Tag: Discovery Education

A British curriculum for international schools

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Brighton College, Al Ain, is a highly successful international school in Al Ain, a large city in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Providing a world class education for pupils aged 3 – 18, the school welcomes children from many different countries and follows a British-style curriculum.

Teachers at Brighton College, Al Ain, use Discovery Education Espresso to support teaching and learning across Key Stages 1 and 2. Head of Year 5 Rowena McArthur explains how the platform brings learning to life, while meeting the needs of pupils and teachers in a truly international school.

SUPPORTING A BRITISH CURRICULUM

Brighton College Al Ain opened in 2013. We’re an international school and we teach a British curriculum. Our pupils come from all over the world: including the UK, North America, New Zealand, India, France and South Africa. We also teach many local Emirate children, therefore the majority of our pupils have English as an additional language.

I’ve used Discovery Education Espresso for many years and was delighted to discover that Brighton College used it when I joined in 2015. The school chose Espresso because it supports the teaching of a British curriculum. Espresso’s resources are carefully matched and aligned to the National Curriculum, which is particularly important for our non-British teachers. Like many international schools, we’ve produced our own bespoke curriculum based on the National Curriculum, with Espresso supporting us along the way which is fantastic.

ENGAGING DIGITAL RESOURCES

Espresso’s digital aspect was a key factor in Brighton College choosing the platform. The school wanted a digital resource that could support our delivery of the British curriculum across every subject in every year group.

HOME ACCESS

One of the great things about Espresso is that it can be accessed at home. We can ask the children to log in and practice different skills and activities to strengthen their learning, particularly in English and Maths. It’s easy for the children to log in remotely. They are already familiar with the platform and parents can get involved too. As distance learning becomes necessary, we’ll be encouraging our pupils to access Espresso from home.

PHONICS FOR EAL LEARNERS

Many of our pupils speak English as an additional language. Espresso helps us to accelerate their learning, while continuing to meet the needs of our higher ability and English speaking children. For our younger pupils, the phonics modules are fabulous. The short video clips bring language to life, introducing different sounds and the skills of blending and segmenting. The children enjoy coming up to the board and taking part in the activities. We love the fact that it’s interactive and so do they. It’s accessible regardless of language proficiency.

PUNCTUATION AND GRAMMAR

We don’t have SATS tests in Abu Dhabi, but we try to embed grammar across everything we do. We teach the SPAG element of SATS in a contextualised way and Espresso helps us to make it real and meaningful, providing a visual representation of each concept. For our older pupils, and particularly those who speak English as an additional language, Espresso’s punctuation and grammar resources are very helpful. The animated videos make sense of different rules e.g. correct positioning for full stops and speech marks. We embed this learning using Espresso’s KS2 English resources. The comprehension activities and video transcripts help children to put their new language skills into action.

ACCESSIBLE MATHS

Espresso’s differentiated resources make it easy to teach Maths. It’s one of my go-to lesson resources, and I make sure it’s readily available for every lesson – I simply click on the link to access a video or activity when I need it. I often use Espresso to teach Maths to small groups of children at the board. We can pause the animated calculations, for example in multiplication, to see exactly how each step works. The linked video clips tie in nicely and the visual aspect really helps children clearly understand the concepts. It’s especially powerful for children who speak English as an additional language.

LEARNING IN CONTEXT

We use Discovery Education Espresso to consolidate learning, particularly after science investigations. This term my Year 5 class have been learning about outer space. We organised an outdoor lesson, using different sized spheres to work out the relative distances between the Earth, Sun and Moon. We came back into class and watched Espresso’s video clips on the planets, and the children later used these when presenting their own research on night and day. The videos were a key part of the lesson because they helped make the link between our practical investigations and what happens in space. Espresso put this learning into context.

HANDS-ON STEM

We use Espresso’s science videos as starting points for our investigations, or to deepen learning. Last term we were investigating forces. The children made paper helicopters using paper clips as a variable to weigh them down. They dropped the helicopters from a height and used their tablets to take video clips, and record how many seconds they took to fall. We then went back into class and watched the Espresso videos on air resistance. The videos helped the children to understand the concepts of air resistance and gravity. They were also prompted to look at their results, and apply these to different situations e.g. knowing how gravity affected a paper helicopter, how might this apply to a parachute?

SUPPORTING TEACHING AND LEARNING

Discovery Education Espresso makes teaching and lesson planning more effective and the children absolutely love it. For me, Espresso’s accessibility is key. I love the fact that I can find the resources I need very quickly and simply embed these into my planning and lesson resources. It makes my job as a teacher easier. Our pupils love the variety of exciting resources and they know that its accessible. The videos enable children to access learning and understand concepts regardless of their language ability. In an international school this is very important. In summary, Discovery Education Espresso is fantastic. There isn’t really a day goes by that it isn’t used as part of my teaching.

