Discovery Press Web United States

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SILVER SPRING, Md., [January 2, 2014] - Following a rigorous evaluation, the Texas State Board of Education has approved the use of the Discovery Education Science Techbook series as a core instructional resource for elementary, middle, and high school science courses through its state adoption process.  Discovery Education is the leading provider of digital content for K-12 classrooms nationwide. More than 700,000 students across the U.S. and Canada currently have access to the Discovery Education Techbook series.

All K-12 Discovery Education Science Techbook courses were adopted by the state, with 100% coverage of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and English Language Proficiency standards. School districts across Texas now have the option to implement the Discovery Education Science Techbook, a fully interactive digital solution that replaces traditional textbooks and can be used on any device.

"Science Techbook has the power to transform teaching and learning with high quality content that inspires and engages today's digital students," said Dr. Yolanda Rey, Executive Director, Texas ASCD. "This resource helps educators create the authentic learning environments that help build the skills students need for college, careers, and citizenship."

A complete digital solution built from the ground-up, the Discovery Education Science Techbook features compelling video; digital simulations and explorations; virtual and hands-on labs; an interactive glossary with animations, audio, and video; and core interactive text with text-to-speech, leveled reading, and note-taking, and highlighting capabilities.  Recognizing that districts with Spanish-speaking populations require additional specialized resources, Science Techbook supports English language learners through helpful features such as hundreds of Spanish language video segments, a multimodal interactive glossary with definitions in Spanish, and a Spanish reading path with text-to-voice capability. Science Techbook is currently available for K-8 science and high school coursesincluding Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Space Science, and Physics.

Discovery Education Science Techbook is built upon the 5E model of instruction, a non-linear curriculum pathway that promotes inquiry-based learning, enhances literacy and thinking skills, and improves student achievement through interactive digital lessons that bring science to life. The Techbook series is revolutionizing instruction by supporting multiple learning styles, interactive content that specifically appeals to digital learners and real-time updates that allow teachers to incorporate current events and cutting-edge thinking into their curricula.

In addition, Techbooks offer built-in assessments that measure students' progress and support individualized classroom instruction. Aligned to state standards, the Techbook series creates learning environments that promote collaboration, creativity and participatory learning.

Discovery Education Science Techbook is cloud-based and works on any platform-iPads, tablets, mobile devices, laptops, or desktops. In addition, the model lessons embedded throughout the Techbook provide teaching strategies for different classroom configurations- whether whole group, small group, or 1-to-1. Techbooks are also a substantially less expensive option per student than a traditional textbook, with additional savings derived from a lack of textbook replacement or inventory costs. 

"By adopting Science Techbook as a core instructional resource, the Texas State Board of Education is helping to bring the world of science to life for every type of learner in the state through the use of dynamic and engaging digital content," said Brett Felten, Director at Discovery Education. "We are excited to continue to partner with school districts in Texas and across the country as they leverage digital resources to create rich, 21st century learning environments."

In order to more fully impact student achievement, Discovery Education partners with districts to effectively transform teaching and learning. Understanding that teacher engagement is critical to that process, all Techbooks include rich professional development that supports the effective integration of digital content into classroom practice.  TheDiscovery Educator Network (DEN) further supports educators in their efforts to transform the learning experience with digital media.  A global community of education professionals, the DEN connects members across school systems and around the world through social media, virtual conferences, and in-person events, fostering valuable networking, idea sharing, and inspiration. 

For more information about Discovery Education's Techbook series or other services and resources from Discovery Education, visit www.discoveryeducation.com.

About Discovery Education

Discovery Education is the global leader in standards-based digital content for K-12, transforming teaching and learning with award-winning digital textbooks, multimedia content that supports the implementation of Common Core, professional development, assessment tools, and the largest professional learning community of its kind.  Available in over half of all U.S. schools, community colleges and in 50 countries around the world, Discovery Education partners with districts, states and like-minded organizations to captivate students, empower teachers, and transform classrooms with customized solutions that accelerate academic achievement. Discovery Education is powered by Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the number one nonfiction media company in the world. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.