Category Archives: School Media Specialist

School Media Specialist, Tech

AASL Recommended Apps: Sites in VR

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) announced their picks for Best Apps for Teaching & Learning 2019. “Apps recognized foster the qualities of innovation, creativity, active participation, and collaboration and are user friendly to encourage a community of learners to explore and discover. “

“Sites in VR is an interactive virtual reality experience where learners can immerse themselves in places around the world! From tourist attractions to landmarks to cultural and religious centers, there are SO many options that learners can explore.”

As a reminder, CMLE has ClassVR headsets you can bring to your school library FOR FREE! More information and the application can be found here.

Platform: iOS & Android
Cost: FREE
Grades: All

The site Free Tech for Teachers featured the app on their website along with a presentation for using AR/VR in the classroom. Sites in VR is included in this article about virtual reality field trips. Since the app allows students to “visit” famous landmarks, it was included on this list of the top VR apps that are changing education.

If you are interested in the best apps for your library, media center, or classroom, you can read our 2019 series here or find all past apps discussed in our archives.

School Media Specialist

AASL Recommended Apps: Tynker

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) announced their picks for Best Apps for Teaching & Learning 2019. “Apps recognized foster the qualities of innovation, creativity, active participation, and collaboration and are user friendly to encourage a community of learners to explore and discover. “

“Tynker empowers students to learn to code through play. Solve engaging puzzles, modify Minecraft worlds, program robots and drones, create custom games, make drawings, and build and animate characters. Students can unleash their creative potential through this fun, interactive introduction to computer science.”

Platform: iOS & Android  
Grades: K-8
Cost: FREE

Tynker’s Educator page offers free training, coding curriculum, and classroom management. Common Sense Education has this review of the app. Edutopia recommends the app in this article about ways to incorporate coding into any classroom subject. Finally, Cision writes about the app in greater detail in this post.

This one-minute video shows tons of ways Tynker can work with any subject:

If you are interested in the best apps for your library, media center, or classroom, you can read our 2019 series here or find all past apps discussed in our archives.

Check it Out:, School Media Specialist

Next ClassVR In-Person Training on Jan. 30th

Learn to use our VR devices and bring them to your school!

Last fall, CMLE was THRILLED to receive an LSTA grant that has allowed us to purchase ClassVR headset devices. We started loaning these out to our member schools FOR FREE last fall and are excited to continue this program. Get more details and reserve kits for your school here.

Each kit comes with eight headsets that include access to an amazing array of VR/AR technology, for students K-12.  Lesson plans, 360 images and videos, and 3D models are all available to use.

And we are holding in-person training again, to help you get comfortable with using the devices!

If you are interested in reserving kits for your school, either this year or next, sign up for training at the bottom of this post. Learning how to operate the devices and making plans ahead of time can really improve your experience with the headsets.

Training will take place from 9am – 3pm on Thursday, January 30th.
Lunch will be provided from 12-1pm

In the morning, we will look at the basics of using the headsets and the portal filled with educational material. In the afternoon, we will practice everything, and give people a chance to work through making their own playlists, and to get their school’s planning set up. (Time is flexible, if you have to come late or leave early it’s okay – we would rather see you for part of it than have you miss it entirely!)

Training will be held at our location: 570 1st St. SE St. Cloud MN 56304. We are inside the cmERDC building and have a large classroom to use.

And if you apply ahead of time, you can definitely pick up your VR headset kit at this training event! You’ll get to keep the kit (each kit has 8 headsets) for approximately one month.

Please RSVP below if you plan to come to this training. Email any questions to vr@cmle.org 🙂

This program is funded in part with a grant from the Minnesota Department of Education using federal funding, CFDA 45.310 – Library Services and Technology Act, Grants to States Program (LS-00-19-0024-19). We would love you to send your thanks to @US_IMLS and with @MnDeptEd for providing this great program we can share with our members!

School Media Specialist, Tech

AASL Recommended Apps: Khan Academy Kids

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) announced their picks for Best Apps for Teaching & Learning 2019. “Apps recognized foster the qualities of innovation, creativity, active participation, and collaboration and are user friendly to encourage a community of learners to explore and discover. “

The interactive app Khan Academy Kids “allows kids to manipulate shapes, letters and numbers throughout. Kids can learn reading, language, writing, math, social-emotional development, problem-solving skills, and motor development. Open-ended activities like drawing, storytelling, and coloring encourage creativity and self-expression.”

Platform: iOS & Android
Cost: FREE 
Grades: PreK-2

Khan Academy has a Teacher Guide on their site with ideas for incorporating the app into classroom activities. Common Sense Education has this review of the app and Arapahoe Libraries shares this positive review. The education blog Maneuvering the Middle has this post with seven ideas for using the app in the classroom.

Watch this 2 min video to see how the app works (bloopers at the end)

School Media Specialist, Tech

AASL Recommended Apps: Novel Effect

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) announced their picks for Best Apps for Teaching & Learning 2019. “Apps recognized foster the qualities of innovation, creativity, active participation, and collaboration and are user friendly to encourage a community of learners to explore and discover. “

This app looks so cool, I’m going to give it a try during storytime!

“Novel Effect uses voice recognition to complement read alouds with sound effects and music. Novel Effect features a catalog of over 200 popular and well-loved titles for children, with new titles regularly being added. Parents, teachers, and librarians can use it to spice up their read alouds or revisit old favorites by adding a new soundscape. Students can practice their reading fluency as the app responds to their voice.”

Platform: iOS
Cost: FREE
Grades: All

The Novel Effect site has this page for educators that includes several ideas for using the app in the classroom. This article from the Techie Teacher gets in-depth with using the app and includes a video and a downloadable checklist. This post from Tech Notes shares several of the available titles on the app and also offers suggestions for classroom use.

Watch this 1 min video to see the app in action:

If you are interested in the best apps for your library, media center, or classroom, you can read our 2019 series here or find all past apps discussed in our archives.