Posted in Success StoryTagged Discovery Education, Discovery Education Espresso

Learning beyond the classroom

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Bonner Primary School uses Discovery Education Espresso in every year group. Year 6 teacher Sophia Atherton explains how the platform strengthens links between school and home and takes learning beyond the classroom.

A RESOURCE FOR EVERY SUBJECT

We’ve used Discovery Education Espresso for over five years, and we renew our subscription annually because it’s such a valuable resource. It supports our teaching and benefits the children’s learning. Teachers use it across all subject areas from drama to geography, science to history and PE, plus English and Maths. It’s particularly good for topic-based learning. There are so many engaging videos to choose from.

HOME-BASED LEARNING

One of the best things about Espresso is that it builds links between school and home. The fact that children can access it remotely is very helpful. They log in to continue work or begin new tasks. This is particularly good for strengthening learning or helping pupils to go deeper. It’s also great for parents who want to support their children but don’t know how.

SATS PREPARATION

We use Espresso to prepare our KS2 children for SATs tests. It has some very good SPAG resources which can help consolidate learning. Grammar lessons can be dull, but Espresso resources bring them to life! The videos help children to grasp grammatical concepts that can be difficult to explain. Recently I led a lesson about the Active and Passive Voice using Espresso resources. I started with an Espresso video to introduce the concept. By stopping and starting the clip it was easy to check for understanding. We then discussed a formula for turning the active voice into passive voice, before completing an activity and quiz which tied everything together. Espresso helped me to deliver the entire lesson.

HELP WITH HOMEWORK

Espresso is great for setting SATs-based homework. We ask the children to log in at home and practice the topic they’re currently working on. Espresso makes it easy for teachers to set homework. We don’t need to photocopy or look for different resources. It also helps us to involve parents with their children’s learning journey. In grammar, for example a parent might struggle to explain what a relative clause or a fronted adverbial is. Espresso’s videos provide simple explanations which really help.

BOOSTING RESULTS

As a school we achieve good results for the SPAG element of SATs, and Espresso is part of the reason why. It helps us to fully prepare the children for their test. Last year we saw real progress from those children who had struggled with grammatical concepts. Having used Espresso for a whole year from September to May they all passed their grammar SATs with really good results. I think Espresso helps them because it is so very clear. The videos are clear, the instructions are clear, and the activities are always at exactly the right level. The children are having fun while learning. They just love it!

RELATABLE CONTENT

Part of the appeal of Espresso is the child-friendly content. The videos are very colourful and engaging, and we like the fact the children often feature in the clips, talking about their lives and experiences. In RE, for example, we often use the videos of children talking about different faith celebrations. This makes the content very relatable for our pupils and takes learning beyond the classroom. During Anti-Bullying week we used an Espresso video about online bullying. It helped the children to understand how they can protect themselves, and what it means to be a responsible and polite internet user.

TEACHING THE NEWS

One of the main ways in which Espresso brings the real world into the classroom is through its daily and weekly news service. Espresso NewsBites is brilliant. It’s a real highlight for the children and is both engaging and age-appropriate. It also has some excellent literacy resources. Recently I used Espresso NewsBites as part of a guided reading session about Brexit. Espresso helped me explain a highly complex subject to the children. After watching the video, we read the transcript together using the accompanying glossary to understand new words and terminology. This led to a rich discussion on a current affairs issue affecting their generation. The Espresso resources helped the children to grasp this and go deeper with their learning.

A BRILLIANT RESOURCE

Whether at home or in the classroom, Espresso is very accessible and user friendly. It’s easy to log in and get started and you can find the right resources quickly. The service covers everything in the National Curriculum. It helps us to deliver what’s required and that’s why we use it so much. As teachers it makes our job easier, because all the resources are in one place. You can add it to your taskbar and it’s there, ready to go with one click. It’s one service, one button and everything is there for you.

In summary, Espresso is a brilliant resource for primary schools. It helps teachers and children to access a rich and full curriculum and adds layers of depth to learning, bringing the outside world in. Our teachers all say that they love it.

Posted in Success StoryTagged Discovery Education, Discovery Education Espresso

Personalised remote learning for every child

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Cassiobury Infant School in Watford uses the recently upgraded version of Discovery Education Espresso to support remote learning during the pandemic. Reception Teacher and ICT Coordinator Casey Denham shares how the platform delivers personalised learning for every child and saves teachers and parents time.

