ISTE and Discovery Education Launch New Partnership Offering Members Innovative and Engaging Digital Resources that Bring STEM to Life in the Classroom

SILVER SPRING, Md., February 6, 2019 /3BL Media/ - The International Society for Technology and Education (ISTE) a global education organization with a bold vision that technology can transform teaching and learning, accelerate innovation, and solve tough problems in education, today announced a new partnership with Discovery Education. Through this collaboration, Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital curriculum resources, digital content, and professional development for K-12 classrooms, is offering all ISTE members access to its newest service, STEM Connect, at no-cost through July 31, 2019.

ISTE members interested in accessing STEM Connect today can visit this website for details and information on how to enroll in this exclusive member benefit.

Discovery Education’s newest digital service, STEM Connect is an innovative and engaging interdisciplinary K-8 supplemental resource built on a 4Cs STEM skills framework. Built to bring STEM to life and enhance core curriculum, STEM Connect helps students develop the creative, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration skills they need for success beyond graduation. Featuring flexible, modular learning units, STEM Connect provides students an easy-to-follow educational experience through high-quality interdisciplinary resources that can be used in a wide variety of classrooms and across all subjects.

Among STEM Connect’s key features are:

• Real-World Challenges – Inspired by the National Academy of Engineering’s Grand Challenges for Engineering and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, STEM Connect’s Real World Challenges inspire younger students to pursue solutions to personal, local issues while middle school students explore possible solutions to more complex, global problems.
• Career Connections – STEM Connect provides students with opportunities to learn about diverse STEM careers in context and connects the skills they are using in the classroom to real situations around the world.
• Content Connection Activities – Ranging from math and literacy to the arts and health, the Content Connection activities ask students to apply appropriate grade-level skills in various disciplines.
• Hands-On Activities – By blending dynamic digital content with engaging opportunities for students to build, design, make, and create, STEM Connect offers a variety of hands-on activities for all students.
• Global STEM Solution Seekers – STEM Connect users are part of a global community working to solve important real-world challenges. In select units, students connect via GlobalLab, a global student laboratory, to share data and collaborate with others around the world.

STEM Connect’s dynamic digital content also supports educators’ efforts to meet existing literacy goals. Through informational text infused with fictional stories and characters, STEM Connect challenges students to solve relevant and engaging real-life problems as it deepens student engagement and builds depth of understanding.

ISTE is excited to launch this new partnership with Discovery Education” said Richard Culatta, ISTE’s CEO. “Innovative services like Discovery Education’s STEM Connect can play an important role in engaging students in teaching and learning, and we are proud to bring this robust digital resource to our members.”

To help educators quickly and seamlessly integrate STEM Connect into classroom activities, Discovery Education will host a series of webinars that will highlight the service’s features and provide ISTE members an overview of the many ways it can be integrated into classroom activities. A full schedule of webinar dates and times will be available soon on the Discovery Education/ISTE partnership website.

“We cannot accurately predict what jobs will be available in the future for the students currently in our K-12 schools, but we do know today's students will need to be problem solvers and lifelong learners,” said Cindy Moss, Vice President of Global STEM Initiatives at Discovery Education. “To help teachers equip their students with the skills, knowledge, and mindset they need for future success, Discovery Education created STEM Connect. We are beyond excited to bring this immersive resource to ISTE members and look forward to continuing to partner with ISTE in their effort to help all educators realize technology’s tremendous potential to support the success of all learners.”

For more information about Discovery Education’s digital resources and professional learning services, visit discoveryeducation.com, and stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through Facebook, follow us on Twitter at @DiscoveryEd, or find us on Instagram and Pinterest.

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About Discovery Education:

As the global leader in standards-based digital curriculum resources, digital content, and professional development for K-12 classrooms worldwide, Discovery Education is transforming teaching and learning with award-winning digital textbooks, multimedia content and the largest professional learning community of its kind. Serving more than 5 million educators and 51 million students, Discovery Education’s services are available in approximately half of U.S. classrooms and primary schools in the UK, and more than 90 countries around the globe. Inspired by the global media company Discovery, Inc., Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and like-minded organizations to captivate students, empower teachers, and transform classrooms with customized solutions that increase academic achievement. Explore the future of education at DiscoveryEducation.com.

About ISTE:

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is a nonprofit organization that works with the global education community to accelerate the use of technology to solve tough problems and inspire innovation. Our worldwide network believes in the potential technology holds to transform teaching and learning.

ISTE sets a bold vision for education transformation through the ISTE Standards, a framework for students, educators, administrators, coaches and computer science educators to rethink education and create innovative learning environments. ISTE hosts the annual ISTE Conference & Expo, one of the world’s most influential edtech events. The organization’s professional learning offerings include online courses, professional networks, year-round academies, peer-reviewed journals and other publications. ISTE is also the leading publisher of books focused on technology in education. ISTE is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.  For more information or to become an ISTE member, visit iste.org. Subscribe to ISTE’s YouTube channel and connect with ISTE on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.