Learning recovery remains an unfortunate consequence of the Covid pandemic. edtech software developers are still trying to rise to the challenge. Discovery Education’s Chief Product Officer Pete Weir spent some time with eSchool News to highlight their efforts.
The company announced last week that it is offering elementary educators across the country the unique opportunity to participate in the development of its latest product, Mystery Writing by Discovery Educationthrough a one-year free trial. Individual educators interested in requesting their free trial can visit the Mystery Writing website here.
Mystery Writing engages students in kindergarten through fifth grade with surprising content that captivates young learners and gives them confidence to write. Mystery Writing offers open-ended, no-prep lessons, helping elementary educators across multiple subjects provide students with differentiated lessons that explicitly teach the writing process quickly and easily. Mystery Writing’s innovative approach combines topics of high student interest with step-by-step written, visual, and auditory instruction to ensure that no young writer experiences the dreaded “fear of the blank page.”
Educators who participate in the free trial will receive access to the current collection of genre units and essential skills lessons created for 3rd-5th grade classrooms. After using the Mystery Writing materials, educators will be asked to share qualitative and quantitative feedback about their experience with the lessons. This feedback will be used in real time to refine current and future lessons. This process replicates the iterative process used to create the lessons. CODiE Award-victorious Mysterious Science from Discovery Educationthe most widely used K-5 science curriculum in the United States, according to Rand.
Key points
- New mystery writing initiative:Mystery Science is launching a new writing curriculum for grades 3-5, and offering a free trial for the upcoming school year. This initiative aims to complement the existing science curriculum for grades K-5 and focus on improving literacy through engaging, hands-on activities.
- Teacher-centered development:The development of the new writing curriculum involved direct feedback from educators. The product is designed to be plug and play, and addresses educators' needs for high-quality, easy-to-implement resources.
- Practical learning:The curriculum is designed to be interactive, with a focus on hands-on activities such as podcast production. This approach aims to keep students engaged and actively involved in their learning process.
- Focus on the classroom:The writing curriculum is initially intended for classroom use. It includes components such as differentiated instruction and step-by-step writing guides to make lessons more accessible and effective.
- Commitment to the industry:Mystery Science balances its approach between direct interaction with classroom educators and discussing broader educational needs with administrators. This dual approach helps ensure the relevance and impact of its products.
- Continuous improvementThe company emphasizes iterative development, seeking continuous feedback from teachers and making adjustments to improve the curriculum based on real-life classroom experiences.
- Call to actionTeachers interested in participating can sign up for the free trial through Mystery Science’s website. The company also encourages teachers to join its facebook group to provide feedback and help shape future improvements.
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