DEN Summer Institute 2025

DEN Summer Institute 2025

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10:15am CDT

Beyond the Green Circle: Driving Deeper Math Growth with DreamBox

Thursday July 24, 2025 10:15am - 11:00am CDT

Move past surface-level usage and explore how DreamBox Math can be used as a true instructional partner for all three tiers of instruction. In this session, we’ll dig into actionable strategies to drive meaningful student growth, differentiate support, and empower teachers to make informed decisions using DreamBox insights. Be prepared to leave with ready-to-implement ideas!

Speakers

Becky Plotkin

Partner Success Manager, Discovery Education

Becky Goddard Plotkin has been an educator for more than 25 years. She is a National Board Certified Teacher in Early Adolescent Mathematics, holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Education, and earned a Master’s Degree in Educational Media. Becky works closely with the North Carolina... Read More →

Thursday July 24, 2025 10:15am - 11:00am CDT
Mundelein 408

Concurrent Session

10:15am CDT

Curiosity Cues to Captivate Middle School Minds

Thursday July 24, 2025 10:15am - 11:00am CDT

Explore strategies for engaging middle school students, showcased through new and enhanced Experience resources.

Speakers

Katie Sandler

Instructional Strategy and Design Lead

Katie leads the instructional strategy and design of educational resources for middle school teachers and students within Discovery Education's Experience product. Previously, she served as a Professional Development Facilitator for Discovery Education, coaching and training K-12... Read More →

Thursday July 24, 2025 10:15am - 11:00am CDT
Mundelein 503

Concurrent Session

10:15am CDT

Igniting Curiosity: Engaging Students with Mystery Science

Thursday July 24, 2025 10:15am - 11:00am CDT

Spark curiosity and bring learning to life with Mystery Science! This session will equip educators with seamlessly integrating inquiry-based lessons that align with standards while fostering deeper student exploration. Join us to discover how Mystery Science can transform your classroom and empower students to think, question, and learn in exciting new ways!

Speakers

Erica Kovacevic

Manager, Teaching and Learning

Thursday July 24, 2025 10:15am - 11:00am CDT
Mundelein 404

Concurrent Session

10:15am CDT

It Started with a Book...Introducing STEAM through Literature

Thursday July 24, 2025 10:15am - 11:00am CDT

Discover how a simple story can launch powerful, cross-curricular STEAM experiences! In this hands-on, idea-packed session, you will learn how to use literature as the perfect springboard for STEAM challenges that incorporate coding, robotics, engineering, digital media, and more. Using a design thinking framework, you will see model lessons that begin with a book and lead students on a journey of curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving. You’ll leave with ready-to-use resources, book pairings, and planning tools to help you weave STEAM seamlessly into your curriculum—and inspire your students to think deeply, design boldly, and connect learning to the world around them.

Speakers

Carrie Willis

STEAM & Technology Director, Valley Preparatory School

Carrie Willis is the Technology & STEAM Director at Valley Preparatory School, a private school in Redlands, CA, educating students in grades preschool through eight. During her 24 years of teaching, she has developed a love for educational technology and project-based learning... Read More →

Thursday July 24, 2025 10:15am - 11:00am CDT
Mundelein 508

Concurrent Session

10:15am CDT

K-5 Core Science Instruction Made Easy!

Thursday July 24, 2025 10:15am - 11:00am CDT

How do DE curriculum designers develop K-5 lessons in Science Techbook? Take a peek behind the curtain into the activity-based National NGSS-aligned K-5 program. We will highlight features and resources in the program that can be implemented in your classroom right away!

Speakers

Hailey Adams

Director, Curriculum, Instruction, & Student Engagement

Hailey Adams is the Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Student Engagement for Science at Discovery Education. Hailey attended North Carolina State University graduating with a degree in secondary science education with a speciality in life sciences. Hailey has 10 years of experience... Read More →

Desiree Sasko Sujoy

Senior Director, Teaching & Learning Team

Thursday July 24, 2025 10:15am - 11:00am CDT
Mundelein 403

Concurrent Session

10:15am CDT

Organizing all the Discovery Education Goodness

Thursday July 24, 2025 10:15am - 11:00am CDT

As a tech coach or librarian, do you struggle with organizing your Discovery Education resources? Do teachers find it too much to sift through? I'll share some of my organizing/search strategies and how I work with teachers to provide all these great resources.

