FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - 11.27.07

Media Contacts:
Stephen Wakefield
Discovery Education
240-662-2893
stephen_wakefield@discovery.com

Kathy Broom, Mississippi Public Broadcasting
601-432-6683
kathy.broom@mpbonline.org

Emily Murphy, C. Blohm & Associates
608-839-9806
emily@cblohm.com

Discovery Education Supports Mississippi Public Broadcasting’s Efforts to Improve Student Achievement

Latest technology and digital media brings math and reading alive for Mississippi students

Silver Spring, MD(November 27, 2007) – Providing high quality digital content and training, Discovery Education is supporting Mississippi Public Broadcasting’s (MPB) innovative collaboration with the Mississippi Department of Education Office of Student Achievement. Named MATRIX (Middle School Achievement through Technology-Rich Intervention) Learning, this recently launched initiative seeks to improve student achievement through the use of educational technologies and quality digital media.

Participating in this program are: Canton High School of the Canton Public School District, South Delta Middle School and South Delta High School of the South Delta School District, Thomastown Attendance Center of the Leake County School District and Yazoo County High School of the Yazoo County School District.

MATRIX Learning uses technology to eng age students who lack interest in learning. Employing a variety of mobile technologies, including personal digital assistants (PDAs), iPods, video cameras, and digital media from Discovery Education, MATRIX Learning seeks to improve middle school student achievement in reading and math.

Discovery Education, a division of Discovery Communications and the leader in digital educational media, is the provider of MPB Express-Discovery Education streaming, the digital video-based learning resource scientifically proven to increase academic achievement. One million educators and 30 million students in more than half of U.S. schools learn with Discovery Education products each day. MPB Express-Discovery Education streaming is provided to schools across the state by the Education Services Department of MPB. The Education Services department of MPB offers a variety of programs and services to Mississippi’s educational community that enhances the work of teachers, students, parents and learners of all ages through quality programs, resources and services that educate, entertain, and enlighten.

According to Nancy Pearson, MPB’s Director of Educational Technology, “MATRIX Learning integrates the latest digital devices with the best educational content. Today’s students are surrounded by technology. From camera-phones to iPods, kids are wired like never before. MATRIX Learning capitalizes on students’ familiarity with technology, making all these tools conduits through which we can teach important concepts and lessons.”

By putting technology together with quality content provided by Discovery Education, teachers can seize the teachable moment and explain concepts to children while they have their attention.

“In the past, if during a science lesson a child asked what a cell looks like, in the best case scenario, the teacher would stop the lesson to find a picture of a cell to show to a child,” explained Pearson. “Us ing MPB Express-Discovery Education streaming, the teacher can effortlessly find a 30 second video clip showing a cell in action that actually correlates to Mississippi standards. The lesson doesn’t stop, the kids become even more interested in cells, and the students move forward with a firm picture in their mind about how a cell works. To see the impact this has on a class and individual learning is amazing.”

To support the implementation of MATRIX Mississippi, MPB’s educational technology staff will serve as a dedicated team of consultants for each of the participating schools, offering intensive technology training. Discovery Education staff will also support MPB staff by offering additional trainings on how to integrate digital media into existing curriculum with educational technology. In addition, MPB is planning on holding a series of “Technology Nights” at participating schools to show parents and other members of the community the role technology and q uality media plays in the classroom.

According to Becky Fisher, Academic Principal, Yazoo County High School, “Our entire world is based on technology and MATRIX Learning is the absolute avenue to bring subjects like math and reading to life in a way today’s children understand. We are very excited to be participating in this program. Applying technology and digital media in the classroom in this fashion will help the children of rural Mississippi compete in the 21st workforce.”

Mississippi educators are also supported in their efforts to use technology to grow student achievement by the Discovery Educator Network (DEN). The DEN is a global community of educators who are excited by the power of digital media and want to collaborate and share resources with other educators. There are more than 26,000 Discovery Educators across the world providing professional development to over 400,000 teachers. Through the Discovery Educator Network, educators have free access to a wide range of additional technology training, as well as a resource library of teacher-generated projects and tools to create their own educational blogs.

To learn more about the Discovery Educator Network or Discovery Education, please visit http://www.discoveryeducation.com.

About Discovery Education

Discovery Education, a division of Discovery Communications and the leader in digital educational media, publishes products and services used by 1 million educators and 30 million students. With standards-based content in all core disciplines – science, social studies, math, language arts, guidance, health, art, and music – Discovery Education provides digital media tailored for use in today's classroom. Combined with innovative professional development, effective media integration tools, and state-of-the-art delivery solutions, Discovery Education content and services empowe r educators to connect students to a world of learning. For more information, visit www.discoveryeducation.com.

About Mississippi Public Broadcasting (MPB)

Mississippi Public Broadcasting (MPB) is a state agency that encompasses a network of commercial-free public radio, television, learning and community outreach services designed to empower and enrich the lives of Mississippians through the creative use of technologies to deliver programs and services that educate, entertain, and enlighten. In addition to educational programming and Mississippi-specific productions, Mississippi Public Broadcasting provides access to national public television and radio programming. For more information regarding MPB, log onto www.mpbonline.org.