Posts Tagged ‘Discovery Education’

Classrooms, Communities Welcome North America

May 18, 2013 | by akowalczyk
North America and Discovery Education
As viewers prepare for this Sunday’s premiere of the new Discovery Channel series, North America, our youngest fans and teachers are diving deep into North America with Discovery Education.
Earlier in May, Discovery Education took over 160,000 students on field trips across North America – virtually. Through videos, behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with producers and field crew members, Discovery Education brought to life the continent’s unique geography, diverse animal species and fascinating ecosystems. Missed the first round or want to go again? The trips are archived, and you can still register for a trip on May 30 (Explore Glacier National Park).
National Zoo staff speaks on animal care for North America

Education and Animal Care Staff from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo speak to students about the diverse wildlife in North America.

Additionally, Discovery Education gave over 180,000 students interactive North America kits that included lesson plans and a screening of the first episode, “Born to Be Wild,” as well as a family engagement guide with a poster, trekking map and animal trading cards.
Kids aren’t the ones having all the fun, though. Baseball fans of all ages will get a sneak peek into North America this weekend at four games this weekend: Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, Minnesota Twins and New York Yankees.
Armchair adventurers can tune into the breathtaking premiere of North America on Discovery Channel, Sunday at 9pm ET/PT, but why wait? Check out a sneak peek below:

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Day Two: Rebuilding Atlantic City

May 17, 2013 | by akowalczyk
Chris Christie, David Zaslav and Buddy Valastro

Buddy Valastro of TLC’s Cake Boss, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Discovery Communications President & CEO David Zaslav

New Jersey: Where only the strong survive.

We’ve all seen the phrase plastered on shirts and stuck on bumpers, but today we all learned the true definition of “Jersey Strong.”

As we began Day Two, with sore arms and bits fiberglass in our hair, excitement brewed – all of the volunteers (including me) were motivated by Day One’s progress and ready to see our families’ houses continue to return to being homes. While most of us began construction, some members of the Discovery Education team traveled to Sovereign Elementary School, just down the street from our work sites, to meet many of the children affected by the storm and share with them a preview of Discovery Channel’s upcoming series, North America (premiering this Sunday). The children were also treated to a visit from Animal Planet’s Dave Salmoni, who brought along North American animals, and Jersey boy, Buddy Valastro, who brought sweet treats from Carlos’ Bakery for the students and staff to enjoy.

When we broke for lunch today, “Discovery Impact” came to life. In a special ceremony opened by a Habitat for Humanity leader and our own David Zaslav, volunteers heard from Jersey natives about the deep value of their work. Buddy Valastro shared his own passion for restoring the state he calls home and then welcomed New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. The Governor recounted the deep devastation experienced when Superstorm Sandy hit his state and shared hope for the future, as well as genuine appreciation for the volunteers who have joined his mission to restore all New Jersey families to their homes.

Nearly impossible to believe, tomorrow is our final day on site. We’re all excited to see what we’ve accomplished in three days and to bring home the stories of strength and hope we have experienced along the way.

I’ve included below a few photo highlights from the day, as well as an incredible video from two dedicated Habitat for Humanity volunteers – a true dose of inspiration! For more images and stories from today, follow us on Twitter, Instagram (#ourimpact on both!) and Facebook.




 

Richard, Richard Jr. and David Zaslav at Rebuilding Atlantic City

Richard and Richard Jr. Shared Their Story with Discovery Communications President & CEO David Zaslav

Day Two Rebuilding Atlantic City: Drywalling

Team Drywall

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Discovery Celebrates Teacher Appreciation Week

May 6, 2013 | by akowalczyk

Discovery Education: Teacher Appreciation Week“A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.”  - Henry Adams

Almost everyone can credit at least one teacher who has served as inspiration to pave a new path, follow a dream or fight for the impossible. With incredible patience and compassion, teachers grow our next generation. As a daughter and granddaughter of teachers and superintendents, I’ve seen firsthand the patience, perseverance and love teachers bring to their classroom daily, and I’ve experienced the difference it makes in students’ lives.

Today marks the start of Teacher Appreciation Week, a time for communities to celebrate their own classroom heroes. Here at Discovery, we strive to celebrate our teachers throughout the year, but we’re excited to present “A Conversation with Sir Ken Robinson” , a webcast streaming tonight at 7pm ET with Discovery Education. Sir Ken Robinson, PhD is an internationally recognized leader in the development of creativity, innovation and human resources in education and in business. His 2006 TED Talk is the most viewed in Ted’s history, and in 2011, he was listed as “one of the world’s elite thinkers on creativity and innovation” by Fast Company magazine.

