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DCSS Launches First-of-Its-Kind Initiative to Bring Apple Products and Innovation to Students, Teachers and Staff

ALBANY – The Dougherty County School System is launching a new technology initiative for its students, teachers, and staff as part of a collaboration with Apple and educational non-profit Ed Farm. The initiative will allow DCSS to expand and enhance its educational technology ecosystem districtwide.

The initiative will put the district on the leading edge of technology by equipping all DCSS students, teachers and staff with Apple products, services and instructional supports. As part of this, the district will also launch DoCo Codes, a learning initiative designed to prepare students for the careers of tomorrow through the use of advanced technology.

“When it comes to innovation, the Dougherty County School System embraces it, encourages it and rewards it, and so to work alongside Apple, a world leader in technological innovation, is impactful for us and our students in a multitude of ways,” Superintendent Kenneth Dyer said. “It’s more than just technology. This collaboration embeds a full-time Apple Professional Learning Specialist in our community to build capacity among our teachers, instructional coaches and others.”…Read More

Panasonic and Olympian Katie Ledecky Partner to Inspire Student STEM Innovation and Unlock the Power of Technology

Las Vegas, NV (Tuesday, January 4, 2022) – To inspire student innovation in science, technology, engineering, and math (“STEM”), Panasonic Corporation of North America (“Panasonic”) is partnering with 3-time Olympian, 15-time World Champion, 10-time Olympic medal-winning swimmer, and proud STEM advocate Katie Ledecky to launch the STEM Forward educational initiative and engaged Discovery Education to help make this educational program a reality. Announced during CES 2022, the initiative combines Katie Ledecky’s passion for STEM education and advocacy, Panasonic’s legacy of innovation, and Discovery Education’s worldwide leadership in education technology, STEM Forward connects students in grades 3-8 to the game-changing power of technology with standards-aligned resources for any learning environment at no cost.

“As champions for progress at Panasonic, we’re focused on how we can move the world forward and commit ourselves to enhancing the well-being of people, communities, and society. Today’s students have a tremendous future ahead of them, one where technology is not only a tool but an inspiration,” said Megan Myungwon Lee, Chairwoman and Chief Executive Officer of Panasonic Corporation of North America. “We’re proud to continue to partner with Katie Ledecky, who is an inspiration to young people around the world, and empowers students to reach their full potential and discover new ways to think about and apply STEM to build a better world.”

Building on Katie’s ongoing work with Panasonic as a STEM leader and a member of Team Panasonic, STEM Forward provides students, educators, and families with dynamic digital resources that explore how technology improves lives and makes the world a better place. In addition, STEM Forward includes a special Virtual Field Trip appropriate for both in class use and at home exploration.…Read More

American Society of Mechanical Engineers and Discovery Education Partner to Unlock Student Success Through Engineering

Silver Spring, Md. (Monday, December 2, 2021) — Discovery Education and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) have launched Engineering Dreams, an educational initiative designed to engage K-12 students nationwide in the biggest challenges of today while helping them unlock future success through engineering. Engineering Dreams offers educators and students a variety of interactive, standards-aligned learning resources to inspire the next generation of creative thinkers, risk takers and ethical problem-solvers.

To help every community celebrate the “E” in STEM, Engineering Dreams offers educators a video topic series, “Problem-Solvers for Good,” that explores engineering-based solutions to local community challenges that have the promise of positive global impact.

“ASME champions equitable access to unique and impactful K-12 STEM education content and experiences that are intentionally designed to reach students chronically underrepresented in STEM,” says ASME Executive Director/CEO Tom Costabile, P.E. “This collaboration with Discovery Education is a critical lynchpin in ASME’s overall DEI strategy to foster a more diverse and inclusive pipeline of students eager to pursue engineering. Many of our diverse talented members are storytellers who can fill a critical gap in representation by sharing real-world examples of engineers and engineering that resonate with students.”…Read More

Do your teachers know what good teaching looks like?

Pick any high-priority instructional initiative in your district. Can you think of at least one teacher who is excelling in that priority area?

Maybe it’s an early-elementary teacher facilitating small group math learning. Or, maybe it’s a high-school science teacher appropriately deploying sheltered-instruction techniques into a lesson rich with academic language.

Now ask yourself… how can every other teacher get a chance to see that teacher’s classroom?…Read More

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5 principles for an equitable SEL initiative

According to a recent report, fewer than one in four teachers say social-emotional learning (SEL) is implemented in their school on a programmatic, schoolwide basis.

More than two decades of research proves that SEL yields positive results for students, adults, and school communities. The pandemic and its impact on education emphasizes the need for curated, vetted SEL resources that educators can use to support the whole child–regardless of the learning environment.