HIGH-QUALITY CONTENT

We’ve been using Discovery Education Espresso to support our teaching at Cassiobury Infants School for a number of years. Our teachers like the high-quality digital content and children find it very engaging. When we heard about the new upgraded version we were keen to try it. We made the switch at the end of 2020 and were very impressed. It’s really very good. The platform is intuitive, the content is excellent and it’s helping us to support remote learning.

EASY TO NAVIGATE

Upgrading our account was simple and we’re already using it across the whole school. For teachers it’s easy to navigate. We can quickly find the resources and content we need to put lessons together. It’s very well organised and since the new version was introduced, we are accessing Espresso a lot more. The videos and content reflect what we are currently teaching and are well matched to the National Curriculum.

SUPPORTING REMOTE LEARNING

The upgraded Espresso service has helped us to deliver remote learning during the current lockdown. We still have a number of key worker children in school, but the majority of pupils are at home. There are lots of features which support remote teaching, for example a new area called My content, where we can upload clips and videos for children to watch at home which makes It easy to supplement the Espresso resources with our own.

EASY HOME ACCESS

There is also a new tool called Studio, which lets us create lessons and presentations. It puts everything in one place and makes it much easier for children to access their work at home. Recently we used Studio to deliver a Reception Class phonics lesson. We uploaded Espresso phonics videos and notes for parents onto a Studio Board. Because all of the content was in one place, the children could work their way through it at their own pace. This makes it easier for parents too. They don’t have to click in and out of different websites or resources.

HELPING PARENTS

We’ve found that parents can navigate the upgraded version of Espresso very easily. We put together a quick guide explaining how to log on and access lessons at home. We sent this out at the start of lockdown and it worked brilliantly. Putting the guide together was really helpful for teachers, because it encouraged us to think about remote learning from the child’s point of view.

PUPIL PROGRESS

One of the best things about the upgraded Espresso is that we can see what our pupils are accessing at home and keep track of their learning. We know that they are completing the tasks that we set. The work that we are receiving is brilliant. Our pupils’ progress has been amazing.

PERSONALISED LEARNING

Another new feature is the Classrooms tool which means we can personalise learning by assigning different tasks to different pupils. It enables us to differentiate the remote learning experience. We tend to set whole class work and then supplement this with additional tasks for some students. It’s really nice that we can make it individualised. Our parents appreciate this feature too. It shows that we are going the extra mile to provide accessible remote learning at every child’s level.

Recently we used Espresso to deliver a remote 3D shape lesson for our Reception Class children. We set work for the whole class and assigned a differentiated version for some pupils that was more suitable for their level of learning. Espresso allows us to challenge children who are working at a slightly higher level in the same way. We can personalise every child’s learning.

EXCITING REAL WORLD CONTENT

We really like the video content in Espresso. Recently we’ve been learning about ‘People Who Help Us’ which is very relevant during the pandemic. Espresso has lots of great videos on this topic, introducing children to everyday heroes like firefighters, nurses and police officers. Because children can’t have these real life experiences at the moment –they can’t go out and meet people –the videos have been so helpful. They enable us to bring real world experiences into remote learning, which is amazing.

EASY TO SWITCH

Switching to the new version of Espresso was really straightforward. We joined a Discovery Education webinar and very quickly got to grips with the new platform. The support from the team at Discovery Education has been excellent. They’re always at the end of the phone if we need them.

A RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

Espresso is definitely helping us to respond to the challenges of remote learning. It allows us to keep track of who is accessing work, which is a really great feature. Espresso is also helping us to be accountable for the learning we’re providing, because the work is uploaded to a single platform and everyone can see it.

We would definitely recommend the new version of Espresso to other schools. We’re really happy with the way we are using it and how easy it has been to roll it out across the whole school. Espresso has been brilliant to help us get started with our remote learning journey. We feel confident that it will support us through whatever comes next.

Posted in Success StoryTagged Discovery Education, Discovery Education Espresso

Blended learning for Special Schools

Serving the city of Salford, Springwood Primary School provides specialist education for children aged 2 to 11. Teacher Catherine Garratt shares how the recently upgraded Discovery Education Espresso is helping the school team to deliver personalised blended learning, during the Covid-19 pandemic.

TRUSTED RESOURCE

Espresso has always been a favourite resource at Springwood Primary School. We’ve used the platform to support our teaching for over 20 years. The digital resources are very engaging and accessible for learners with special needs. Our children like the videos and games and the fact that it’s continually updated.

BESPOKE LEARNING

As a special school, for us blended learning is about providing bespoke learning. All of our children have individual needs, so a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t really work. Delivering home learning that can meet those needs —while catering for the majority of pupils who are still in school —has been our challenge. Discovery Education Espresso helps us to do this.