Speakers

Brandi Bergeron

Academic Technology Coordinator, Episcopal School of Baton Rouge

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Thursday July 24, 2025 10:15am - 11:00am CDT
Mundelein 504

Concurrent Session

10:15am CDT

The Best Experience has to offer for K-5!

Thursday July 24, 2025 10:15am - 11:00am CDT

Learn about instructional resources that are new, revised, or coming soon to Experience for grades K-5!

Speakers

Libby Galster

Manager, Instructional Strategy for Experience, Discovery Education

Libby Galster is the Manager of Instructional Strategy at Discovery Education. Leveraging her extensive expertise in teaching across grades K-5, she leads the K-5 strategy for the Experience product. Libby joined Discovery Education full-time in 2023 as part of the Curriculum, Instruction... Read More →

Thursday July 24, 2025 10:15am - 11:00am CDT
Mundelein 407

Concurrent Session

11:10am CDT

Connect & Captivate: Video Strategies for Modern Classrooms

Thursday July 24, 2025 11:10am - 11:55am CDT

Ready to connect with and captivate your modern students? Discover powerful video strategies and tools like Screencastify, WeVideo, Edpuzzle, and DiscoveryED. Explore practical overviews,
cost considerations, best implementation practices, and engaging project ideas drawn from real middle and high school experiences.

Speakers

Missy Rivera

IMC Coordinator, Anna Local Schools

Missy Rivera has over 15 years of experience as a library professional and currently serves as the Instructional Media Center Coordinator at Anna Middle & High School. Known for her results-driven approach, she has a proven track record of implementing successful literacy programs... Read More →

Thursday July 24, 2025 11:10am - 11:55am CDT
Mundelein 503

Concurrent Session

11:10am CDT

Getting Started with Mystery Writing

Thursday July 24, 2025 11:10am - 11:55am CDT

Getting started with Mystery writing would be more similar to a PD about how to use the product and what it offers for students. More like a product showcase for: people who are interested in the product, people who have it for next year and don’t really know what it is or how to teach it, or a “you may have heard about this Mystery Writing thing before… but what is it really? Let’s take a look” This session would also showcase how Mystery Writing has embedded best practices for supporting ALL students as writers.

Speakers

Emily Simon

Content Creator/ Scriptwriter - Mystery Writing

TK

Thursday July 24, 2025 11:10am - 11:55am CDT
Mundelein 404

Concurrent Session

11:10am CDT

Literacy Lab: Deepening Comprehension with Innovative Technology

Thursday July 24, 2025 11:10am - 11:55am CDT

This interactive session explores technology tools that support comprehension through integrated reading and writing instruction. Attendees will engage with Magic School AI, Canva, and Discovery Education to enhance text analysis, summarizing, and interpretation. Participants will create and leave with practical, ready-to-use tools to differentiate instruction and streamline lesson planning.

Speakers

Judith Philias

Teacher, Miami-Dade

I am a Florida-born educator with over 17 years of experience in elementary education. I excel in Intensive Acceleration reading instruction, working closely with students performing below grade level to build foundational skills and boost confidence. As a lifelong learner, I embrace... Read More →

Thursday July 24, 2025 11:10am - 11:55am CDT
Mundelein 407

Concurrent Session

11:10am CDT

Math Motivation Matters: Igniting Student Ownership in DreamBox

Thursday July 24, 2025 11:10am - 11:55am CDT

Getting students to log in is one thing, getting them to care is another. This session is packed with creative, practical ways to build student ownership and excitement around DreamBox. From goal-setting routines to class-wide celebrations, explore how educators are transforming DreamBox from “just another program” into a tool students love to use. You’ll leave with new ideas, downloadable templates, and success stories to inspire your own implementation.

Speakers

Becky Plotkin

Partner Success Manager, Discovery Education

Becky Goddard Plotkin has been an educator for more than 25 years. She is a National Board Certified Teacher in Early Adolescent Mathematics, holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Education, and earned a Master’s Degree in Educational Media. Becky works closely with the North Carolina... Read More →

Thursday July 24, 2025 11:10am - 11:55am CDT
Mundelein 408

Concurrent Session

11:10am CDT

Social Studies Techbook & Inquiry

Thursday July 24, 2025 11:10am - 11:55am CDT

Join us for an engaging session where educators will discover how SSTB supports inquiry-based learning, empowering students to ask questions, analyze sources, and think critically about history, culture, and current events in meaningful, interactive ways.