Initiatives like the Social-Emotional Learning Coalition–which is created in partnership between Discovery Education, The Allstate Foundation, The National Afterschool Association, and Responsibility.org–are working to address the needs of students and educators by improving access to resources that support the integration of SEL into core instruction. To achieve this, the Coalition follows five guiding principles, which schools and district leaders can also follow to create an SEL framework that’s both equitable and impactful. Those principles are:…Read More

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4 ways to incorporate student voice, choice, and SEL into learning

Research shows that giving students agency and influence in their learning makes them more engaged and invested in their education. It also empowers them to take control, show initiative, and adopt leadership roles. Giving students voice and choice also helps them feel valued, encourages them to realize their interests and potential, and can improve their academic outcomes.

Student voice, choice and social and emotional learning (SEL) go hand-in-hand. SEL helps students develop agency because it teaches them to engage authentically as leaders, problem-solvers, and decision-makers. It also improves students’ communication skills and their ability to advocate for themselves.

Here are four ways schools can incorporate student voice, choice, and SEL in students’ learning.…Read More

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Why unstructured free play is a key remedy to bullying

October was National Bullying Prevention Month, and in my decade of teaching in high-poverty public elementary schools, I’ve seen strategy after strategy and initiative after initiative implemented to decrease bullying.

While every case is unique, having a general understanding of why a student chooses to bully can be helpful.

Kids usually bully for one of the following reasons: they are frustrated with life’s circumstances and don’t have the emotional tools to cope, they don’t have many friends and are lonely, they have issues with emotional regulation, or they feel powerless to control their life for any number of reasons.…Read More

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VHS Learning Extends Commitment to CSforALL Movement

Boston – Nov. 9, 2021 – At the fifth annual CSforALL Summit, VHS Learning announced its plans to further its commitment to expanding student access to computer science education. The longstanding nonprofit revealed its new statewide initiative with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. A total of 115 organizations disclosed commitments during the CSforALL summit, which took place October 19-20, 2021.

CSforALL commitments are new, specific, and measurable actions aimed at advancing the goal of rigorous and inclusive computer science education for all U.S. youth. The commitments grow support and momentum for a sustainable K-12 computer science education system in and out of school. VHS Learning has been making annual commitments since the inception of the national CSforALL movement.

In 2021, VHS Learning, in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, will create a statewide initiative to increase the capacity of schools to offer coursework that prepares students for postsecondary education and STEM careers. Through this grant, Advanced Placement Computer Science Principles will be offered at no charge to students at high schools across Massachusetts, to increase student access to computer science education.…Read More

Edge at Hudson Yards and Discovery Education Launch New Partnership Empowering Students to Engineer STEM Dreams

Silver Spring, Md. (Monday, November 1, 2021) – Edge at Hudson Yards and Discovery Education today announced a new educational initiative – Reach for the Sky – that shows students nationwide the transformative power of STEM during a virtual trip to the tallest outdoor sky deck in the Western Hemisphere. Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place.

This new initiative – Reach for the Sky – features engaging digital educational resources and a Virtual Field Trip for students in grades 4-12. With an array of no-cost content, students discover how big ideas and cutting-edge technology can be combined to improve lives and revolutionize communities. Premiering November 4th  at 1 PM ET, The Future is Now Virtual Field Trip 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 extraordinary heights. Students will explore new horizons in community-building as they journey 1,131 ft into the air to Edge, the highest outdoor skydeck in the Western hemisphere, for an unparalleled 360° view of the city and a behind-the-scenes look at amazing innovations of architecture and engineering. Throughout the Virtual Field Trip, students will hear from various leaders about the STEM, history, and social impact of the new gravity-defying structure. Learn more about this event and register here.

“Hudson Yards was always envisioned as an innovative center for engaging sustainable neighborhoods of the future and a place for discovery and adventure,” said Haley Ward, Vice President of Sales at Hudson Yards Experiences. “We are proud to partner with Discovery Education to inspire the next generation of inventors and visionaries through this one-of-a-kind STEM learning experience at Edge.”…Read More

How social and emotional competence leads to educational equity

Educational equity is achieved by equipping students with tools to overcome some of the pre-existing barriers that impede their ability to succeed in school and thrive. Although educational equity was a priority in many school districts prior to the events of the past year and a half, talks surrounding the initiative have amped up–of the 10 largest school districts in the United States, eight now identify equity as part of their mission statements or core values.

Achieving educational equity requires multiple strategies and initiatives because the sources of inequity are so numerous and varied. One of the most important strategies is the promotion of students’ social and emotional competence (SEC).

First, we must understand how equity is defined. Recently, Jagers, Rivas-Drake, and Borowski asserted that educational equity “means that every student has access to the resources and educational rigor they need” (2018, p.1). Similarly, the Center for Public Education stated that, “equity is achieved when all students receive the resources they need so they graduate prepared for success after high school” (2016, p. 1). Both definitions make clear that the focus of educational equity efforts needs to be on the individual student. Equity is achieved when every (Jagers et. al) or all (CPE) students can benefit from education.…Read More

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