Why I love… the updated Discovery Education Espresso platform

Nicole McLean, Y6 teacher, explains how the updated Discovery Education Espresso platform provides exciting digital content, time-saving resources and useful tools… 

About Me

Nicole McLean 

Year 6 teacher, Fraserburgh South Park Primary School, Aberdeenshire

• Favourite feature
  Everything’s in one place! I don’t need to look elsewhere for resources, which saves me time.

How are you finding the changes to the Espresso platform?

The content is now displayed very clearly and it’s easy for teachers and pupils to navigate. The new search function 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.   

The videos have a follow-up activity such as a quiz, and we often complete these as a class on the whiteboard. The children then try the quizzes independently on their tablets. Each child has an individual Espresso login, which makes for easy access. They can also log in quickly with QR codes, which they enjoy using. 

How does Espresso support teachers?

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, everything’s in one place. I don’t need to look elsewhere for resources, which saves me time.   

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. 

“I like the variety of content, all linked to one subject and in one place”

What has been the effect?

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.   

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. 

Why is Espresso different to other curriculum-aligned teaching resources?

It is very easy to use. I like the variety of content, all linked to one subject and in one place. This is a big plus for me. You can log in quickly and find what you’re looking for. 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 Y6 class were very engaged. The video helped them to grasp the different rules and learn how to put these into practice.   

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