EASY HOME ACCESS

Having moved to the upgraded version of Espresso earlier this year, we’re now using it to deliver blended learning. Espresso gives us a single platform to share content in a clear and meaningful way and this has been huge for us. Instead of sending emails with lots of different attachments, our parents can access content through a single portal.

INDIVIDUAL PUPIL LOGINS

At Springwood our children follow 3 learning pathways : pre-formal, semi-formal and formal, and within this there are many different levels of working. Espresso gives us individual pupil logins which allow us to personalise learning for every child. This has been powerful during lockdown because we can see what pupils are accessing at home.

SHARE AND ASSIGN LESSONS

Upgraded Espresso has a brilliant feature called Studio which lets us create boards to share with the children. We can pin different resources to the boards —almost like a collage of learning activities —and assign these to each child individually. Studio is easy to use and ideal for supporting pupils who are learning at home. We create weekly boards for English, Maths and themed learning, plus PDF files for PE and our ‘Weekly Challenge.’

MEETING DIFFERENT NEEDS

Our English Studio boards include a story, a comprehension activity, a poem and a game. We take some resources from Espresso and others from elsewhere and personalise each Studio board to meet the needs of different learners. If a child really likes superheroes for example, we can add fun superhero content to boost their engagement. We use a programme called Boardmaker to symbolate text for the children. We also add sensory activities for families to enjoy.

ACCESSIBLE AND MOTIVATING

We upload work for every child on a weekly basis and keep the submission date flexible. We know that families and children work in different ways and that learning at home can be difficult. Our aim is to support everybody and make the learning as accessible and motivating as possible. Espresso helps us to do this and the fact that it allows us to bring in other resources works very well.

TARGETED RESOURCES

The themed boards we’re creating within Studio are helping us to build a central bank of resources that are well targeted at different levels of working. Our staff can dip in and out of these to find lesson content. We’re also using the boards as homework for the children who are currently in school. It’s a great way of extending learning. And if pupils need to self-isolate in the future, we’ll have work that’s ready to share.

SUPPORTING PARENTS

Using a single platform brings clarity to our blended learning. When parents and pupils log in to Espresso, they can immediately see their allocated work. And because it’s online, they can repeat activities and games that they enjoy. This is far better than printed worksheets which can only be used once. After the first lockdown we’re more aware of the need to make home learning sustainable for families. Espresso means we don’t have to ask parents to do lots of paperwork or printing. The feedback we’re getting from them is very positive.

EXTENDING LEARNING

One of the best things about Espresso is that it is interactive. Once a child has completed their work if they have something they want to research —perhaps they’ve seen a bird in the garden that they want to know more about —Espresso is a really safe space where they can explore different topics and themes. The fact that Espresso is there in the background is wonderful. We can set assigned activities and extend the children’s learning within one platform.

OUTSTANDING SUPPORT

As a school we’ve been very impressed with Discovery Education. The customer support has been phenomenal. We always get a very quick response and we’ve been made to feel that our feedback is really important, which is amazing.

SEAMLESS TEACHING AND LEARNING

Maintaining a connection with our pupils and families throughout the pandemic has been very important to us. Home learning doesn’t just happen —family input is key. We’ve worked hard to make sure that parents know we are here to support them. Delivering personalised learning is part of this and Espresso makes this happen. It helps us to assign learning that’s motivating and accessible for every child.

Posted in Success StoryTagged Discovery Education, Discovery Education Espresso

Guided home learning with Discovery Education Espresso

Bromley High Junior School uses a range of tools, including Discovery Education Espresso, to support teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bromley High School is part of the Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST) family of schools. The GDST offers Espresso to all of its 25 schools and academies, including teacher and student home access. Early Years provision is particularly challenging and Espresso has helped to meet some of those challenges. Reception teacher Sarah-Louise Dunford explains why Espresso’s digital resources allow her to maintain a high quality of education, while helping pupils and parents to adapt to guided home learning.

CONSISTENCY AND CONTINUITY

We use the Discovery Education Espresso digital learning service throughout the Junior School and our pupils are very familiar with it. They enjoy the videos which are accessible, fun and stimulating. It’s constantly updated and of very high quality. Because the service can be accessed from home, this has enabled us to maintain continuity during the lockdown.

SUPPORTING HOME LEARNING

Discovery Education Espresso is a key element of our guided home learning provision. Our lessons are a mix of live teaching and pre-set work which we upload onto Firefly. Much of the content I teach comes from Espresso. We mostly use the literacy and mathematics areas, in particular the activities and the videos. We also use resources for PSHE, arts, specific stories and comprehension or sequencing activities, which are both child-friendly and engaging. This is working well, especially the phonics progression, which mirrors our own weekly planning and tailored live teaching. It’s easy to find a video or activity on any topic and I feel confident that it will meet the right learning objectives.

