Discovery Launches Service To Embed Digital Media into Curriculum

• By Scott Aronowitz
• 07/20/09

Digital media--streaming video, interactive presentations, photo slideshows, audio programs--are today a common component of many educational curricula. Now Discovery Education has launched a service it hopes will be the logical next step: working with school districts to integrate digital content directly into lesson plans and day-to-day instruction.

The company is deploying a team of subject matter experts to work with school districts in an effort to make digital content a standard and practicable component of instruction in many, if not all, academic subjects. To this end, the team will review and classify many of the more than 250,000 titles in the company's digital library and determine how best to align specific items to district pacing guides, scope and sequence documents, and instructional guides. Such content includes video clips, writing prompts, images, audio files, virtual labs, articles, and games.

"Today's classrooms are dynamic places, and teachers are continually challenged to spend as much time on instruction as possible," said Dale Fulton, Discovery Education senior vice president of curriculum development and leader of the digital alignment team.  He explained the benefits of aligning digital content to curricula, starting with the ease of finding the correct and most relevant materials.

Additionally, Fulton said, "it promotes a high level of consistency in instruction, as it provides a clear roadmap as to what concepts are taught when and with what resources.  Finally, it helps transform traditional classrooms into 21st century learning environments by providing teachers with an easy-to-use resource where they can find engaging, effective and appropriate digital materials."

Finally, noted a company spokesperson, while in the past digital content was considered a valuable supplement to traditional, textbook-dominated instruction, today's technology makes it both timely and cost-effective as a primary instructional resource.