Educational Technology at IU13

Welcome Back, Classroom Teachers and School Leaders! 

Discovery Education is your daily hub of resources for your classroom with digital media and ready-to-use learning activities. Take some time to check out the new content and educator supports from Discovery Education Experience.

Be sure to log into your district's single sign-on link for Discovery Education before clicking on the links in this post.

Back-to-School DE Updates

Personalized Educator Homepages

• Planning just got easier!  Your Personalized Homepage surfaces lessons, videos, and activities tailored to your grade and subject. Or use Search to explore thousands of standards-aligned resources across subjects.
• 🔗 Take a 3-Minute tour

Careers Hub

• Ready to spark student curiosity and connect classroom learning to real-world possibilities? The new Careers Hub makes it easier than ever to connect students to real-world opportunities, with resources designed to inspire every learner. 
• 🔗 Take a 3-Minute tour

Virtual Field Trips

• The Fall Virtual Field Trip Lineup is here! Take students to amazing places and introduce them to topics that give them remarkable experiences, without ever leaving the classroom. Explore what's coming up this September and October. 
• 🔗 Open the Fall Lineup the Fall Lineup
  

Content Spotlight

• Grades K-2
  
  • 🆕 Civics Lessons for K–2 - Teacher-led presentations that introduce young learners to key civic concepts through engaging, age-appropriate content. •
  • 🔗 Explore the new lessons and bring civics to life!

• Grades 3-5
  • 🆕 Jumpstart classroom conversations with Math Talks for 3-5! - These teacher-led slideshows offer five days of open-ended prompts paired with real-world images, from art supplies to animals, to spark student thinking, comparing, estimating, and defending ideas.
  • 🔗 Start your next Math Talk today! 
  
  
• Grades 6-12
  • 📚 Weekly Edit for Grades 6–12-Each teacher-led presentation includes a classic fix-it task plus four more engaging activities that build language skills through real-world applications, focused practice, and fun grammar puzzles, all using topics teens care about.
  • 🔗 Add it to your weekly routine and keep students engaged!
    
  
  

Instructional Strategies Center

• 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.

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

Here are some "Timely & Relevant" resources from Discovery Education for March and April 2025 - 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.

Highlighted Timely Content

• Searching for timely monthly resources? Check out the March Newsletter and the April Newsletter for instant access to product news, resources and best practices - perfect for monthly celebrations such as:

Timely Celebrations:

• • Earth Day (4/22) - Explore the Earth Day channel for ready-to-use tools like Choice Boards, Sentence Fix-Its, and real-world media to inspire your students to make a difference for our planet.

  • Financial Literacy Month - The Financial Literacy Channel helps students learn to make smart financial choices and build the skills they need to succeed. Don't miss out on unique programs like Pathways to Financial Success powered by Discover, and Econ Essentials powered by Futures Fundamentals. Enrich your classroom by using Career Connect to bring in a guest speaker from the financial industry. Give your students a firsthand look at the essential skills professionals use every day. US Bank, Discover, and more are on Career Connect now!

Earth Day Career Connect Spotlight

• Earth Day Career Connect Spotlight - Sign up here!ˆ •
  • April 22, 10 AM EST - Join LEGO and Bat Conservation International as two featured classrooms present their solutions to protect vulnerable species. Hear the expert’s feedback and help explore ways communities like yours can get involved in supporting endangered animals. ˆ •
  • April 22, 12:00 PM EST - Discover how mechanical engineering is driving solutions that support our planet with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). Hear from professionals about innovations in renewable energy, innovative manufacturing, and emerging technologies. Learn how ASME supports engineers in supporting our environment.  •
  • April 22, 2:00 PM EST - Experience the critical work being done at the Mount Washington Observatory to study extreme weather. Learn about the unique challenges and rewards of conducting environmental research in harsh conditions and discover career opportunities in meteorology and weather science.
    
    
• How to use Career Connect?
  • Make sure you are registered in Career Connect using your district's DE account by accessing their automatic online registration. Reminder - All IU13 Public School District Educators have access to DE Experience
  • Make a direct request if you see a profile that you think would be great for your classroom! Check out this video or article for directions. 

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.

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

Discovery Education is looking for educators in Grades 6-12 who would be interested in having a BioTech industry guest speaker (from FutureLab+) virtually join your classroom for 30 minutes in March 2025 and share about their career or content you are talking about in your classroom!

Opportunity:

• Futurelab+ is about the magic of discovery, bringing the expertise of science professionals to students to help them unleash their potential as the next generation of innovators in the biotech industry. Futurelab+ offers a comprehensive curriculum including masterclass resources, tools to support an independent year of research, and biotech volunteers to connect with your classroom. You'll find scientists, engineers, data scientists, HR recruitment, strategists, and patient advocacy relations. 

Timing:

• Now-Feb 14 | Educators sign up + make request in Career Connect
• Feb 14 - Feb 28 | FutureLab+ Employees sign up for connects
• March | Happy Connecting!
• April | Educators will receive a $25 Amazon gift card for completing at least one connect

Interested? Here are next steps:

• Let us know you're in by completing this quick form.
• Make sure you're in Career Connect using your district's DE account by accessing the automatic online registration. (All IU13 Public School District Educators have access to DE Experience)
• Make a request for a connect in the platform. Check out this video or article for directions. 
  • Make a direct request if you see a profile that you think would be great for your classroom! 
  • If you're flexible on who talks to your class, then make an open request with additional information for what you're looking for! 
• The team will ensure you are connected and have what you need before March! 

Questions?

• If you have any questions, please contact Tim Leister at timothy_leister@iu13.org

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

Here are some "Timely & Relevant" resources from Discovery Education for February 2025 - 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 February edition.
  • Need to Know Lesson for Grades 3-8 - Map Elements - a classroom lesson that engages students about map elements through a classroom activity that features the primary source map, "Major land uses in the United States." 

Highlighted Monthly & Timely Content

• Searching for timely monthly resources? Check out the February 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:

Monthly Celebrations:

• • Black History Month

  • Career and Technical Education Month

  • American Heart Month

Timely Celebrations:

• • Groundhog Day (2/2): Follow along as Lenzi traces the history of Groundhog Day, revealing its roots in the German holiday Candlemas.

  • World Read Aloud Day (2/7): Share your love of reading with students on World Read Aloud Day with the Vooks storybooks brought to life through animation. 

  • Superbowl (2/9): The American Heart Association and the National Football League have joined forces with Discovery Education to inspire physically active lifestyles in schools. 

  • Valentine’s Day (2/14): Explore resources around Valentine's Day, or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is a holiday celebrated around the world on February 14.

  • President’s Day (2/17): Explore resources that teach about current and past leaders, the role of the executive branch, and the history of the holiday.

  • Random Acts of Kindness Day (2/17): Use this activity to discuss how students can show kindness to their classmates.

Virtual Field Trip to the LIV Golf Team Championship

• Take a Virtual Field Trip to the LIV Golf Team Championship in Dallas, Texas, where teams of professional golfers work together to improve their performance and win using communication, problem-solving skills, and mindset techniques–the same STEM principles needed to cultivate fundamental life and career skills. 

• February 19, 2025 for Grades 6-8 / Ages 11-14 - 30 minutes

• Sign Up Here

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

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