Podcast Series: Innovations in Education

Explore the full series of eSchool News podcasts hosted by Kevin Hogan—created to keep you on the cutting edge of innovations in education.

DPS STEAM Launches Innovative Discovery Education Program

DENVER, CO – The Denver Public Schools STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, PE, Health and Media Literacy) Department is excited to announce the launch of a new initiative with Discovery Education which will help educators district wide provide K-12 students with innovative and engaging multilingual learning experiences and resources.

“We are thrilled to bring Discovery Education’s digital resources to our students,” said Nadia Madan Morrow, Chief of Academics of Denver Public Schools. “This initiative will help us enhance and enrich the educational experiences of our K-12 students, while also empowering our teachers with tools and resources to enhance the district’s adopted curriculum.”

Discovery Education, a worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place, offers K-12 educators a range of digital tools and resources that support the design and delivery of exciting educational experiences every day. The program includes science simulations, STEM connection videos and activities, virtual field trips and more!…Read More

News from Discovery Education: Virginia’s Rivermont Schools Selects Discovery Education to Support Science Education Statewide

CHARLOTTE, NC— Virginia’s Rivermont Schools today announced a new partnership with Discovery Education, the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports instruction wherever it takes place. Through this new multi-year collaboration, K-12 educators in all 15 Rivermont campuses across Virginia will integrate Discovery Education’s suite of innovative digital resources into instruction to create dynamic learning environments that more deeply engage students in science.  

Rivermont schools provide a therapeutic educational program for students ages 5-22 in grades kindergarten through 12 with special needs, including those associated with autism spectrum disorder, behavioral challenges, and difficulty learning in a traditional school setting. Pre-kindergarten is offered in select locations. Rivermont schools have a 35-year legacy of providing high-quality and high-impact programs in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Rivermont schools are licensed by the Virginia Department of Education, and all class credits earned are fully transferable. All schools are accredited by the Virginia Association of Independent Specialized Education Facilities (VAISEF) and Cognia. 

To meet the varied needs of its unique student population and to drive deeper engagement in the sciences across all grades, Rivermont schools sought a suite of digital, classroom-tested, science services. These services needed to be flexible enough to readily integrate into the schools’ multi-disciplinary approach to learning, which utilizes close collaboration with each students’ family, school district, and other professionals to create an individualized program that meets the student’s needs. Following a careful review of potential solutions, the Rivermont Schools team selected Virginia Discovery Education Science Experience for use across all schools.  …Read More

Discovery Education and Social Impact Partners Offer K-12 Teachers and Families Nationwide Digital Resources to Engage Students in Engineers Week  

Charlotte, NC — Discovery Education and its social impact partners present teachers and families nationwide a curated collection of engaging, no-cost digital learning resources designed to engage today’s students in Engineers Week. Established in 1951, Engineers Week immerses students in the future of engineering and helps create pathways to careers. Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place.  

Taking place February 19-25 with the theme “Creating the Future!” Engineers Week shows students the excitement of engineering and its importance to the world. To support this theme, Discovery Education is providing educators, students, and families with a collection of no-cost resources tailored for any learning environment. Among the resources created in collaboration with leading social impact partners are:   

Virtual Field Trips  
The Future is Now Virtual Field Trip from Reach for the Sky – designed with Edge at Hudson Yards – takes students on a virtual adventure into NYC’s newest and most forward-thinking neighborhood and the incredible observation deck where marvels of modern engineering elevate the possibilities of everyday life to meet with various leaders about the history, social impact, and STEM behind the new gravity-defying structure. After the VFT, students can start engineering by creating prototypes of their own design using the Engineering Design Process. …Read More

Drug Enforcement Administration and Discovery Education Announce New Resources Addressing Counterfeit Drug Crisis

Charlotte, NC — Discovery Education and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) are now offering educators new digital resources to address the dangers of counterfeit drugs. The new array of science-based lesson plan and videos equip students in grades 9–12 with an understanding of what counterfeit drugs are and why they are so harmful to individuals and communities.  

