January 17, 2007
To: Wired Education Foundation
From: Susan Schaeffler, Executive Director, KIPP DC
Re: Discovery Education Streaming

In the 2006-2007 school year, KIPP DC: KEY Academy obtained access to the Discovery Education video series via Discovery Education Streaming. This became possible through funding provided by the Wired Education Foundation, operated by Wyatt Dickerson. As of January 2007, we have found this program to be extremely beneficial in supplementing the excellent teaching provided by our staff. To clarify, our school has never believed that technology or media can provide the basics of education in and of themselves. We don’t use technology simply for technology’s sake. Rather, it is our belief that technology (like that provided by Discovery Education Streaming) can be used effectively by supplementing what is normally going on in the classroom.

Specifically, our social studies and science teachers have found the videos available on the Discovery Education Streaming website (www.unitedstreaming.com) to be extremely useful and relevant for their students. Here is a sampling of what the teachers have been able to do with their students that would otherwise be unavailable to them without access Discovery Education Streaming:

Fifth grades social studies students have been able to watch videos dealing with the pilgrims in order to get a better idea for the kind of dress and food they were accustomed to.

Fifth grade science teacher Irene Holtzman states, “I have been able to use Discovery Education Streaming to show the students things that are far too dangerous to actually do in the classroom, like demonstrating some chemical reactions. It’s a great program.”

Sixth grade science and social studies students were able to watch and analyze tapes of real earthquakes to supplement their own knowledge about what causes earthquakes. Mr. Franz stated that, “It made what we were doing in class seem real and important to them. They saw how earthquakes could affect their own lives.”

Eighth grades social studies students have been able to use the videos to supplement their textbooks when it comes to learning about the antebellum south and the plantation economies.

Eighth grade science teacher, Kendra Seaman, stated that the series provided by Discovery Education Streaming, “has helped to demonstrate to the students the physical principals of force and motion in a way that couldn't be done without [access to the videos].”

As you can see, it is the school’s opinion that—when used appropriately, to supplement and not replace instruction—access to Discovery Education Streaming can do a lot to make learning come alive in the classroom, and make the material more relevant to the students.