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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - 04.10.08

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

Charlene Blohm, C. Blohm & Associates
608-839-9800
charlene@cblohm.com

Discovery Education Bolsters Nationwide Support of Educators’ Use of Digital Media in the Classroom

Expanded team increases service to Discovery Educator Network user community

Silver Spring, MD (April 10, 2008) – In response to the continued growth of the Discovery Educator Network (DEN) and requests from educators nationwide, Discovery Education has expanded the Field Support Team dedicated to nurturing the DEN. The additional staff increases the reach of services provided to educators and provides extra assistance to the DEN’s ongoing efforts to support educators in their use of digital media and technology in the classroom.

Connecting teachers both on-line and face-to-face through professional development and networking events held throughout the country, the DEN promotes teacher collaboration and the use of technology to improve student achievement. The DEN’s more than 30,000 members worldwide have provided professional development to approximately a half-million educators since its inception in 2005.

“Discovery Educat ion is committed to supporting its user community through the Discovery Educator Network,” said Bill Goodwyn, President of Discovery Education. “This critical expansion ensures that educators across the country have continued access to the most current tools and relevant know-how needed to integrate the latest educational technologies into their daily lessons.”

Discovery Education’s Field Support Team is led by Vice President of Outreach and Professional Development, Scott Kinney. Prior to joining Discovery Education, Kinney was the Assistant Director of Curriculum and Instruction and later the Director of Educational Technologies at the Carbon-Lehigh Intermediate Unit in Pennsylvania. Kinney began his career in education as a Technology Coordinator in the Sharpsville, Pa., Area School District.

The DEN Field Support Team oversees a variety of professional development activities in their region. They also are responsible for supporting state DEN Leadership Counc ils in their area, building deeper relationships with the users of Discovery Education services and fostering communities of educators passionate about using digital media and technology in the classroom.

Reporting to Kinney are DEN Directors Jannita Demian and Lance Rougeux. Demian was a distinguished teacher in the Anaheim City School District prior to joining Discovery Education in 2004 as California DEN Manager. Rougeux also joined Discovery Education in 2004 as Pennsylvania DEN Manager after serving as a middle school teacher in the School District of Philadelphia and as Policy Specialist for the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Additional members of the Discovery Educator Network Field Support Team are Michael Bryant, Brad Fountain, Matt Monjan, Kim Randall, Justin Karkow, and Dennis Swain.

Michael Bryant, Midwest Region Manager. Bryant joins the Discovery Educator Network after a five-year career as a high school biology teac her and 21st Century Community Learning Center Administrator in the Orange County, Fla., School District. Bryant operates out of Discovery Education’s Evanston, Ill., office and manages professional development efforts in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

Brad Fountain, South East Region Manager. An educator with 15 years of experience as a classroom teacher, technology facilitator and administrator, Fountain joined Discovery Education in 2006 to assist in the development of the Discovery Educator Network. Fountain is based in Discovery Education’s new Charlotte, N.C., office and manages DEN activities in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia.

Justin Karkow, Central Region Manager. A former classroom teacher and technology facilitator, Karkow joins the Discovery Education team by way of the SAS Institute Inc., where he managed school, district and statewide implementations of curriculum software. Karkow is based in Discovery Education’s new Charlotte, N.C., office and manages DEN activities in Arizona, Kansas, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming.

Matt Monjan, Mid-Atlantic Region Manager. Prior to joining the Discovery Education team in 2004, Monjan designed, developed and implemented adult education and certification programs. He has held Account Management positions on both the Implementation and Discovery Educator Network teams. Monjan is based out of Discovery Education’s Silver Spring, Md., office and manages DEN activities in the District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

Kim Randall, Western Region Manager. Randall brings 10 years of experience as a classroom teacher and technology teacher/facilitator to her new role as DEN Field Manager. An active member of the DEN before taking her current position, Randall has served as Chair of the California DEN Leadership Council and is a STAR Educator. Randall is based in Discovery Education’s Los Angeles office and manages DEN activities in Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington.

Dennis Swain, Northeast Region Manager. Swain has 8 years of K-12 education experience, including 5 years of experience providing professional development to educators. Just before joining Discovery Education, Swain developed national and statewide partnerships for Laureate Education, Inc. Swain is based in Discovery Education’s Silver Spring, Md., office, managing DEN activities in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

According to Jennifer Carrier Dorman, Staff Development Facilitator for the Central Bucks School District in Doylesto wn, Pa., and DEN member, enlarging the team serving DEN members is a positive development. “The DEN empowers educators with the tools, experiences and motivation necessary to integrate technology into their teaching,” said Dorman. “The result is that students are afforded powerful learning experiences that employ the technology that has become ubiquitous in the every day lives of 21st century students. As the number of Discovery Education staff serving the DEN continues to grow, the DEN's ability to impact students dramatically increases.”

For more information on Discovery Education, Discovery Education services and other programs please visit www.discoveryeducation.com or call 800-323-9084.

About Discovery Education
Discovery Communications revolutionized television with the Discovery Channel and is now transforming classrooms through Discovery Education. Powered by the #1 non -fiction media company in the world, Discovery Education combines scientifically proven, standards-based digital media and a dynamic user community in order to empower teachers to improve student achievement. Already, more than half of all U.S. schools access Discovery Education digital services. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.

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