To me, Discovery Education Experience is more than just another educational technology platform. It’s my professional treasure chest. Whenever a teacher reaches out to me for help with unit planning, I immediately turn to Discovery Education as my ultimate thought partner. The treasures within are plentiful, providing a steady stream of curated, high-quality content, along with supplements and innovative ideas that never let me down.
Discovery Education Experience makes it easy to bring their resources to the classroom through interactives, SOS strategies, career connections, and ready-to-use activities. These jewels from the Experience treasure chest keep the lessons current and applicable, meeting both standards and student needs.
Uncovering the Magic
Spotlight on Strategies (SOS)
The true magic of Discovery Education Experience isn’t just having the resources available; it is how easy they seamlessly integrate with the classroom and align with instructional goals. The SOS (Spotlight on Strategies) is the perfect way to take a lesson from average to immersive.
SOS Strategies are research-based instructional strategies specifically designed to integrate digital media into the classroom in ways that demand interaction. They’re the perfect way to take a lesson from average to immersive.
One example would be using a strategy like “Pause, Play, Proceed.” In this lesson, students are given a specific task to “look for” or “listen for” before the video begins. The students move from being spectators to investigators, hunting for evidence. The lesson now requires the student to actively participate by using this simple strategy. This is just one example of the many strategies hidden within the SOS channel.
Career Connect
Career Connect is certainly a jewel to discover within the Discovery Education Experience. How often does an educator teach a lesson only to hear, “How will I use this in life?” With Career Connect, there are answers to this question! This digital platform connects classrooms with real-world industry professionals through virtual visits, helping students explore careers and understand how classroom learning links to future opportunities. The inquiries are now a launchpad for more discovery and immersive learning.
A great example of this is a concept lesson, such as water filtration. Students not only learn about the concept but also deepen their understanding by connecting with a professional who explains why this work is important and how it may look in a real-world application.
Immersive Resources
Discovery Education Experience‘s immersive resources are a suite of next‑generation digital learning tools, such as augmented reality apps, narrative-driven adventures, gamified learning experiences, and interactive simulations, that are designed to deeply engage students by placing them inside realistic, sensory-rich environments where they can explore, problem‑solve, and experience content as if they were “there.”
For example, you can take the agricultural concept, which can be hard for students to understand in certain situations, and apply it to a gamified simulation. Within the Cooperative Minds resources, you’ll find HARVEST: From Seed to Success, a 3D gamified learning experience where students step into the role of a co‑op farmer. Students analyze soil, choose crops and fertilizer, decide when to harvest, and even operate a combine in the simulation.
Using a real simulation allows students to step into an environment where they can put their knowledge into practice. This allows students to “see” the direct consequences of their actions.
Virtual Field Trips
A Discovery Education Virtual Field Trip is a curated, multimedia learning event that features video tours, expert interviews, and interactive resources. They’re designed to connect classroom instruction to authentic, real‑world environments and experiences through digital technology. Following up on any lesson with a Virtual Field Trip further solidifies understanding of the concept. These hidden treasures within Career Connect and STEM Coalition level up instruction and active learning, and ignite students’ interest. A simple concept lesson can be elevated to spark genuine curiosity in a student’s chosen field.
Every time I open Discovery Education Experience, I uncover something new – another gem that transforms learning. From research-backed SOS strategies to the real-world magic of Virtual Field Trips and Career Connections, these jewels are an easy way to turn an average lesson into one that sparkles and shines, sparking curiosity and igniting discovery.
Brandi Bergeron
Brandi is the Academic Technology Coordinator for the Episcopal School of Baton Rouge in Louisiana.
