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Silver Spring, Md. (February 14, 2014) -  Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms, will host Future@Now: Roadmap to the Digital Transition on February 26, 2014, from 9:00am to 5:30pm ET at Discovery Communications' global headquarters in Silver Spring, Md. Streaming live to a worldwide audience, this second annual event will focus on one of the most critical issues in education today - implementing effective, district-level digital transitions that prepare students for citizenship, college and careers. 

During last year's Future@Now, participants celebrated the successes of school systems that have begun the digital transition and raised awareness of the importance of authentic learning environments to today's students.  At this year's event, attendees will hear from a variety of education leaders about creating actionable roadmaps for transforming teaching and learning through educational technology, dynamic digital content, and job-embedded, sustained professional development. Additional speakers offering valuable insight include Sujean Lee, Vice President of Philanthropy, Chobani and Commander Brent Phillips, Director, Marketing & Outreach, U.S. Navy Recruiting Command.

Scheduled to help lead this critical dialogue is U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Congressman George Miller, sponsor of the Transforming Education through Technology Act.  In addition, Superintendent of Schools Alberto Carvalho of Miami-Dade County Public Schools; Superintendent Dr. S. Dallas Dance of Baltimore County Public Schools; Chancellor Kaya Henderson of District of Columbia Public Schools; and Superintendent of Schools/CEO Chris Kennedy of West Vancouver School District, Canada, will offer critical perspectives on the digital transitions they are leading in their school systems.

In addition, a series of stimulating panel discussions throughout the day will provide participants with replicable strategies they can implement as districts create their own roadmaps for digital transitions. 

• The Call to Action - Students Speak: Before you dive in to plan your digital transition, listen to the call to action from those who have the largest stake in its success: students. Hear how digital learning is impacting their achievement and find out how to incorporate student voices into your change movement.
• Planning your Transition: Hear from districts that are on the cusp of launching their digital transition and the policymakers who are helping to pave the way. Government, education and private sector thought-leaders provide firsthand insight into their planning processes and navigating the leap from traditional classrooms to digital learning environments.
• Creating a Culture and Community of Change: Listen to public and private change agents as they discuss how to create a culture of change - both inside of your school system and in your community of influence. Learn best practices about how to create a culture that maximizes the opportunities for change to flourish from some of the most successful change initiatives in the country.
• Leading from the Front: Developing Teacher Leaders: With teachers leading everything from adoption committees to digital peer-mentoring courses, classroom educators have become a critical component of the change movement. Hear about the key roles that Teacher Leaders play in digital transitions, and the key strategies for engaging them in the process.
• Digital by Design: Integrating Digital Resources into the Classroom: Celebrate the successes of those educators who have deployed digital textbooks in classrooms and hear their results. Gain insight about how to successfully merge digital resources and instructional methodologies to yield the best outcomes for both students and teachers.

"I am looking forward to participating in this year's Future@Now event," said Prince George's County Public Schools' Technology Integration Specialist Stacey Montgomery. "Effecting a successful digital transition is an ongoing process.  The strategies I expect to learn from my peers and others during this leadership event will support my ongoing efforts to create authentic learning environments needed and well deserved by my students."

Future@Now: Roadmap to the Digital Transition will culminate with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan taking participants on a live visit to a digital classroom in Washington, D.C., as part of Discovery Education and the White House's "Of the People" webinar series. "Of the People" offers middle and high school students unique access to White House professionals, experts and personalities in a series of 30-minute virtual events broadcast live from the White House and open to all classrooms nationwide.

"We are thrilled to host the second annual Future@Now in support of educators worldwide, and we're looking forward to continuing the thoughtful dialogue that began at last year's forum," said Bill Goodwyn, CEO, Discovery Education. "After hearing from education thought leaders on their personal challenges and successes with digital transformations, participants will be poised to create their own route for change and make a meaningful impact on student achievement in their own districts, schools, and classrooms."

Future@Now: Roadmap to the Digital Transition is supported by AASA, The School Superintendents Association, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), Digital Promise, Everyone On, International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP),National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), National School Boards Association (NSBA) and Rogers.

For more information on Future@Now: Roadmap to the Digital Transition or to register visit http://www.discoveryeducation.com/futurenow2014.  Participate in the day's conversation on Twitter using #FutureNow.

For more information on other Discovery Education initiatives and services, visit www.discoveryeducation.com.

About Discovery Education

Discovery Education partners with districts, states and like-minded organizations around the world to transform teaching and learning with innovative content and services that support educators and accelerate academic achievement. With a presence in over half of all US schools and in 50 countries around the world, Discovery Education fuels educational transformation with award-winning multimedia content including digital textbooks, professional development, assessment tools, and the largest professional learning community of its kind. Powered by Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the number one nonfiction media company in the world, Discovery Education is the global leader in standards-based digital content for K-12 and community college instruction. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.