Educational Technology at IU13

Here are some "Timely & Relevant" resources from Discovery Education for the month of April 2023. April is full of celebrations and we’ve got plenty of timely, engaging resources to share! Be sure to log into your instance of Discovery Education before clicking on the links below.

Timely Content for March

• Save time with the DE April Newsletter for a curated list of resources that support timely events like Financial Literacy Month, Poetry Month, Holocaust Remembrance Day, World Health Day, Earth Day, and more. Click on the image to open and download this month's newsletter.

Ready-to-Use-Activities

• Explore DE's ready-to-use activities These time-saving activities can be used as-is or modified to meet the needs of their classroom! From Background Builders to Sentence Fix-Its to Choice Boards and more – teachers can find quick grab and go resources to use anytime in the Instructional Activities Channel.

• There you’ll find the recent Activity Calendars, such as these for April, for Grades K-2 and Grades 3-5. Use them as they are or make your own copy to edit and share.
  

Supplement Math Instruction with DE 

• Did you know we have an entire collection of math channels to supplement math instruction in the classroom? From math vocabulary, to real-world applications, to problem solving strategies, and more! We’ve got a collection of channels, for Kindergarten through 12th grade, to support any lesson! Don’t miss those channels!  

Financial Literacy Month

• Preparing future-ready students means helping them build the skills needed to succeed beyond the classroom. And what better way to help students focus on life skills than to celebrate Financial Literacy Month! Discovery Education has a wealth of resources to teach all students about money management, financial responsibility, and all about the economy. One example is the Pathways to Financial Success (6-12) Channel that focuses on financial responsibility, using credit wisely, making major financial decisions, and more. There are at least three PDF activities for each ‘area’, and is a great resource to deploy with students. 

Earth Day is April 22nd

• This landing page has ready to use activities, interactive games and videos, and more that help all students grades K-12 become inspired to be the next generation of climate caretakers. Be sure to explore the four different teacher choice boards!

World Health Day is April 7th

• Empower students with strategies to manage stress, build confidence, manage healthy habits for hygiene and eating, and more in the Health Channel! This ready to use activity for K-2 students called “I am Special'' helps students identify traits that make us unique and special. The Future Well Kids Channel also has wonderful activities for students and families to teach them about choices that set them up for future health.

Virtual Field Trips

• Changemakers in Action Virtual Field Trip (6-12) – April 11, 1PM ET: Registration is open! A spark of creativity is all it takes for hearts and minds to change. Meet students from around the country who are finding exciting ways to take creative action on issues they care deeply about and find out what inspires them to share their voice with others. Along the way, students will learn how to overcome doubt and embrace the joys of creative action.
• The Courage to Act: Forming a Chain of Resistance Virtual Field Trip – April 27, 1PM ET: Registration is open! Celebrate students’ power to resist injustice in their world and contribute to a better future through their actions and decisions. The Resistance Virtual Field Trip empowers students to rise against injustice and embrace their own agency to right the wrongs they see around them—from small everyday actions to large-scale community movements.

Information compiled in this update was provided by our partners at Discovery Education

Here are some "Timely & Relevant" resources from Discovery Education for the month of March 2023. March is full of celebrations and we’ve got plenty of timely, engaging resources to share! Be sure to log into your instance of Discovery Education before clicking on the links below.

Timely Content for March

• Save time with the DE March Newsletter for a curated list of resources that support timely events like Women's History Month, International SEL Day, Read Across American Day, and much more! Click on the image to open the newsletter
• March is Women’s History Month! - Explore the Women in History channel to see some of the impacts that pioneering women have had politically, in STEAM, sports, leadership, and more. These grades 3-5 and grades 6-8 Teacher Choice Boards are a fantastic way to explore Women’s History Month in DE.
• International SEL Day takes place on March 11th - The Social-Emotional Learning Center is your spot for content, professional learning, and instructional strategies like writing prompts and quizzes on effective communication, playing fair, and peer responsibility. Two great areas for K-5 are Amazing Me & Soar With Wings and check out resources for grades 6-12 in the Social-Emotional Learning Center.
• Read Across America Day (3/2) –  This virtual experience includes Alice Walker reading the book and talking about the book-writing process, as well as illustrator Quim Torres discussing the illustration process—in Spanish! There's no other way to say it - Vooks (storybooks that are animated) are flat out awesome. Check out the tailored activities that go along with each Vook to celebrate reading!

Ready-to-Use-Activities

• Explore DE's ready-to-use activities These time-saving activities can be used as-is or modified to meet the needs of their classroom! From Background Builders to Sentence Fix-Its to Choice Boards and more – teachers can find quick grab and go resources to use anytime in the Instructional Activities Channel.

• There you’ll find the recent Activity Calendars, such as these for March, for Grades K-2 and Grades 3-5. Use them as they are or make your own copy to edit and share.
  

SOS March Madness Challenge 

• Looking to kickstart awareness in your school or district? Use this fun bracket challenge to introduce instructional strategies that engage students in digital media resources in creative ways!

• SOS of the month – Can You Guess My 214? Focusing on developing inference skills, students make evidence-based statements that lead them to logical conclusions about current or upcoming content.

 March 20th is the first day of spring and business is blooming! 

• Our Seasonal Change channel has you covered - view this short video on these changes and then pair it with one of our Instructional Strategies like XO Let’s Go to make summarizing the video a fun activity!

