1. Discovery education Techbooks in Uniondale
Mark Sippin Director of Social Studies
Janice Friedman Director of Library Media Services and Instructional Integration

2. Why Techbooks? Aligned to C3 Framework
Emphasizes strong literacy and writing skills
Builds instruction around complex essential questions
Includes thousands of primary source documents, a weekly current events video series, and more
Differentiated
Blends text and media for students of different abilities and learning styles
Students can highlight text, add sticky notes, and have text read aloud
Text can be modified for reading level
Text can be viewed in Spanish

3. Content
Video
ebooks
Extensive and varied digital information included and presented
Composed of more than 40 elements including activities, animations, ebooks, images, interactive videos, quizzes, interactive modules, simulations, various tools, videos, and assessments
Updated regularly
Current events includes videos

4. About Digital Techbooks
Cloud-based
Platform-agnostic--work with nearly any digital tool, including iPads, tablets, mobile devices, laptops, or desktops
Seamless integration with whiteboards for group or whole-class presentations
Intuitive
Supports digital shift
Wean from the cost of print textbooks; much less expensive
Initial higher cost but then reduced annual subscription fee
Up-to-date, current information as opposed to pdf version
Student comfort level with online information

5. Selection Process Pilot Adoption/Selection Committee Spring, 2015
Accompanying professional development from company
Adoption/Selection Committee
Social Studies teachers
Building Administration
Middle School Parents
Director of Social Studies

6. Advantages to Teachers
Maximize teachers’ time to plan, prepare and delivery instruction
Up-to-date resources
Each unit comes with model lessons, primary and secondary source documents, embedded videos, interactive tools and activities, document-based investigations
Formative and summative assessments
Professional development included
Messaging Platform
Teachers and students can communicate by class
Students can submit work

7. Instructional Approach
A variety of dynamic and interactive digital resources
Builds instruction around complex Essential Questions that students use to guide their inquiry, analyze issues and propose solutions to better understand the present
Aligned with the C3 Framework, it emphasizes key literacy and writing skills and provides a multitude of resources to prepare students for college, career, and a civic life
5E Model of Instruction
Engage
Explore
Explain
Extend
Evaluate

8. Advantages to Students
Access the program anywhere there is an Internet connection with any smart device
Used as an individual tool, group sharing, or with whole class
Students can save work
Supports literacy in the classroom
Font size
English reading level
Spanish conversion
Vocabulary support
Reading passages with questions
Tools
Highlight
Speak text
Take notes

9. Supports Literacy Uses Methods Other Than Reading Images
Interactive investigations
Primary source documents
Videos
Charts and graphic organizers
Activities to explain and elaborate
Assessments
Interactive maps

10. Uniondale’s Challenges
Not a one-to-one environment
Teachers have to re-work curriculum
Teachers have to totally change approach
Migrating teachers from outdated textbooks and teacher-created print resources

11. Implementation Gradual adoption Purchases Student and teacher accounts
Created buy-in through professional development sessions, including push-in
Integrating techbook with current practices
Goal all techbook
Grades 6, 7, 8: two schools, 750 students per school
Purchases
Shared iPad carts for grade 6
Shared laptop carts for grades 7 and 8
Plans for additional purchases contingent on budget approval
Student and teacher accounts

12. Uniondale’s Social Studies Techbook
A Quick Look
Uniondale’s Social Studies Techbook