Speakers

Lauren Gomez

Toni Robinson

Director Teaching and Learning, Discovery Education

Thursday July 24, 2025 11:10am - 11:55am CDT
Mundelein 508

Concurrent Session

11:10am CDT

Spotlight on Strategies

Thursday July 24, 2025 11:10am - 11:55am CDT

Join a deep dive into Discovery Education's cross-curricular library of instructional strategies that engage students and enhance learning experiences.

Speakers

Michael Capps

Instructional Design Sr. Manager, Curriculum and Instruction Director

Michael Capps is a Curriculum and Instruction Director with Discovery Education. He leads the development of instructional activities and lessons, including our library of instructional strategies. for the Curriculum, Instruction, and Student Engagement team. He first joined DE as... Read More →

Thursday July 24, 2025 11:10am - 11:55am CDT
Mundelein 504

Concurrent Session

11:10am CDT

Using Phenomena to Engage Students in Science

Thursday July 24, 2025 11:10am - 11:55am CDT

What is Phenomena and what makes it engaging? By centering science education on phenomena that students are motivated to explain, the focus of learning shifts from learning about a topic to figuring out why or how something happens and connects that learning to the natural world. Explore hands-on examples of phenomena-based lessons as we share resources to get you started on building your own phenomena based science lessons.

Speakers

Brad Fountain

Senior Director Teaching and Learning

Brad is a passionate educator with over 20 years of educational experience. He began his career teaching in a 3-5 multi-age classroom in rural North Carolina where he utilized some of the earliest educational internet based web resources. He launched one of the first technology based... Read More →

Thursday July 24, 2025 11:10am - 11:55am CDT
Mundelein 403

Concurrent Session

1:15pm CDT

App Smashing with SOS: Supercharge Your Lessons with Discovery Education Strategies & EdTech Tools

Thursday July 24, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CDT

Ready to take Discovery Education's SOS (Spotlight on Strategies) to the next level? In this fast-paced, idea-packed session, we'll explore a dozen of my favorite SOS strategies and show how they can be app smashed with popular edtech tools to create interactive, student-centered learning experiences. From Seesaw to Canva, Figjam to Padlet, see how pairing proven strategies with powerful tools leads to deeper engagement and more dynamic classrooms. You’ll leave with ready-to-use examples and plenty of inspiration to try your own SOS App Smash!

Speakers

Carrie Willis

STEAM & Technology Director, Valley Preparatory School

Carrie Willis is the Technology & STEAM Director at Valley Preparatory School, a private school in Redlands, CA, educating students in grades preschool through eight. During her 24 years of teaching, she has developed a love for educational technology and project-based learning... Read More →

Thursday July 24, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CDT
Mundelein 407

Concurrent Session

1:15pm CDT

Buy in Before the Pencil: Using Mystery Writing to Spark Student Engagement

Thursday July 24, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CDT

Write about your favorite summer vacation….write about your favorite ice cream flavor and why… Boooooo. Students are already assessed with these low engagement prompts so why should they learn like this too?! This session highlights the critical role of student buy-in when building strong, motivated writers. We will explore why writing can feel intimidating or even irrelevant to some students and how to overcome these barriers by creating meaningful, engaging, and student-centered writing experiences. The session will highlight how Mystery Writing can help writers develop their ideas through research, note-taking, graphic organizers, oral rehearsal, drawing, peer discussion, and much more before ever putting pencil to paper. Participants will leave with tips and tools to cultivate a writing environment where students can feel empowered, capable, and excited to write.

Speakers

Amy Jivani

Content Creator/ Scriptwriter

TK

Emily Simon

Content Creator/ Scriptwriter - Mystery Writing

TK

Thursday July 24, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CDT
Mundelein 508

Concurrent Session

1:15pm CDT

Getting all students engaged in learning using the Discovery Education Quiz Tool

Thursday July 24, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CDT

Have you ever wondered how to get the most out of DE's Quiz Tool (found in Experience and STB)? Join the Assessment and Adaptive learning team for a session all about Quiz! We will surf the Quiz library (over 600 ready-to-use quizzes), show you how to launch live quizzes or plan them in advance, and show you how to create your own custom quiz in under 5 minutes! We will do a full walkthrough of the Quiz Dashboard nd results and talk through ways you can use the insights to make your next move in the classroom. Come with a resource or topic you plan to teach next year; we will be creating Quizzes in this hands-on session!

