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.

Spanish and English Versions of Science Techbook for Texas by Discovery Education Now Available for Use In K-8 and Biology Classrooms Statewide 

Discovery Education, the worldwide edtech leader, today announced that the Spanish and English versions of Science Techbook for Texas by Discovery Education for K-8 and Biology students is now available for use in classrooms statewide. This dynamic core instructional curriculum was created from the ground up expressly for Texas educators and students. Science Techbook for Texas has been found to be 100% aligned to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills and the English Language Proficiency Standards at every grade level by the relevant state review panels and has earned a 100% score from the Texas Resource Review for its K-5 and Biology editions.  

Science Techbook for Texas empowers Texas school systems to easily integrate an innovative, updateable, digital-print-kit blended curriculum into instruction to create unique, student-centered learning experiences. Included in this comprehensive core curriculum are engaging digital resources, print student and teacher editions, hands-on activity kits, and virtual investigations. In addition, an embedded professional learning component within Science Techbook for Texas helps teachers quickly and easily integrate this resource into classroom instruction, ensuring school leaders see maximum return on their technology investment. 

The Science Techbook for Texas curriculum includes ready-to-use, phenomena-driven lessons that motivate students with powerful technology tools—such as toggle-on authentic Spanish translation—that personalize the student experience, and time-saving teacher tools that streamline preparation and grading. Available in both print and digital formats, Science Techbook for Texas provides a seamless classroom experience complete with immersive, interactive ways to explore scientific phenomena, including hands-on engineering activities, labs, and STEM connections.  …Read More

4 simple ways to put the science of reading into practice

Key points:

In districts across the country, educators are continuing to support students with post-pandemic learning recovery. Many students are still reading below the level appropriate for their grade–roughly one-third of fourth graders in the United States read at or below what’s considered the basic level. And unfortunately, even before the pandemic, reading achievement has been low over the past several decades.

Districts incorporating the science of reading into their curricula are seeing improved student outcomes. However, because the science of reading refers to broad research in a variety of fields on how a child learns to read, practical applications have not yet been widely taught to educators and there is a sizeable gap between theory and action.…Read More

Acceleration Academies Appoints Kelli Campbell as New Chief Executive Officer

Chicago, IL – Acceleration Academies, the nation’s leading provider of tech-enabled flexible education, announced today that Kelli Campbell will assume the role of Chief Executive Officer to accelerate growth and broaden impact to school districts and students.

Campbell spent 17 years at Discovery Education, the global leader in standards-based digital content for K-12 school districts, and most recently served as President of the company. As a career EdTech executive, she brings a demonstrated history of success leading the sales and marketing, product development and operations functions for pioneering educational technology organizations. 

“After thorough succession planning and a comprehensive search process, the board is pleased to have found the best individual to take Acceleration Academies into its next stage of growth and expansion,” said Steve King, co-founder of Daniels & King Ventures, the main funding source for Acceleration Academies. “Kelli has a track record of strong leadership in the EdTech industry, established relationships with K-12 school districts, and success in private equity value creation. We are confident that Kelli is the right leader to accelerate the company’s growth opportunities.”…Read More

Discovery Education’s Sandbox AR Honored with Global Educational Supplies and Solutions Award 

Charlotte, NC — During the recent 16th edition of Global Educational Supplies and Solutions (GESS) Dubai, Discovery Education’s Sandbox AR App was named Best XR/VR/AI Product as part of the GESS Education Awards. Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place.   

GESS Dubai provides educators access to the products and solutions that meet the needs of the modern classroom and transform the way students learn. Alongside the exhibition and conference is the GESS Education Awards program, which rewards outstanding educational products, services, and people, as well as the best educational establishments and the most dedicated members of the teaching profession. The GESS Education Awards aim to encourage the raising of educational service and product standards throughout the industry and is an accolade of excellence.  

Sandbox AR is an augmented reality “maker” app that allows students and teachers to create, share, and even inhabit virtual environments. By placing a stage on a flat surface and adding models to create a sandbox, students create a virtual world they can experience and share. …Read More

What’s Next for Discovery Ed?

Six months into his tenure as Discovery Education’s new CEO, I had the chance to Zoom in with Jeremy Cowdrey as he reflected on the state of education post-pandemic and the persistent need for edtech innovations. It was a refreshingly unscripted conversation—not often the case with senior executives—about the accelerated adoption of technology, the shift in teacher perspectives, and the importance of intentional AI implementation. I also heard about his neighbor’s technology pivot as a teacher and how while AI has great potential, it will never take you out to lunch! Have a listen.