I teach live lessons using Google Meets and share my screen to show the children the Espresso content. For example, we started our new topic, ‘Down on the Farm’, and as part of this introduced the well-known book ‘The Little Red Hen’. We combined our own bespoke curriculum and lesson objectives, such as writing a letter from the characters and creating artwork, whilst using Espresso features such as story sequencing, comprehension activities and watching the storybook. We have found this has provided greater depth of understanding to inspire our girls’ home learning. I also use Espresso activities for pre-set work and ask parents to upload a screenshot so I can track pupil progress.

A FAMILIAR RESOURCE

Espresso’s Home Access is incredibly useful during the current situation. The content is tailored to the curriculum and I know that my pupils can navigate the platform with confidence. They are used to using Espresso in the classroom and this helps us to keep a consistent approach at home. Children can follow each lesson with purpose because they know the Espresso format and understand what they need to do.

VIRTUAL PHONICS

I’ve found it very easy to teach with Espresso. Recently I planned and delivered a live phonics lesson on the ‘oi’ sound. My Reception class watched the Espresso video before moving on to the blending and segmenting activities. We practised together and I was able to see each pupil’s progress. The children love the different characters in the phonics videos. They are excited to see them on screen. Because they are so familiar with the format, they can do much of this work independently without support from parents.

HELPING PARENTS

Our parents can see that pupils’ literacy and maths skills are continuing to develop and they recognise how confident their children are with Espresso resources. Espresso has so much content to support guided home learning that parents are now exploring the platform outside of lessons. The Discovery Channel videos in Video zone are perfect for setting extra work or helping pupils to go further.

SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING

Espresso is great for encouraging self-directed learning. This is particularly helpful during lockdown when busy parents might need children to work independently. We are finding that even our younger pupils are becoming independent learners. Because they are familiar with Espresso, they know how to choose a video and answer the questions. Parents tell me that their children are watching extra Espresso content in their own time. They are becoming more fascinated, exploring new videos or watching the same videos again. I think that we will see the benefit of this independence when they come back into the classroom.

SUPPORTING SCHOOLS DURING THE PANDEMIC

During this uncertain time, Espresso is supporting our children every day. It is a high-quality digital resource and we are constantly reassured knowing that our pupils have access to it.

Espresso is straightforward, easy to navigate and helps children to become independent learners. The seamless home access is a real benefit. When we welcome our pupils back into school, we will know that they will have benefitted from Espresso’s continuity.

Posted in Success StoryTagged Discovery Education, Discovery Education Espresso

Supporting teaching and learning across a Multi Academy Trust

Cornerstone Multi Academy Trust in Devon (TCAT) uses Discovery Education Espresso to support teaching and learning across its four primary schools. Teachers and senior leaders explain how Espresso enriches their delivery, saves valuable time and brings learning to life for hundreds of children each day.

A SEAMLESS SOLUTION

With a reputation for digital excellence, innovation is at the heart of teaching and learning in TCAT schools. Discovery Education is a trusted technology partner for the Trust, as Head of Education David James explains,

“When it comes to technology, we are very much a forward-thinking trust. We’ve used Discovery Education for many years and are very happy with the upgraded Espresso. The new platform looks brilliant and the smart interface really appeals to students.”

“From a senior leader’s point of view, one of the best things about upgraded Espresso is the ease of use. The integration with Microsoft Teams makes it easy to access and supports blended learning. For the children, everything is in one place, helping them to stay focused with no distractions or wasted time. For us this is key. It’s a seamless solution.”

A NEW EXPERIENCE

The upgraded Espresso is delivered through Discovery Education Experience, a brand new platform which combines Espresso’s high-quality digital content with customisation, creation and collaboration tools. Year 4 teacher Dale Lawson says that the new platform makes it easier to access resources than ever before.

“The new platform is incredibly easy to use and the digital content is great. It has a very simple layout and I can find everything I need for a lesson quickly. The search function is excellent and you can search by subject and theme. If I’m looking for Augmented Reality resources, for example, it gives me lots of relevant content. It’s intuitive and it saves teachers time.”

POWERFUL RESOURCES

Espresso’s high-quality learning resources are now grouped into resource collections called ‘Channels’, making it easier than ever to find content to enrich lessons. Teachers at TCAT particularly like the videos, as Dale Lawson explains,

“I use Espresso as a starting point and the videos are great for this. If we’re learning about full stops for example, I’ll begin by showing the children an Espresso video on the whiteboard. It’s a much more engaging and interactive way of learning.”

“The Espresso videos are great for introducing new topics”, says Year 2 teacher Deborah Hosford. “The visual explanations help children to learn. Recently we were looking at fractions and the Espresso videos really helped. Seeing the numbers on screen brought the concept to life.”

