Educational Technology at IU13

Here are some "Timely & Relevant" resources from Discovery Education for December 2024 - your daily hub of resources for your classroom with digital media and ready-to-use learning activities. Be sure to log into your district's single sign on link for Discovery Education before clicking on the links in this post.

Explore the Ready-to-Use-Activities

• Explore DE's ready-to-use activities for K-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12 grade bands. These time-saving activities can be used as-is or modified to meet the needs of their classroom! From Background Builders to Daily Sentence Fix-Its to Choice Boards and more – teachers can find quick grab and go resources to use anytime in the Instructional Activities Channel, such as:

  • Activity Calendars for Grades K-2 and Grades 3-5 - Use them as they are or make your own copy to edit and share.
  • Daily Sentence Fix-It Calendars for each month for Grades 3-5 - Check out this month's December edition.
  • Need to Know Lesson for Grades 3-8 - The Supreme Court and the Judicial Branch - engage students in a classroom activity that features the primary source photograph, "Supreme Court of the United States." (as seen in the image below)

Highlighted Monthly & Timely Content

• Searching for timely monthly resources? Check out the December Highlights Newsletter for instant access to a treasure trove of Discovery Education resources for all grade levels - perfect for monthly celebrations. View examples that include:

Holiday Celebrations:

• • Celebrations of Light Around the World (3-8)

  • Sentence Fix-It: December Holidays  (K-2)

  • Hanukkah  K-2 | 3-5 | 6-8 | K-12 Channel

  • Christmas K-2 | 3-5 | 6-8 | K-12 Channel

  • Kwanzaa  K-2 | 3-5 | 6-8 | K-12 Channel

Timely Celebrations:

• • Hour of Code/Computer Education Week (12/6-12/12): Computer programming, often called coding, is the process of entering a sequence of instructions to command a computer to complete a specific task. 

• • Pearl Harbor (12/7): Explore the events surrounding the Battle of Pearl Harbor and the loss of more than 2,000 lives on December 7, 1941. 

  • Genocide Prevention Day (12/9): USC Shoah Foundation - The Institute for Visual History and Education is dedicated to making audio-visual interviews with survivors and witnesses of the Holocaust and other genocides a compelling voice for education and action. 

  • International Mountain Day (12/11): Witness how Earth changes—all around you, and all the time! 

  • Wright Brothers Day   (12/17): Learn about the contributions of the Wright brothers to the field of aviation.

  • First Day of Winter   (12/21): Discover a collection of videos, images, songs, and writing prompts that explore the science behind the seasons and their environmental effects.

ICYMI - School Leaders - set your teachers up for success with DE Experience

• Check out the Discovery Education Experience Toolkit that contains resources and training materials for teachers, including bite-sized, engaging micro-training is tailored for teachers (by teachers) and encourages them to dive into the product, customize their homepage, and quickly find the content resources they need. Everything you need is here, including email templates, a talking script, and a resource list. 

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

Here are some "Timely & Relevant" resources from Discovery Education for November 2024 - your daily hub of resources for your classroom with digital media and ready-to-use learning activities. Be sure to log into your district's single sign on link for Discovery Education before clicking on the links in this post.

Explore the Ready-to-Use-Activities

• Explore DE's ready-to-use activities for K-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12 grade bands. These time-saving activities can be used as-is or modified to meet the needs of their classroom! From Background Builders to Daily Sentence Fix-Its to Choice Boards and more – teachers can find quick grab and go resources to use anytime in the Instructional Activities Channel, such as:

  • Activity Calendars for Grades K-2 and Grades 3-5 - Use them as they are or make your own copy to edit and share.
  • Daily Sentence Fix-It Calendars for each month for Grades 3-5 - Check out this month's November edition.
  • Background Builder for Grades 6-8 - Industrial Revolution - Students learn how to describe key events and explain the impact of the Industrial Revolution. (as seen in the image below)

Highlighted Monthly & Timely Content

• Searching for timely monthly resources? Check out the November Highlights Newsletter for instant access to a treasure trove of Discovery Education resources for all grade levels - perfect for monthly celebrations. View examples that include:
  • Children's Book Week (11/4-11/10): See children's picture books come to life with Weston Woods during Children’s Book Week which begins on November 6th.
  • Geography Awareness Week (11/11-11/15):  Celebrate Geography Awareness Week by sharing the majesty and diversity of the American landscape, from the Great Salt Lake to the beauty of Yellowstone National Park to the wilderness of the Badlands.
  • National STEM Day (11/8): Find lesson plans and self-paced modules rooted in STEM principles, as well as counselor and family resources which explore career options and provide a school-to-home connection.
  • Veteran's Day (11/11): Salute all who served in the military this Veterans Day! Veterans Day provides citizens with a chance to reflect on how war and conflict has shaped our country and a space honor those who have fought for freedom.
  • Thanksgiving (11/28): Give thanks on this annual holiday that started as a day of gratitude for the harvest bounty. Consider the history and tradition of Thanksgiving and browse through resources that highlight the evolving values, customs, and new interpretations of this holiday in modern times.