National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week is March 20-26th

• Explore no-cost prevention programs like Dose of Knowledge that helps educate students on making good decisions and Operation Prevention that help kickstart life-saving conversations for educators, students, and families.

Day of Discovery

• DE is launching a local Days of Discovery this Spring! Perhaps you are interested in participating person, and perhaps also interested in presenting to the group in one of our breakout sessions. The regional day will be on Saturday, March 11 in Downingtown, PA Register here.

Information compiled in this update was provided by our partners at Discovery Education

Your dedicated OverDrive team will be hosting a live, 45-minute webinar this Wednesday, February 22nd at 10:30 AM for members of Pennsylvania IU shared collections (including Lancaster-Lebanon IU13) who want to get more out of their OverDrive Advantage account. Register here!

This session will be recorded. A link to the recording and follow up materials will be sent to all registrants, including those unable to join live.

During this session, the following will be reviewed:

• Accessing reports relevant for Advantage
• Responding to student demand
• Expanding your Advantage collection
• Promoting with Advantage-level curation & Sora Showcase
• Q&A

If you have any question, please reach out to Meredith Wemhoff, Account Manager at OverDrive Education, at mwemhoff@overdrive.com

There will be a Discovery Education - Day of Discovery conference at the Chester County Intermediate Unit in Downingtown, Pennsylvania on Saturday, March 11, 2023.

This will be a great opportunity for educators to learn, share, and connect in person! In addition to an opening and closing session where you'll hear from Discovery Education Staff, the day will also be filled with concurrent sessions where you can share ideas with other educators on ways to use DE in the classroom. DE will also be sharing resources that can be used for the new PA STEEL standards to help set you up for success! 

Here are some "Timely & Relevant" resources from Discovery Education for the month of February 2023. Be sure to log into your instance of Discovery Education before clicking on the links below.

Timely Content for February

• Save time with the DE February Newsletter for a curated list of resources that support timely events like Black History Month, Groundhog Day, National Inventor’s Day, President’s Day, the Super Bowl, and much more!  Click on the image to access this month's newsletter. 
• Groundhog Day (2/2): Follow along as Lenzi traces the history of Groundhog Day, revealing its roots in the German holiday Candlemas.
• Rosa Parks Day (2/4): Explore the remarkable impact Rosa Parks made on the civil rights movement.
• National Inventor’s Day (2/11): Investigate inventors and their innovations with this collection of resources.
• Superbowl (2/12): The American Heart Association and the National Football League, working together with Discovery Education, have joined forces to amplify NFL PLAY 60’s reach and impact by inspiring physically active lifestyles in schools and homes nationwide.

Ready-to-Use-Activities

• Explore DE's ready-to-use activities These time-saving activities can be used as-is or modified to meet the needs of their classroom! From Background Builders to Sentence Fix-Its to Choice Boards and more – teachers can find quick grab and go resources to use anytime in the Instructional Activities Channel.

• There you’ll find the recent Activity Calendars, such as these for February, for Grades K-2 and Grades 3-5. Use them as they are or make your own copy to edit and share.
  

#CelebrateWithDE: World Read Aloud Day 

• February 1, 2023 | All Day | Grades K-2
• Share your love of reading with students on World Read Aloud Day! Explore Discovery Education's ready-to-use activities and video quizzes that highlight the Vooks storybooks brought to life through animation. Each resource contains activities for your K-2 students to do throughout and after each story! Learn more!  

Manufacturing the Future of Aviation Virtual Field Trip 

• February 8, 2023 | 1pm EST | Grades 6-12
• Join Boeing and Discovery Education for a special tour of three Boeing manufacturing facilities in Renton, WA, Portland, OR, and Salt Lake City, Utah to see what game-changing innovations in aviation look like up close! At each location, students will learn how mechatronics, robotics, and ergonomics are shaping the future of aviation manufacturing and be introduced to skilled STEM professionals who use cutting-edge tech to solve real-world challenges. Learn more and register today! 

Behind the Scenes of Country Music's Biggest Night Virtual Field Trip

• February 16, 2023 | 1pm EST | Grades 6-12 
• Join us for a one-of-a-kind virtual field trip into the exciting inner-workings of Country Music’s biggest night of the year, as students are introduced to a variety of key STEAM professionals working behind-the-scenes at the Country Music Association (CMA) Awards in Nashville, TN. Students will dive into the action with diverse Country Music professionals all working in harmony to create Country Music’s biggest night. Learn more and register today!

Free Professional Learning Series: DEN Workshop 

• Did you know we offer a free professional learning series for educators? Our spring cohort of DEN Workshop kicks off in February! Educators will be able to join this virtual cohort and learn from DE staff as well as connect with other educators on best practices in education! We'll make sure they leave with key points on using DE in the classroom. After each session, they'll have a task to complete in their classroom and then will have the chance to return the next session to share and reflect with other educators! Learn more and register today.  

Day of Discovery

• DE is launching a local Days of Discovery this Spring! Perhaps you are interested in participating person, and perhaps also interested in presenting to the group in one of our breakout sessions. The regional day will be on Saturday, March 11 in Downingtown, PA Register here.
• If you are up for presenting, please submit your proposal here.

Information compiled in this update was provided by our partners at Discovery Education