Espresso’s videos embed learning, as Year 5 teacher Abigail Fleming explains,

“I use the Espresso videos to teach grammar. Sometimes the children struggle with new concepts but watching a video alongside my explanation helps to deepen their understanding. We pause to ask questions and the children complete the activities to show what they’ve learned.”

TRACKING PUPIL PROGRESS

Checking pupils’ understanding is easy with Espresso, thanks to a series of built-in tools such as individual log-ins and subject quizzes. Teacher Dale Lawson says this helps him to see if children need extra support or challenge.

“Espresso has so many different resources to support learning and the built-in quizzes are a great way of evaluating all of that information to see if they’ve understood. We can check if a child has paid attention to a video, read a text or listened in class. The Espresso quizzes help us to consolidate learning effectively and revisit areas if we need to.”

The new platform includes a feature called Classrooms, which makes it easy to assign lessons individually and keep track of what pupils have done. This increased visibility makes it easier for Dale and his colleagues to measure pupil progress.

“Being able to see what the children have accessed is a real benefit. Today it’s almost a necessity in terms of tracking pupil progress, especially during remote learning. It is incredibly helpful to have this evidence, to see who has accessed what and for how long. There are lots of tools built into Espresso to give that insight. It’s great for supporting home learning.”

DIFFERENTIATING LEARNING

As well as being able to track pupil progress, upgraded Espresso helps teachers to differentiate learning, by assigning tasks according to ability. One of the benefits of this is that every child feels supported, as Year 2 teacher Deborah Hosford explains:

“Espresso helps us to differentiate learning within a single lesson. There are lots of activities for the different ability ranges. It’s really helpful to be able to assign these and navigate children to the right place. Because pupils work on their own screens, they aren’t necessarily aware of what other children are doing. The work is differentiated on their device, so I can be sure it’s at exactly the right level for them.”

CREATING AMAZING LESSONS

Schools can also assess pupils understanding using Studio, a new flexible tool for teachers and pupils alike. Studio allows teachers to create lessons and presentations using Discovery Education resources or their own materials, while pupils can create boards to display their understanding. Deborah Hosford uses Studio to share and assign lessons to individual pupils.

“One of the things I really like about upgraded Espresso is the Studio tool. In Year 2 we are learning about habitats. There is a really nice Studio presentation called ‘Living, Dead or Never Alive’ which I assign to my higher ability pupils, enabling them to work independently and do their own research. I use Studio to create lessons for the rest of the class, using Espresso resources differentiated according to ability. There’s a lovely interactive sorting activity which the children all enjoy.”

Teachers can also add their own content in Studio, giving them a personalised resource hub. Studio saves time and provides much needed flexibility, as Dale Lawson explains,

“Studio is really flexible because you can add resources from elsewhere, though we have everything we need within Espresso. There are so many strong videos, pictures, text and different articles that we don’t really need to grab things from elsewhere.”

Having a single resource bank is also useful for pupils, says Year 5 teacher Abigail Fleming,

“The Studio boards are really good because they put everything in one place, so the children don’t need to go off and search for different things. Recently I used Studio in Science, teaching about irreversible and reversible reactions. I assigned the students a Studio board with a video, things to read and questions to answer. Studio helps to keep the children on task.”

HELPING CHILDREN GO FURTHER

While Espresso helps children to stay on task, it also inspires them to go further and extend their learning. Dale Lawson says that because Espresso contains so much exciting real world content, it encourages children to become independent learners.

“ We find that the children want to extend their learning by exploring Espresso on their own. It’s a safe place to search and if they see something in class that sparks their interest, they always want to go further.”

“Recently we used the Augmented Reality resources which the children absolutely loved. Some of our students downloaded the apps at home to show their parents. The immersive experiences in Espresso are really unusual and something that the children haven’t necessarily seen before. Our students are very much inspired by Espresso and you often see them sharing that experience with their families at home.”

Year 3 teacher Jack Allen also finds that his pupils want to go further, and are keen to log on to Espresso in their own time:

“A lot of children want to use the platform at home because it is so accessible and child-friendly. They don’t feel overwhelmed with information and it’s easy for them to find what they want. My students sometimes email me with a screenshot of what they’ve done, or bring it into school the next day, which is lovely.”

TAKING LEARNING BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

With a vast library of real-world content and resources, Espresso extends children’s learning. And at a time when trips and visits are restricted, it also brings the outside world into the classroom.

“We haven’t been able to take children on school trips in the usual way this year but Espresso has recreated that for us”, says Dale Lawson. “The digital resources enable us to take children out of the classroom into the past, to a different country and even into space. We can facilitate ‘school trips’ in a virtual way”

“Usually we have resources shipped in from museums but that hasn’t been possible recently. To have a central bank of digital resources which broaden our pupils horizons has been so helpful”, says Jack Allen.