Virtual Field Trips and DE Docs

• What Is the Difference Between Virtual Field Trips and DE Docs? Virtual Field Trips offer dynamic, interactive experiences that take your students behind the scenes of unique destinations, connecting them to real-world problems through engaging, multimedia content, while DE Docs are new, long-form, documentary-style videos that provide an in-depth exploration of specific topics, offering new perspectives and a focused narrative to deepen your students' understanding.
  • DE Docs: Money Mastery
    • An engaging and educationally rich 20-minute video that makes building financial literacy accessible and approachable. Created for middle school students, this video provides them with the foundation they’ll need to make savvy financial choices now and in the future.
  • Check out the latest Virtual Field Trips premiering in November!
    
    • White Bird: The Courage of Kindness Virtual Field Trip | Nov 12 | Grades 6-12
    • Re-Powering the Future: A Mission Possible Virtual Field Trip | Nov 21 | Grades 9-12

School Leaders - set your teachers up for success with DE Experience

• This bite-sized, engaging micro-training is tailored for teachers (by teachers) and encourages them to dive into the product, customize their homepage, and quickly find the content resources they need. Everything you need is here, including email templates, a talking script, and a resource list. 

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

Here are some "Timely & Relevant" resources from Discovery Education for October 2024 - your daily hub of resources for your classroom with digital media and ready-to-use learning activities. Be sure to log into your district's single sign on link for Discovery Education before clicking on the links in this post.

Explore the Ready-to-Use-Activities

• Explore DE's ready-to-use activities for K-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12 grade bands. These time-saving activities can be used as-is or modified to meet the needs of their classroom! From Background Builders to Daily Sentence Fix-Its to Choice Boards and more – teachers can find quick grab and go resources to use anytime in the Instructional Activities Channel, such as:

  • Activity Calendars for Grades K-2 and Grades 3-5 - Use them as they are or make your own copy to edit and share.
  • Daily Sentence Fix-It Calendars for each month for Grades 3-5 - Check out this month's October edition.
  • Background Builder for Grades 6-8 - Atoms - Students learn how to define atoms and describe why they are important. (as seen in the image below)

Highlighted Monthly & Timely Content

• Searching for timely October resources? Check out the October Highlights Newsletter for instant access to a treasure trove of Discovery Education resources for all grade levels - perfect for October celebrations. Examples include:
  • Bullying Prevention Month - In this channel, explore content that helps students understand what bullying is, provides strategies to stop the behavior, and teaches how to be socially responsible.
  • Indigenous Peoples Day (10/14): Explore resources about Christopher Columbus’s journey, the impact of colonization on native people, and the significance of Native American experiences both historically and today.
  • National Fossil Day (10/16): Uncover the truth about fossils, what they are made of, and how they can help us learn about what life was like a long time ago.
  • Red Ribbon Week (10/23-31): Raise your awareness of drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and violence, and learn what you can do to help celebrate Red Ribbon Week.
    
    

Virtual Field Trips

• Celebrate Space Week with Career Connect - Tuesday, October 8 | 1PM ET
  • Are you fascinated by the mysteries of space? We are too! Join us for a LIVE virtual connection with Dr. Alison Nordt, Director of Space Science and Instrumentation at Lockheed Martin! Dr. Nordt played a pivotal role in developing NIRCam, the primary imaging instrument on NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.

• New Virtual Field Trips and DE Docs
  • What Is the Difference Between Virtual Field Trips and DE Docs? Virtual Field Trips offer dynamic, interactive experiences that take your students behind the scenes of unique destinations, connecting them to real-world problems through engaging, multimedia content, while DE Docs are new, long-form, documentary-style videos that provide an in-depth exploration of specific topics, offering new perspectives and a focused narrative to deepen your students' understanding.
  • Check out the latest Virtual Field Trips and documentaries premiering throughout October and November!
    • Money Master: A DE Doc | Oct 22 | Grades 6-8
    • Lego Night Navigators: Build for Bats Virtual Field Trip | Oct 29 | Grades 3-8
    • White Bird: The Courage of Kindness Virtual Field Trip | Nov 12 | Grades 6-12
    • Re-Powering the Future: A Mission Possible Virtual Field Trip | Nov 21 | Grades 9-12

School Leaders - set your teachers up for success with DE Experience

• This bite-sized, engaging micro-training is tailored for teachers (by teachers) and encourages them to dive into the product, customize their homepage, and quickly find the content resources they need. Everything you need is here, including email templates, a talking script, and a resource list. 

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

Here are some 2024 Back to School "Timely & Relevant" resources from Discovery Education - your daily hub of resources for your classroom with digital media and ready-to-use learning activities. Be sure to log into your district's single sign on link for Discovery Education before clicking on the links in this post.

