New Mexico’s Middle College High School Selects Discovery Education’s Pivot Interactives to Support Student Science Explorations

Charlotte, NC (Monday, April 3, 2023)—New Mexico’s Middle College High School, a public charter school within Gallup-McKinley County Public School District, today announced it has selected Discovery Education’s innovative digital resources to support student science explorations. In this new collaboration, Discovery Education’s Pivot Interactives will help students in the school’s high school physics class more deeply engage with phenomena and other scientific concepts as they develop their understanding of the discipline. Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place. 

Located in Gallup, New Mexico, the mission of Middle College High School (MCHS) is to provide an innovative and high-quality individualized learning environment for a distinct set of students. Operated in partnership with University of New Mexico-Gallup, MCHS provides a seamless educational continuum that benefits students as they move from high school to their post-secondary goals. MCHS is increasing student involvement in postsecondary education by emphasizing service to students of diverse backgrounds who are normally underrepresented at the local, regional, and national levels. 

MCHS’s leaders sought a new suite of high-quality, standards-aligned digital resources that could quickly be integrated into instruction and were adaptable enough to meet the needs of students’ varying learning styles. Following a careful review of potential solutions, school administrators selected Discovery Education’s Pivot Interactives for use in both middle and high school classrooms. 

Pivot Interactives, which joined the Discovery Education family of services in 2022, makes teaching science with active learning and scientific phenomena engaging and easy. Launched in 2012 by two visionary educators, the platform provides users with more than 10,000 authentic, interactive video-based science interactives crafted by Pivot’s expert curriculum team and teacher community. These resources, tied to state and national standards, are infused with research-based teaching practices and are simple to integrate throughout the instructional cycle.  

Activities offer opportunities for interactive learning, where students explore and learn for themselves. The service’s built-in tools—including IRIS, a first-of-its-kind color and light gauge—make for quick and accurate measurements. A unique interface allows students to change what happens in the video and see how that change affects the outcome. Easy-to-follow instructions guide students through data collection, measurement, data analysis, and interpretation, while feedback provided by both open-ended and auto-graded questions reinforces correct ideas. 

“Middle College High School prides itself on its work to instill in all students the critical thinking and reasoning skills, and love for learning, needed for collegiate success,” said MCHS Principal Michael Cunanan. “Pivot Interactives provides our students a tool that helps achieve both those goals as it supports a deeper level of scientific inquiry. It is an excellent choice for our students.” 

All MCHS educators using Discovery Education resources are supported by the Discovery Educator Network as they transform students’ learning experiences with dynamic digital media. A global community of education professionals, the Discovery Educator Network connects members across school systems and around the world through social media, virtual conferences, and in-person events, fostering valuable networking, idea sharing, and inspiration. 

“Discovery Education is honored to be selected to support learning in the Middle College High School,” said Karen Sommerhauser, M.Ed., Discovery Education’s Business Development Representative. “Pivot Interactives is the perfect tool to support the district’s mission, and we look forward to working alongside MCHS’s educators for years to come.”  

For more information about Discovery Education’s award-winning digital resources and professional learning services, visit www.discoveryeducation.com, and stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through Twitter and LinkedIn.