Supporting Teachers – New Year – New Changes – New Growth – New Support

“I am an athlete. I may not be the best, but that is what I strive to be. I may never get there, but I will never quit trying.”
– Unknown

This year we prepare for a myriad of changes. This year we prepare for the best year ever! This year we are asking our teachers to do A LOT – new curriculum maps, new instructional practices, transformation with the 1:1 learning environment initiative, new middle school exploratories, implementation of STEM/Communication Media Arts, new science programming … to name a few!

The next series of blog posts I share will include descriptions of services, subscriptions, tools, programs, aids, SUPPORTS for learning that we are putting into place intentionally and deliberately to support teachers and students. Thanks to Dr. Jeff Zoul, Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning, as well as members of the DPS109 Leadership team, as well as iCoaches and teacher leaders, we have a PLAN to help teachers SUCCEED as they Engage, Inspire & Empower!

These tools are being shared in no particular order – the point/aim/goal is to share, celebrate, communicate, and publicize the many leaders and the many tools that will enable others to act – challenge the process, inspire a shared vision – and support improved teaching and learning! While company information and logos are shared it is not our intention to use this as “advertising” – we are simply sharing with whom we are partnering to support our mission. The name(s) of the people leading these services is/are provided – feel free to contact them with any questions or comments about the tools.

In some of the blog posts I will post multiple tools since some of the companies with whom we partner are sharing multiple tools. Many of these web based subscriptions will allow for 24/7 – school/home access! The possibilities are endless for our learning as we truly become a COMMUNITY of learners.

The content/subscription descriptions come directly from or heavily influence the descriptions listed – website links to the source are listed in each section and sub-section.

(John Filippi) Discovery Social Studies Tech Book (Grades 6-8):

Discovery Education Social Studies Techbook is a comprehensive digital program that replaces traditional textbooks. Built around the 5E model of instruction (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate), Techbook is a non-linear curriculum pathway that promotes inquiry-based learning, enhances critical thinking, and improves student achievement. With exclusive video from Discovery Channel, content from more than 100 educational publishers, digital investigations, a dynamic reference library, and the ground-breaking Interactive glossary and Atlas, Techbook is an intuitive all-in-one program that can also be used to supplement current resources. Core Interactive Text (included leveled reading, text-to-speech, not taking, and highlighting capability) ensures that Techbook will meet the needs of a wide range of learners and learning styles.

http://www.discoveryeducation.com/what-we-offer/techbook-digital-textbooks/middle-school-social-studies/index.cfm

(Brian Bullis and Dave Sherman) Discovery Science Tech Book (Grades 1-8):

Discovery Education Science Techbook is a comprehensive digital program that replaces traditional textbooks. Built around the 5E model of instruction (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate), Techbook is a non-linear curriculum pathway that promotes inquiry-based learning, enhances critical thinking, and improves student achievement. With exclusive video from Discovery Channel, content from more than 100 educational publishers, digital simulations, hands on labs, STEM resources, and an Interactive Glossary, Techbook is an intuitive all-in-one program that can also be used to supplement current resources. Core Interactive Text (included leveled reading, text-to-speech, not taking, and highlighting capability) ensures that Techbook will meet the needs of a wide range of learners and learning styles.

http://www.discoveryeducation.com/what-we-offer/techbook-digital-textbooks/k-8-science/index.cfm

(Lucy Melchert and Angela Mirretti) Discovery Streaming Plus (PK-8):

Enhancing classrooms with rich multi-media that has proven to increase student achievement, Discovery Education Streaming PLUS provides teachers and students access to a library of more than 160,000 standards-aligned digital resources that address multiple learning styles, support the Common Core State Standards, and inspire students to explore their world. Streaming PLUS enhances curriculum across all grade levels and content areas and engages today’s students in learning through instructional videos, skill builders, games, audio files, images, writing prompts, encyclopedia articles, and more.

http://www.discoveryeducation.com//what-we-offer/streaming-plus-digital-media/index.cfm