The resources join other powerful anti-drug resources available through Operation Prevention, a collaboration between DEA and Discovery Education. Designed to help prevent substance misuse in schools nationwide, Operation Prevention educates students about the science behind addiction, and its impact on the brain and body. The latest content also supports the One Pill Can Kill initiative from DEA, which raises awareness about fake pills that are falsely marketed as legitimate prescription pills. 

Research by UCLA Health shows that in 2020, the teen death rate due to drug overdose doubled and grew by another 20% in 2021. The sharp increase is, in part, attributed to teens purchasing via distributors on social media platforms what they believe to be prescription drugs but instead are counterfeit drugs laced with fentanyl. DEA reports that in 2022 more than 9.5 million fake pills were seized, more than the previous two years combined.  …Read More

6 tips to help start an elementary esports program in your school

Each year, we share our 10 most-read stories. Not surprisingly, many of this year’s Top 10 focused on innovative ways to engage students, digital resources, and online and hybrid learning strategies related to post-pandemic teaching. This year’s 2nd most-read story focuses on creating an elementary esports program.

The benefits of esports are well documented. A significant body of research has found that students who participate in scholastic esports programs benefit from increased emotional regulation, academic achievement, and graduation rates.

These benefits only scratch the surface of the positive consequences for students participating in scholastic esports. Thus far, conversations around esports have centered on collegiate and secondary levels, however, a recent change in the winds has shifted the conversation to elementary esports. …Read More

How edtech insights impact all parts of school operations

Each year, we share our 10 most-read stories. Not surprisingly, many of this year’s Top 10 focused on innovative ways to engage students, digital resources, and online and hybrid learning strategies related to post-pandemic teaching. This year’s 3rd most-read story focuses on edtech insights from every part of a school and district.

In this episode of Innovations in Education, hosted by Kevin Hogan:

  • Why back-office systems are an essential element to successful learning
  • 9 priorities for a future-focused education system
  • Some good news (sort of) on post-pandemic learning gains

…Read More

5 ways to create a stellar online elementary learning program

Each year, we share our 10 most-read stories. Not surprisingly, many of this year’s Top 10 focused on innovative ways to engage students, digital resources, and online and hybrid learning strategies related to post-pandemic teaching. This year’s 4th most-read story focuses on creating an online elementary program.

Elementary education is the foundation for early learning, providing students with the skills and community they need for future success in school and life. Thanks to today’s technology, helping them start on the right foot is easier than ever – especially with online learning opportunities.

Online learning has become a growing trend among K-12 students, including elementary students. In fact, we successfully launched our own online elementary schools, which grew by 10,000 students over the past four years.…Read More

With online learning, the kids are all right

Each year, we share our 10 most-read stories. Not surprisingly, many of this year’s Top 10 focused on innovative ways to engage students, digital resources, and online and hybrid learning strategies related to post-pandemic teaching. This year’s 5th most-read story features an episode of Kevin Hogan’s Innovations in Education podcast that focuses on the state of online learning.

In this episode of Innovations in Education, sponsored by Galaxy Next Generation, host Kevin Hogan explores:

…Read More

65 ways equity, edtech, and innovation shone in 2022

Each year, we share our 10 most-read stories. Not surprisingly, many of this year’s Top 10 focused on innovative ways to engage students, digital resources, and online and hybrid learning strategies related to post-pandemic teaching. This year’s 6th most-read story focuses on the predictions educators and industry experts made for learning in 2022.

As we wrapped up 2020, we thought for sure that 2021 might bring us a reprieve from pandemic learning. Well, it did–but it also didn’t. Virtual and hybrid learning continued into the spring, but then classrooms welcomed back students for full-time in-person learning in the fall. Many silver linings emerged and digital learning cemented itself as a “must have” in schools. Equity remained front and center, too, raising issues of inequitable technology access, along with racial and socioeconomic disparities and discrimination.

2021 brought with it new COVID-19 variants, the dreaded school COVID quarantine, and renewed calls to support the nation’s educators, who have worked tirelessly (and constantly) to support students’ learning, social and emotional needs, and more.…Read More