RELEVANT AND CURRENT

Espresso’s content is constantly updated with new resources, helping teachers to keep pace with curriculum changes and world events. For Year 2 teacher Deborah Hosford, this is key.

“The Channels in Espresso are full of relevant information. New content is coming online all of the time so it’s easy to link learning to what’s happening in the wider world. We enjoy watching the weekly Newsbites service and doing the quizzes. It’s something the children really look forward to.”

“Espresso Newsbites is amazing”, agrees Jack Allen. “It gives children an awareness of what’s happening in the world around them, it’s child-friendly and the pace is just right. My class are very enthusiastic about watching the news and enjoy doing the quiz at the end. It’s a weekly thing and they love it!”

BRINGING TEACHING AND LEARNING TO LIFE

One year into using upgraded Espresso, TCAT’s teachers say that it provides a seamless solution, equipping them with the content, tools and resources to bring teaching and learning to life.

“We’ve used Discovery Education for some time and the upgraded Espresso is better than ever”, says Dale Lawson. “The addition of the Studio tool, being able to assign lessons and having your class built in so that you can individually set work for each student is really powerful. All of these new tools and functionality save time and make Discovery Education Espresso a really supportive, intuitive and helpful resource for today’s teachers.”

Posted in Success StoryTagged Discovery Education, Discovery Education Espresso

Discovery Education Espresso: Our daily learning platform

Fraserburgh South Park Primary in Aberdeenshire uses the new Discovery Education Espresso to create engaging learning experiences for every child. Primary 6 teacher Nicole McLean explains how the platform provides exciting digital content, time-saving resources and useful tools for primary teaching.

TIME-SAVING RESOURCES

I’ve been using Discovery Education Espresso for several years and it definitely makes my job as a teacher easier. It gives me all of the content I need for lessons, such as videos, quizzes and activities. Best of all, it’s all in one place which saves me time.

EASY TO NAVIGATE

I really like the new Discovery Education Espresso platform. The content is displayed very clearly and it’s easy for teachers and pupils to navigate. There’s a new search function which is simple to use and great for finding resources for topic work. There’s also a good variety of timely content, covering a whole range of topics from Fairytales to World War II. And I like the fact that you can filter this by curriculum level.

EXCITING DIGITAL RESOURCES

Espresso has lots of great digital resources and I use these to support my teaching, especially in maths and literacy. The videos introduce new concepts, while the quizzes and games consolidate learning and check for understanding. The grammar and punctuation videos are especially good. Recently I used these to teach about speech marks and my Primary 6 class were very engaged. The video helped them to grasp the different rules and learn how to put these into practice.

EASY TO ACCESS

I like the fact that each video has a follow-up activity such as a quiz. We often complete the quizzes as a whole class on the whiteboard. The children then try the quizzes independently on their tablets. Each child has an individual Espresso log-in, which makes for easy access. They can also log in quickly with QR codes, which they really enjoy using.

HELPING PUPILS TO GO FURTHER

Espresso’s activities are ideal for homework. I often set a quiz that follows on from our work in class. It’s a fun way to consolidate learning and much easier than creating a homework sheet and thinking of questions from scratch. Quizzes are more appealing for children and easier for parents to supervise at home too.

ENGAGING AND ENJOYABLE

Our pupils love Espresso and not just because they enjoy online learning. The content is engaging and lots of fun. They love the quizzes, seeing their scores and the fact that there aren’t too many questions. They like the video content too. Sometimes they’d rather watch a video on the carpet than listen to a teacher’s explanation. And the videos are pitched at the right level for each age group.

BUILDING CONFIDENCE

Espresso has some great primary maths resources. The activities allow teachers to differentiate learning and help pupils to progress. With calculation, for example, the activities are set at different levels, so the pupils can move on when they’re ready. I can see their progress, and the pupils can too, which helps them to build confidence. Everyone starts at the same level but can challenge themselves by moving on.

ALL IN ONE PLACE

Discovery Education Espresso is very easy to use. I like the variety of content, all linked to one subject and all in one place. This is a big plus for me. You can log in quickly and find what you’re looking for. I also like the fact that it’s easy for pupils to use. They can see the difference between the learning at each level, and navigate from one to the next. Above all, they enjoy using Espresso. They’re having fun and learning, which helps them to stay engaged.

Posted in Success StoryTagged Discovery Education, Discovery Education Espresso

Discovery Education Espresso – Supporting independent and guided learning

With 5 sites across Panama, The Oxford School provides a bilingual education to students from early years to high school. The school is a Cambridge Centre and follows the British National Curriculum; Discovery Education Espresso is used daily as a learning platform. Executive Principal Farhana Patel explains how Espresso helps teachers to create engaging, authentic learning experiences, while giving students the tools and confidence to thrive.

