Silver Spring, Md. (January 2, 2018) – Wisconsin’s Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) today announced an expansion of their multi-year partnership with Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms. In this new phase of the partnership, Discovery Education’s Science Techbook will be integrated into science instruction in all 6, 7, and 8 grade classrooms districtwide. The integration of Discovery Education’s award-winning digital textbooks into classroom activities will further empower educators to build immersive learning experiences that will more deeply engage over 15,900 students in 70 schools across the school district in science instruction.
Since 2011, MPS’s educators have used Discovery Education’s digital content to create engaging, relevant, and interdisciplinary learning opportunities for all students. By expanding its collaboration with Discovery Education, MPS is continuing its effort to provide all students a child-centered educational environment that supports achievement and respects diversity.
Discovery Education’s Techbooks are breakthrough digital textbooks that are aligned to rigorous standards, support a comprehensive curriculum, and are updated regularly at no cost. The series encourages all learners through interactive features that change the reading level of text and enable text to be read aloud. The Techbook series saves teachers’ time with a comprehensive design that places model lessons, student activities and assessments at their fingertips. Techbooks are platform neutral and can be used in one-to-one or one-to-many configurations and in any instructional environment.
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 as well. STEM Project Starters encourage students to connect math, technology, and engineering to their understanding of science concepts to produce creative solutions to real-world problems. In addition, the STEM In Action resources helps students connect their work to STEM careers, which promotes a clearer understanding of how skills used in school can be applied to jobs “in the real-world.” Embedded formative assessment opportunities that help educators monitor student progress are embedded into each Techbook, and like all Discovery Education digital textbooks, the Science Techbooks works on any device and can be implemented in any instructional setting.
“The Milwaukee Public Schools are excited to continue its ongoing collaboration with Discovery Education,” said Dr. Darienne Driver, Superintendent, Milwaukee Public Schools. “Discovery Education’s high-quality digital content has the unique ability to bring lessons alive by introducing students to people, places, and ideas they might not otherwise experience. We look forward to integrating this exciting resource into our middle school science classrooms.”
The Discovery Education Community will continue supporting MPS’ teachers’ efforts to transform students’ learning experiences with 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.
“The Milwaukee Public Schools talented teachers and administrators are innovatively using digital content and technology to create exciting learning opportunities in science classes across the district, and Discovery Education is proud to be supporting those efforts,” said Emily Keith, Discovery Education’s Education Partnerships Manager. “We are excited to continue working with Dr. Driver and the rest of the Milwaukee Public Schools team on the next phase of this great partnership.”
For more information about Discovery Education’s Techbook Series, Digital Streaming Plus, 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.