New DE Feature - Assignment Link

• Teachers can now create and share assignments effortlessly using a simple link. No classroom or roster management is required. Create and distribute Discovery Education assignments directly to students via email, Schoology, Google Classrooms, Learning Management Systems, and more. By removing assignment set up requirements, you now have more flexibility and freedom - making it as easy as Copy and Paste. Learn how!

Explore the Ready-to-Use-Activities

• Explore DE's ready-to-use activities for K-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12 grade bands. These time-saving activities can be used as-is or modified to meet the needs of their classroom! From Background Builders to Daily Sentence Fix-Its to Choice Boards and more – teachers can find quick grab and go resources to use anytime in the Instructional Activities Channel, such as:

  • Activity Calendars for Grades K-2 and Grades 3-5 - Use them as they are or make your own copy to edit and share.
  • Choice Board for Grades 6-8 - Science Example Cells: Teacher Choice Board
  • Daily Sentence Fix-It Calendars for each month for Grades 3-5 - this month's August edition (see image below)

Highlighted Monthly & Timely Content

• Back to School Channel – Welcome students back to the classroom with immersive new assets from Discovery Education! Explore resources that help students adjust to school and learn about exciting new topics. Then, dive into exclusive new resources from such channels, DE Originals and Need to Know!
• The Olympic Games Channel – With the 2024 Paris Olympics wrapping up, what better way to keep the excitement going with our newly refreshed Olympics Channel? Explore the latest from DE about the history of the Olympics, inspiring athletes’ stories, and new highlights from this summer’s games! 

What's New at DE

• The Fixies - Grades PreK-5 - Season 3 of The Fixies continues will 10 new episodes! There’s just no end to the troubles Tom Thomas and his Fixie friends get themselves into with all the gadgets and appliances around them as they work together to explore different topics like backpacks, chocolate, and vitamins!

• N*GEN - Grades K-8 - Explore STEM topics with N*GEN. Based in Africa, this program series teaches younger students about a variety of STEM topics. Learn about the wetlands, robots, food, bees, and more!
• Pathway to Financial Success in Schools - Grades K-12 - Pathway to Financial Success in Schools is a no-cost, unit-based, multimedia financial literacy program for middle and high school students. Explore comprehensive curriculum enhanced by videos, self-paced modules, and cross-curricular activities. Family extensions are available to keep the conversation going at home! 
• 3D Virtual Field Trips - Grades K-12 - are new interactive experiences that take students on impossible journeys. Travel to ancient Egypt, the bottom of the sea, the Moon, and more incredible places right from your web browser! Students will solve problems, try out real careers, discover artifacts, and complete objectives in these exciting cross-curricular games.

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 April 2024. Use Discovery Education as your daily hub of resources for your classroom with digital media and ready-to-use learning activities. Be sure to log into your instance of Discovery Education before clicking on the links in this post.

Timely and Relevant Resources

• Check out the April 2024 DE Newsletter for a list of resources that supports student learning throughout the month.  Click on the link above or the image to open and download this month's newsletter.

Explore the 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 Daily 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 this month's Activity Calendars for Grades K-2 and Grades 3-5. Use them as they are or make your own copy to edit and share.

Highlighted Monthly & Timely Celebrations

• National Poetry Month – Pump up your literature lessons and learn about groundbreaking poets with this collection of resources, sorted by grade band.
• World Health Day (4/7) – Ensure your students are equipped with the knowledge and resources to be healthy for their future.
• Total Solar Eclipse (4/8) – On Monday, April 8th, a total solar eclipse will cross North America from​ the Southwest to the Northeast. During the solar eclipse, the moon will pass between Earth and the Sun, blocking the sun's light for a short time period. The natural phenomena will be visible in Pennsylvania! Get your students ready!

• International Day of Human Space Flight (4/12) – Expand your perspective from Earth, to the solar system, and to the edges of space.
• Earth Day (4/22) – Celebrate Earth Day with this collection of engaging activities that students, educators, and families can do to invest in our future and make a meaningful difference for our planet.
• Shakespeare Day (4/23) – Explore Shakespeare's finest works and discover why his plays continue to be rediscovered, adapted, and performed by diverse cultures throughout the world.

Check out DE's New Content

• The Fixies - A New Channel to Teach Science to Young Students! Follow the comical misadventures of Tom Thomas and his secret friendship with Simka and Nolik, the children of the Fixie family that lives in his apartment. There's just no end to the troubles Tom Thomas and his Fixie friends get themselves into with all the gadgets and appliances around them!

• N*GEN - Explore STEM topics with N*GEN. Based in Africa, this program series teaches younger students about a variety of STEM topics. Learn about the wetlands, robots, food, bees, and more!
• PhET Interactive Simulations - Brand new 64 Spanish interactives are now available! Explore the electrifying world of molecular interactions, genetic mutations, planetary gravity, and more with these interactive simulations. Based on extensive education research, PhET simulations bring math and science concepts to life in an intuitive, game-like environment, inviting students to learn through exploration and discovery.

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