Tag Archives: AASL

Check it Out:, School Media Specialist, Tech

AASL Top Digital Tools 2021: News Literacy Project

AASL released its list of Best Digital Tools for Teaching and Learning 2021! This year’s list took into special consideration how well these tools work for remote/distance students. The resources enhance learning and encourage the following qualities:

  • Innovation/Creativity
  • Active Participation
  • Collaboration
  • User-Friendly
  • Encourages Exploration
  • Information/Reference

We share these resources every year and you can explore our archive of past recommendations here.

News literacy and being able to spot misinformation are vital skills for students, and the News Literacy Project is taking on the challenge.

News Literacy Project “is a nonpartisan national education nonprofit, provides programs and resources for educators and the public to teach, learn and share the abilities needed to be smart, active consumers of news and information and equal and engaged participants in a democracy.”

Grades K-12

The News Literacy Project has this page for educators on their site which features an online learning platform, professional development opportunities, and materials to use in the classroom. The project also creates many additional resources useful for the classroom and some of them are included in this guide from Common Sense Education. And the News Literacy Project is mentioned in this helpful LibGuide aimed at teachers.

This 4-min video discusses the beginning of the News Literacy Project and its goals for helping students and educators:

Check it Out:, Tech

AASL Top Digital Tools 2021: Britannica School

AASL released its list of Best Digital Tools for Teaching and Learning 2021! This year’s list took into special consideration how well these tools work for remote/distance students. The resources enhance learning and encourage the following qualities:

  • Innovation/Creativity
  • Active Participation
  • Collaboration
  • User-Friendly
  • Encourages Exploration
  • Information/Reference

We share these resources every year and you can explore our archive of past recommendations here.

This week we’re looking at Britannica School. This database “offers thousands of curated and curriculum-relevant articles, images, videos, audio clips, primary sources, maps, research tools, recommended websites, and three unique, but  connected, databases to meet every reading level. Students can use Britannica School to browse by subject, media type, or weekly rotating content. They can access the world’s knowledge with accurate, nonfiction, cross-curricular multimedia content that’s aligned to the next generation science, common core, and state curriculum standards.”

Grades: K-12

School Library Journal calls the resource “a highly recommended database” in this descriptive review. This review from Tech Learning examines Britannica School’s quality and effectiveness, ease of use, creative use of technology, and use in a school environment. And this overview from EdSurge includes feedback from teachers using Britannica School in the classroom.

This three minute video gives an overview of the program:

https://youtu.be/lewzppyt_rc
Check it Out:, School Media Specialist, Tech

AASL Top Digital Tools 2021: Checkology

AASL released its list of Best Digital Tools for Teaching and Learning 2021! This year’s list took into special consideration how well these tools work for remote/distance students. The resources enhance learning and encourage the following qualities:

  • Innovation/Creativity
  • Active Participation
  • Collaboration
  • User-Friendly
  • Encourages Exploration
  • Information/Reference

We share these resources every year and you can explore our archive of past recommendations here.

This FREE tool uses real world examples to teach critical-thinking and habits to evaluate today’s information landscape. Examples come from social media and news sites. Students learn to recognize reliable sources and dismiss false information.

Grades: 7-12

“Checkology is a current events application that shows middle through high schoolers how to successfully navigate today’s challenging information landscape. Students learn how to identify credible information, seek out reliable sources, and apply critical thinking skills to separate fact-based content from falsehoods.”

This quick post from Teachers First offers ideas for classroom activities that incorporate the tool. Get community reviews and pro/cons from this review of the app by Common Sense Education. And learn about the origins of Checkology from this in-depth article from Ed Surge.

Watch this 2 min video to see how Checkology works:

Check it Out:, School Media Specialist, Tech

AASL Top Digital Tools 2021: Britannica LaunchPacks: Social Studies

AASL released its list of Best Digital Tools for Teaching and Learning 2021! This year’s list took into special consideration how well these tools work for remote/distance students. The resources enhance learning and encourage the following qualities:

  • Innovation/Creativity
  • Active Participation
  • Collaboration
  • User-Friendly
  • Encourages Exploration
  • Information/Reference

We share these resources every year and you can explore our archive of past recommendations here.

Britannica LaunchPack Social Studies provides over a thousand expertly curated collections, which include photos and primary resources. Educators can customize the info for different classes or assignments.

The tool “empowers blended learning, personalized support for every learner, and student-led inquiry. LaunchPacks: Social Studies integrates SEL into curriculum-relevant lessons and allows students to build critical skills while educators effectively teach subject-area content in social studies.”

Grades: K-12

This article from Ed Tech Impact includes case studies, screenshots, and a comparison tool to give more information about the learning pack. And this article from School Library Journal describes the tool in detail, including aspects like ease of use and visual detail.

Watch this quick 2 min video to get an idea of how the learning pack works:

Check it Out:, School Media Specialist, Tech

AASL Best Digital Tools 2020: Parlay Ideas

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL)  has announced their top choices for “electronic resources that provide enhanced learning and curriculum development for school librarians and their educator collaborators.” These resources were formerly separated into the Best Apps and Best Websites for Teaching and Learning and are now combined into the Best Digital Tools for Teaching & Learning.

You can check out our archive of past recommended apps here.

Parlay Ideas “is a robust discussion tool, fostering deep understanding, equitable collaboration, and mindful reflection, in both live and asynchronous learning environments.”

Shared foundations: Collaborate, Inquire

EdSurge has this review of the app, and Common Sense Education has this review specifically for teachers. HundrED has this great article about Parlay which includes several videos that show how the app works in the classroom. Parlay is also included in this article from Mud and Ink Teaching that lists several other apps and tech ideas that can be especially helpful during remote learning.

Watch this one minute video to see how Parlay Ideas works: