnership with Discovery Education and will provide all middle school classrooms access to Discovery Education’s latest digital service, STEM Connect.
Discovery Education’s 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.
Discovery Education’s Professional Development Services will continue supporting MSD’s effort to accelerate STEM education. Through MSD’s STEM Innovator Program, which is powered by Discovery Education’s STEM Leader Corp capacity building model, district administrators and teachers are learning 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 across all middle schools, this initiative is providing the robust professional development, job-embedded coaching, and administrative leadership support necessary to create centers of STEM excellence. MSD’s STEM Innovator Program, which will shortly complete the second year of its four year term, also helps district educators integrate STEM Connect into instruction in all middle school classrooms.
MSD’s successful STEM Innovator Program’s will soon expand into the school system’s high schools. Additional details about this expansion will be released during a special STEM community event scheduled to occur in April of this year.
“The introduction of Discovery Education’s Streaming service into classroom instruction has helped improve student engagement and has accelerated student interest in STEM,” said Mehlville School District Assistant Superintendent Dr. Tina Plummer. “It’s the natural next step for us to capitalize on our students’ interest in STEM by introducing this powerful new resource into our middle-school classrooms. Discovery Education’s STEM Connect, combined with the ongoing powerful professional development opportunities for educators, will be critical to preparing our students for future success.”
The Discovery Education Community will continue supporting the MSD 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 pleased to continue working with the incredibly talented Mehlville team, and is excited to support the district’s STEM strategy,” said Kelly Hoce, Director of Education Partnerships at Discovery Education. “We look forward to accompanying the district’s educators and administrators on their journey to reinvent STEM education across the school system.”
For more information about Discovery Education’s STEM Connect service, professional development resources, and more, 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 Inc. (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK). Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.
