Tag Archives: AASL Top Digital Tools

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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: 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 2021: Sora

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.

If you love using Overdrive to check out ebooks and audiobooks from your library, Sora is the version for students!

“The Sora app allows learners to access popular and educational ebooks and audiobooks on any device from any location. Sora allows school librarians to curate their own collections and change the titles during the school year to align with their school’s curriculum and students’ needs. Sora also enables school librarians to support all kinds of readers by providing access to graphic novels and audiobooks paired with text. Sora also enhances reading with a dyslexic font as well as highlights and notes features students can use to complete their tasks.”

Grades: K-12

The Lion’s Roar blog has this student review of the app which details the genres Sora offers, from fiction to history and more. The Learning Counsel has this article about the app and describes how it can be made to fit teacher’s lesson plans and track students reading statistics. And Staying Cool in the Library has this article with Sora tips for both students and teachers!

Watch this 1 min video with a student explaining how she gets the most out of Sora:

School Media Specialist, Tech

AASL Best Digital Tools 2021: Typing.com

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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.

Typing is such an essential skill and this engaging tool makes it fun for students to learn! Plus, it fulfills ISTE and Common Core Standards. If your students like earning badges or winning competitions, they’ll definitely enjoy using this resource!

Grades: K-12

“Typing.com is clean, colorful typing practice for any level  with Common Core and ITSE standards correlations. Scope and Sequence curriculum engages students with gamification opportunities to self-direct towards achievement with class competitions and other games to participate in and badges, stars, and certifications to achieve, print, and share with friends, parents, or colleagues. Class level settings and customizable lesson modules allow educators to  differentiate instruction to accommodate students at any level and pace.”

Common Sense Education has this review of the app and Clever.com gives this overview of the resource which includes many reviews from teachers.

Watch this 4 minute video and learn how to setup the app and use it with your students!