Speakers

Jessica McDermott

Director of Assessment and Adaptive Learning, Discovery Education

As a lifelong educator and lover of learning, Jessica is obsessed with creating solutions to help teachers solve the puzzle of student academic growth and mastery, for every kid.Jessica began her career in education as an elementary school teacher and Teach for America Corps Member... Read More →

Kelly Casoni

Assessment Specialist

Kelly began her career as a bench chemist, specializing in gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS) and radiochemistry. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Biology from the University of Pittsburgh, with a minor in Chemistry. Her academic journey also includes studies in forensic... Read More →

Betsy Sterling

Senior Assessment and Adaptive Learning Specialist

A passionate educator and advocate for equity in learning, Betsy is driven by the belief that all students can succeed when given the right tools and support. She began her career teaching English as a Second Language in South Korea and New York City, then went on to serve in multiple... Read More →

Thursday July 24, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CDT
Mundelein 504

Concurrent Session

1:15pm CDT

Increasing Engagement while Understanding Burnout Indicators

Thursday July 24, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CDT

In this session, you will learn how to setup your Discovery Education (DE) platforms and classroom/building for long term success built upon an engaging foundation of genuine motivation. You will be presented with three key burnout indicators that apply to staff who are experiencing digital fatigue and students are under-motivated and underperforming. We will drill down on two key points: 1) motivation/resilience and 2) understand the dependent relationship between accountability and empathy and how these ideas contribute to long term success especially in DE products.

Speakers

Tim Johnson

Discovery Education - Dreambox Learning

I've been in education for 24 years as a middle school math/science teacher, principal, superintendent, and a Montana State Deputy Superintendent. I've been an educator in MN and currently in MT. I've served in law enforcement for 5 years. I'm passionate about education and ran... Read More →

Thursday July 24, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CDT
Mundelein 408

Concurrent Session

1:15pm CDT

It’s Alive!! Engaging Science Lessons in Today’s Classroom with DE's STEM Ecosystem

Thursday July 24, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CDT

Explore to myriad of possibilities with Discovery Education Science as we look at ways to make science classes more engaging than ever before with practical tools, instructional strategies, and lesson ideas that will bring excitement and joy the science classroom.

Speakers

Brad Fountain

Senior Director Teaching and Learning

Brad is a passionate educator with over 20 years of educational experience. He began his career teaching in a 3-5 multi-age classroom in rural North Carolina where he utilized some of the earliest educational internet based web resources. He launched one of the first technology based... Read More →

Hailey Adams

Director, Curriculum, Instruction, & Student Engagement

Hailey Adams is the Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Student Engagement for Science at Discovery Education. Hailey attended North Carolina State University graduating with a degree in secondary science education with a speciality in life sciences. Hailey has 10 years of experience... Read More →

Ted Willard

Senior Subject Matter Expert in Science

Ted Willard is a Senior Subject Matter Expert in Science for Discovery Education where he develops three-dimensional, phenomenon-based science curricula. Before joining Discovery Education, Ted spent eight years as the in-house standards expert for the National Science Teaching Association... Read More →

Thursday July 24, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CDT
Mundelein 404

Concurrent Session

1:15pm CDT

Learning through Lived Experiences

Thursday July 24, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CDT

Educators will use DE tools, such as virtual field trips, and learn how to build upon these to create simulations for students to truly be involved "in" the learning experience.

Speakers

Karen James-Wilson

Teacher, Darlington County School District

I don't just teach; I invite opportunities for students to demonstrate their creativity, and I make learning experiences unforgettable. My goal is to always try to transform learning into adventures where every student can see their power, their purpose, and their potential.

Thursday July 24, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CDT
Mundelein 503

Concurrent Session

1:15pm CDT

Science Sleuths: Ignite Learning as Mystery Science Meets Discovery Education Experience

Thursday July 24, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CDT

In this engaging and interactive session, we will explore how to harness the power of Mystery Science to ignite and sustain curiosity in the classroom. Participants will discover practical strategies for integrating hands-on exploration with Mystery Science and learn how to seamlessly implement these activities alongside Discovery Education Experience to create a dynamic and enriching learning environment. Get ready to roll up your sleeves, have some fun, and walk away with a ready-to-use alignment between Mystery Science and Experience!

Speakers

Melissa Hampton

Senior Director, Teaching and Learning

Melissa Hampton is a Senior Director of Teaching and Learning for Discovery Education. Prior to joining Discovery Education, Melissa spent 20 years in public education serving as a junior high and high school teacher, instructional coach, high school administrator, and a K-12 district Director... Read More →

Thursday July 24, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CDT
Mundelein 403

Concurrent Session

DEN Summer Institute 2025

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