To transform classrooms into 21^st century learning environments, Sunnyside Unified School District has partnered with Discovery Education to bring its digital science textbook to teachers and students. Already in use by districts across the country and proven to increase student engagement and achievement, Science Techbook™ empowers educators and enhances learning via a powerful, simple-to-use program that provides students with skills needed to be college and career ready. Through the partnership, Science Techbook™ will be used in Los Amigos Technology Academy and all middle schools in the district.

“People say technology can transform teaching and learning, and in Sunnyside this is happening,” said Dr. Manuel L. Isquierdo, superintendent, Sunnyside Unified School District. “We are bridging the digital divide, the economic divide, and the language divide with our technology initiatives, and I am excited to be a part of this change.”

A complete digital solution that replaces traditional textbooks, Science Techbook™ features compelling video, interactive text, digital simulations, virtual and hands-on labs and an interactive glossary with animations, audio and video. Techbook™ meets the needs of individual learning styles, inspires curiosity, promotes critical thinking and enables project-based learning. Significantly less expensive than traditional textbooks and with a delivery platform that is scalable, this all-in-one resource works with any device, including iPads, tablets, mobile devices, laptops or desktops, maximizing investment in existing technology and lowering district costs.

Designed to support teachers in implementing the Common Core State Standards, the program includes detailed lesson plans and model lessons as well as integrated, ongoing professional development. Because it’s constantly updated, Techbook™ allows teachers toincorporate current issues and recent scientific breakthroughs into their curriculum. It also includes an assessment component that measures students’ progress and recommends individualized resources that reinforce classroom instruction.

“Discovery Education is excited to partner with Sunnyside Unified School District to bring learning alive through innovative, interactive, digital resources,” said Kelli Campbell, senior vice president, Discovery Education. “This partnership proves Sunnyside’s commitment to transforming teaching and learning with always up-to-date content that inspires and engages students, enhances 21^st century skills, supports teachers and positively impacts achievement.”

“Discovery Education allows for engagement at all learning levels and accommodates the needs of all of my students,” said Ava M. Bemer, a science teacher at Sierra Middle School. “My students are comfortable with the digital format, recognize the similarities with the Discovery Channel and look forward to engaging in the exciting curriculum.”

Discovery Education experts will provide full days of custom, in-person professional development for Sunnyside educators to support them as they integrate Science Techbook™ into their instruction.

Discovery Education is a division of Discovery Communications, the leading non-fiction media company in the world whose networks include Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and SCIENCE. Bringing the magic of Discovery into classrooms, Discovery Education’s mission is to transform teaching and learning through innovative partnerships with school districts, states and like-minded organizations. Discovery Education has proven experience working with districts to create custom solutions that have markedly accelerated student achievement. For more information about Discovery Education, visit www.discoveryeducation.com.

About Sunnyside Unified School District

Sunnyside Unified School district serves 17,800 students K-12 in 22 schools, including two large comprehensive high schools and one alternative high school, five middle schools, thirteen elementary schools and a Pre-K Early Learning Center. Nearly 90% of the students are Hispanic, 86% are eligible for free or reduced-price meals, and one-third are classified as English Language Learners. Desert View and Sunnyside high schools were labeled as “dropout factories” in a national study conducted by Johns Hopkins University in 2007. Under Superintendent Manuel L. Isquierdo, the district has gained national attention and awards for implementing innovative technology into the classroom. In 2010, Dr. Isquierdo was awarded the distinction of the “Tech-Savvy Superintendent of the Year” by eSchool News. Through first-hand experience and research opportunities, the district has developed strategies for a successful one-to-one computing program for over 8,500 4^th through 9^th grade students in 20 schools, with a goal to expand the “laptop for every child” initiative to kindergarten through twelfth grade in the next two years.

About Discovery Education

Discovery Education transforms classrooms, empowers teachers and captivates students by providing high quality, dynamic, digital content for grades K-12 and community colleges. Powered by Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the number one nonfiction media company in the world, Discovery Education is the global leader in standards-based digital media, professional development, assessment tools and a passionate educator network to support districts in accelerating student achievement. Discovery Education services like Discovery Education streaming, Discovery Education Techbook™ and Discovery Education Higher Ed, are in more than half of all US schools and 35 countries around the world.Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.

# # #

This entry was posted on Monday, January 14th, 2013 at 2:03 pm and is filed under Press Releases. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.