HIGH-QUALITY DIGITAL RESOURCES

One of my first priorities as the new Head teacher at The Oxford School was to secure high-quality digital resources for our students. When I commenced leading the school in 2019, we were using two separate platforms to teach English and Maths. I was keen to find something more holistic and was drawn to Espresso because it has relevant, purposeful and engaging learning resources across the curriculum, from Early Years to Key Stage 2.

Espresso was first recommended to us by SCALA International Schools and after trialling it we were very impressed. It quickly became our daily learning platform and today we use it in all five of The Oxford Schools. We like the fact that it is aligned to the National Curriculum and gives us a central bank of content with everything in one place. It saves our teachers a huge amount of time and simplifies daily school life. Resources range from high quality videos and pictures to interactive activities and worksheets.

ONLINE AND IN-PERSON TEACHING

One of the best things about Espresso is that it supports both independent and guided learning. We can deliver lessons online or in-person and students can access Espresso in the classroom and at home. It’s a versatile platform that can flex to support teaching and learning wherever it is taking place.

Espresso is also very easy to access. We are currently offering a blended learning programme, therefore a significant amount of our students are not in school right now and being able to assign lessons remotely is so helpful. The single sign-on feature means that students don’t have to remember multiple log-ins and passwords. We’ve had lots of positive feedback from parents at home, who can see that the resources are of a high quality and help students to go further.

A SAFE AND SUPPORTIVE PLATFORM

Children need a safe space to learn online, and this is the beauty of Espresso. It allows students to explore different topics and to follow their curiosity. Before starting with Espresso, we did not have a central bank for educational videos that align to our curriculum. Espresso allows children to explore high-quality content safely, which is reassuring for parents as well as other stakeholders of the school community.

Many learning platforms tend to focus on interactive independent activities. However, if students don’t fully understand the content and some additional guidance is needed, it can be difficult for them to progress, which can have a negative impact on their learning experience and self-confidence. This is where Espresso excels. It goes beyond interactive independent activities and has a significant amount of built-in support, which students and parents can access independently. The sheer number of English resources is impressive, and the videos are great for teaching English, Mathematics and Science. The resources are accessible by all students. Videos are short, engaging and the visual prompts support with the comprehension of content.

BUILDING TEACHER CONFIDENCE

Espresso helps teachers to deliver the British National Curriculum with confidence. The videos and built-in teacher guides make it a very accessible platform for educators. They can be sure that the pitch of lessons is in accordance with curriculum requirements and there is sufficient coverage of different skills for each subject.

Throughout our journey with Espresso, we’ve had great support from Discovery Education, and this is one of the things that we appreciate most. Before getting started we received some excellent training and then we had a refresher course to make sure we are getting the most out of the platform. There is always someone on hand if we need help and we are already organising training sessions for the next academic year.

LOVED BY STUDENTS

Our students love everything about Espresso, especially the interactive games. These are great for consolidating learning in subjects like Maths and we often set them for homework instead of paper-based worksheets. The instant feedback is important to students, especially when they’re learning at home. They can see their own progress and it helps with feeling confident and enhances motivation.

Meeting individual student needs is easy, thanks to an interactive tool called Studio, which allows teachers to assign content directly. Studio is also great for teacher collaboration and for sharing lesson plans and ideas. A teacher can create a Studio Board for a topic or lesson and share it with different collaborators across our five school. This ensures that our teachers have a collaborative network and stimulates effective dialogues to enhance educational provisions and reflect on teaching and learning practices.

CAREFULLY CURATED CONTENT

One of the aspects that our teachers like best about Espresso is the fact that it is continually updated. New content is added all of the time and we see these changes constantly. It is reassuring to know that so much thought goes into the resources. It feels like a lot of love, care and time has been put into the platform!

Espresso has some fantastic topic-based resources. Recently we used these to teach our Year 4 and 5 students about the Gunpowder Plot. Our students thoroughly enjoyed learning British history and Espresso’s videos and activities brought the story to life. Our students were inspired to produce some excellent writing and even made their own Guy Fawkes costumes!

THE FUTURE OF LEARNING

We’re very happy with Espresso and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to other international schools. It’s a holistic platform with everything in one place and gives us high-quality resources to help teachers and engage students. As it supports both guided and independent learning, it’s perfectly suited to the way we teach today. The attention to detail is outstanding and this is what Discovery Education does best. Education is always evolving and so is Espresso. The platform is continually updated to meet educators’ changing needs.

Posted in Success StoryTagged Discovery Education, Discovery Education Espresso