BETT 2015 Discovery Education unveils digital service for secondary schools and debuts DEN community

Oct. 8, 2014 - PRLog -- BETT award winner Espresso Education, which is now Discovery Education, is launching Discovery Education Secondary, a brand new digital learning service featuring engaging curriculum and news content spanning a wide range of subject areas for Key Stages 3 and 4, including the key Progress 8 and EBacc subjects.

Also making its debut on Stand D115 is The Discovery Educator Network (DEN) in the UK.  A global community of education professionals who are passionate about transforming the learning experience with digital media, the DEN is one of the world’s largest professional education learning communities and connects teachers to their most valuable resource - each other.

Special guest Jeremy Wade, a biologist, extreme angler, writer and host of 'River Monsters' (a British and American wildlife documentary television programme produced for Animal Planet) is making a star appearance on 23 January. Jeremy will be presenting ‘his story,’ documenting how as a biology teacher with a degree in zoology he uses his show to educate, inspire and transport millions of people across the world to satisfy their natural curiosity.

Also featured at BETT will be the award-winning Discovery Education Espresso, formerly Espresso Primary, which now includes more content created in response to teachers’ needs and will help educators teach new objectives in the National Curriculum. Additionally, teachers will have the opportunity to explore Discovery Education Coding, formerly Espresso Coding, a digital service designed to empower teachers with the knowledge to deliver the new curriculum, and to equip pupils with the critical thinking and problem solving skills necessary to be competitive in the digital age.

Discovery Education Secondary

Designed to empower teachers and inspire students to reach their full potential, Discovery Education Secondary provides schools with a one-stop-shop for curriculum resources covering all the main Progress 8 and EBacc subjects. All content is fully aligned with the new Key Stage 3 Programme of Study and the latest GCSE specifications from the main exam boards AQA, Edexcel, OCR, CIE, CCEA and WJEC/Eduqas.

Intuitive and easy to use, Discovery Education Secondary features educational videos, daily and weekly news bulletins produced in partnership with ITN, images, quizzes and other digital resources. Its extensive video library includes content from the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Channel 4 Learning and the BBC.  The videos are supplemented with teachers’ notes and transcripts to support effective integration into classroom teaching.

Additionally, Discovery Education Secondary includes career videos to inform students about the career avenues that different subjects open up. Teachers specifically interested in Women in STEM and Women in Technology– the key themes for BETT this year – are invited to visit the stand for a walkthrough of Discovery Education’s portfolio of STEM resources, such as career videos featuring women in STEM roles including a microbiologist, a lab technician and an apprentice engineer.

A collection of easy-to-use tools helps teachers create and upload their own learning objects, import class lists and assign resources to students.

A trusted, go-to-source for quality educational content, it can be used flexibly to support and enhance lessons.  Accessible from all popular hand-held and mobile devices, the new service offers meaningful opportunities for integrating digital media into classroom teaching, homework and revision.

The Discovery Educator Network (DEN)

A professional learning network, the DEN connects members in their own school, across the country and throughout the world through social media, virtual conferences and in-person events - fostering valuable networking, idea-sharing and inspiration. As one of the world's largest professional education learning communities, the DEN has hosted more than 60,000 professional development events since its founding in 2005, benefiting more than 1.5 million educators worldwide.  As Discovery Educators, UK teachers will have the opportunity to engage with the DEN actively and connect with colleagues from around the globe.

Through active participation in the DEN, teachers will receive personal communications and support from the DEN community including weekly updates, access to teaching resources shared by other members of the community and invitations to attend professional development sessions around the UK.  Opportunities to learn from colleagues around the globe through virtual professional development sessions are also provided as is the opportunity to apply to attend the DEN Summer Institute (DENSI), a prestigious week-long immersive professional development and networking event. Last year, seven educators from the UK joined this exclusive summer learning opportunity.

Commenting on Discovery Education’s appearance at BETT, Susanne Thompson, Head of School Partnerships (UK), said, “As a leading education solutions provider dedicated to supporting and empowering teachers as they improve learning outcomes, Discovery Education is thrilled to be partnering with BETT to provide a rich learning experience for all attendees.”

For more information about Discovery Education, visit www.discoveryeducationuk.com.