We hope you’ll join us for an inspiring conversation with Robinson, and after, get a few laughs with our Tanked and HowStuff Works stars, who share why they love their teachers in these videos. Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!

 

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Discovery Announces ‘Connect the Dots’ National STEM Education Initiative

May 1, 2013 | by kdelmonico

As a company launched on the tenets of curiosity, Discovery has long supported STEM education and its importance in shaping our future leaders (a point I most recently witnessed in action while attending the White House Science Fair last week). Today, Discovery Communications announced a new multimedia, national STEM education initiative called Connect the Dots, designed to inspire students’ interest in STEM education and career paths.

The initiative was announced today by David Zaslav, President and CEO of Discovery Communications at the Benjamin Banneker Middle School in Burtonsville, Maryland. “Our kids are the next generation of innovators, problem solvers and game changers, and we need them to take on the planet’s challenges and shape a bright, healthy future by embracing STEM careers,” Zaslav said. “Through its unique position as a company founded on igniting curiosity across generations, and with science, technology, engineering and math in our DNA, Discovery is proud to utilize its platforms to help connect the dots between learning and living, theory and practice, algebra and video game design – and inspire the next generation of innovators and leaders in STEM.”

To learn more about Connect the Dots, click here for the full press release. You can also check out some photos of the event below and a video shown at today’s announcement, giving more insight into the Connect the Dots initiative.

 

Students pose with Discovery Communications President & CEO David Zaslav, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley and Discovery Channel’s Kal Penn

 

David Zaslav Speaking at Connect the Dots Event

 

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Discovery Attends The White House Science Fair

April 23, 2013 | by kdelmonico

As I have mentioned on the blog many times, working at Discovery Communications has some major perks, but yesterday may be an all-time high point for me. I was lucky enough to be able to attend the White House Science Fair yesterday, with students from all across the country exhibiting their incredible projects for President Obama and Science Fair attendees.

When I arrived at the White House, I was immediately blown away by the projects the students were exhibiting. We had Discovery Education and 3M’s Young Scientist Challenge winner Deepika Kurup exhibiting her innovative, cost effective and sustainable water-purification system. As well, the Pinelands Eco Scienteers, winners of the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge, had the opportunity to exhibit their project to President Obama as he came into the briefing.

Another Discovery family member, Kal Penn, of Discovery Channel’s upcoming  Big Brain Theory: Pure Genius, was on site at the event, making the rounds with Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to the President, to learn more about the student’s projects. Also in attendance were Bill Nye the Science Guy, LeVar Burton, NASA’s Leland Melvin and, my personal favorite as a New York Giants fan, Victor Cruz.

I’ve included some photos of the event below and for more, check out our Facebook album.  And of course, for more science awesomeness, tune into Big Brain Theory: Pure Genius on May 1 at 10pm ET/PT on Discovery Channel. The event was an exciting example of the amazing  and we were honored to have been a part of the White House Science Fair 2013!

President Obama addresses the crowd at the White House Science Fair

 

Valerie Jarrett and Kal Penn Pose With a White House Science Fair Team

 

Deepika Kurup, Winner of Discovery Education and 3M’s Young Scientist Challenge

 

 

 

 

 

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Discovery Education Celebrates the Future of Learning

April 13, 2013 | by kdelmonico

On Thursday, Discovery Education opened its doors to thousands of educational leaders for the first Future@NOW: Transition to Digital Classrooms international conference. The event, hosted at One Discovery Place, also was streamed live to more than 1,600 sites nationwide, and featured many influential leaders, including Discovery Founder and Chairman John Hendricks as well as Senior Democratic Member on the House Education and Workforce Committee, George Miller (D-CA).

At the event, Discovery Education’s Scott Kinney announced that educators across the country will be offered exclusive access to Discovery Education’s Techbook series through the end of June at no cost, along with more than 40 virtual professional development sessions to support them in effectively implementing digital tools in their classrooms. Participants also were treated to a unique look inside a digital classroom, when Discovery Education brought students and teachers from Collier County Public Schools in Naples, FL into the conference through a live, interactive session.

If you weren’t able to attend the event, catch up with the archived live stream, read this recent USA Today Op-Ed on digital education and keep an eye out for Techbooks coming to your classrooms and communities!

Sara Schapiro, Director of the Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools; Zach Leverenz, CEO of Connect2Compete; Holly Jobe, President of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE); and Scott Kinney, Senior Vice President of Discovery Education Announce Free Availability of Techbooks Through June

 

Third-Grade Student Mary Moss Wirt Shares Her Experiences with Digital Learning

 

Discovery Founder and Chairman John Hendricks Discusses the Importance of Digital Resources in Our Schools

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