Cowdrey was most recently the Chief Executive Officer of Imagine Learning. Having joined the company in 2006, Mr. Cowdrey also served as Imagine Learning’s President, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing, and Regional Partnership Director. Prior to joining Imagine Learning, Mr. Cowdrey served in sales and management positions for several software and education companies, including Scott Foresman Addison Wesley, Pearson, and Novell. With over 23 years of experience in edtech, he is also the first person in his immediate family to graduate from college,

Key Takeaways:…Read More

Behind this week’s launch of TeacherIn

Big news this week from ClassIn, a leader in blended, hybrid, and remote learning solutions, who announced what they describe as a first-of-its-kind platform—bringing curriculum and content discovery, management, editing, and distribution into its planning and instructional platform. Since TeacherIn’s beta went live at the beginning of the year, it has gained over 110,000 users globally, and more than 25,000 courses have been created. 

The platform’s new content discovery marketplace will also manage and distribute licenses and offer copyright protection for publishers by using in-house developed audio-visual encoders to prevent infringement. I had the chance to chat with Ted Mo Chen, Vice President of globalization at ClassIn, before the announcement about the particulars. Click below to listen and scroll down for more details about the service from the company along with a few other takeaways from the conversation:

Highlights from the conversation: …Read More

Expanding ‘through-year’ assessments to boost student achievement

Key points:

The Montana Office of Public Instruction is focusing on using assessments throughout the school year to give teachers the data they need–as early as possible–to positively impact student achievement through personalized learning.

Montana OPI will offer Discovery Education’s DreamBox solutions to the 53 school districts participating in the second year of the state’s Montana Alternative Student Testing (MAST) Pilot program. MAST is an initiative designed to improve learning achievement by implementing “through-year assessments,” a formative approach to assessment that provides teachers with actionable data that can inform instruction throughout the academic school year compared to relying on end-of-year assessment data. With more data insights throughout the year, teachers can quickly identify students’ target areas for growth and acceleration. …Read More

Driving Innovation, Discovery Education Reaches New Heights in New Hampshire Classrooms 

CONCORD, NH — The New Hampshire Department of Education and Discovery Education are thrilled to announce that Granite State educators, students and families have reached one million engagements on the Discovery Education digital platform – helping to support learners statewide.  Discovery Education is a worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place.     

“This unique digital learning platform is sparking curiosity and igniting wonder for both students and teachers through a suite of educational strategies that are helping students learn now and into the future,” said Frank Edelblut, education commissioner. “This milestone deserves to be celebrated, as we know public school districts across New Hampshire have taken advantage of Discovery Education’s innovative and engaging instructional content.” 

In 2021, the New Hampshire Department of Education selected Discovery Education’s award-winning K-12 learning platform to support all New Hampshire learning environments with high quality instructional material. Since then, there have been more than one million engagements statewide for all Discovery Education resources. …Read More

5 strategies to ignite student engagement

Key points:

When you think of education, what is the first thing that comes to mind? For some, it might be a pile of homework or a stack of books that need reading. Others may recall the flashcards they used to memorize specific formulas or expand their vocabulary. All these examples have a place in the learning ecosystem, but true education should be about so much more. Student learning should involve curiosity, discovery, and the opportunity to experiment with a variety of different solutions. To put it more simply: true education requires student engagement.

Every teacher hopes to ignite, empower, and engage the students who walk through their classroom door. Ample research has shown that student engagement is crucial to overall learning and long-term success. However, implementing this is easier said than done. To better ignite student curiosity and interest, teachers should consider trying one of these strategies that help make student engagement second nature:…Read More

Virginia’s Portsmouth Public Schools Expands Partnership with Discovery Education to Bring Students in Grades 7-12 State-of-the-Art Digital Resources 

 CHARLOTTE, NC —Portsmouth Public Schools (PPS) today announced it has expanded its partnership with Discovery Education supporting the district’s five-year strategic plan, Expedition to 2025: Purpose. Promise. Success. In this new phase of collaboration, educators, and students in grades 7-12 across PPS will receive access to Discovery Education’s Pivot Interactives service. Pivot Interactives supports teachers as they work to help students more deeply engage in and explore natural phenomena and other scientific concepts to develop their understanding of the discipline.   

PPS is made up of 23 schools and centers: three high schools, three middle schools, 13 elementary schools, three preschool centers, and an alternative education center. The school system has 13,000 students enrolled throughout the city and approximately 2,100 staff members working each day. The district’s strategic plan—Expedition to 2025: Purpose. Promise. Success.—is a multipronged approach that outlines five goals for PPS with specific objectives and action steps to ensure the school system meets those goals.   

To meet the plan’s first goal of providing all students educational opportunities ensuring high academic growth, the district sought to add to its existing suite of digital resources capable of supporting instruction in the in-person or remote environment. Following a review of potential solutions, PPS selected Discovery Education’s Pivot Interactives service for use with students in grades 7-12.  …Read More