Technology Resources for Elementary Libraries

 This week we are looking at various tech tools and apps. In this week's review, class readings, and discussions I was struck by a couple of things. 1. Since COVID, there has been a general feeling that kids have access to too much technology, both in and out of the classroom, so there is a wish to have the elementary space be more "analog" (Ok, I hate this term, but it is widely used for old-school pen & paper, paper books, non-technology). In today's tech driven world, it isn't realistic for the library to go back to analog only, but elementary libraries specialize in paper books, so it is a place in the school that can easily focus on less technology. 2. A lot of the technology tools and apps discussed, like iReady, Prodigy, and Mystery Science, are focused on classroom usage or are already in use in the classroom so using it in the library feels a little redundant. It is hard to filter out all the resources to find what would really be valuable in an elementary library, but I am sharing some of my favorites below.

For the Library: Resources to Use in Class

Google Classroom - Build your own Google Classroom with links to your online database, where students can search for books, put holds on books they are looking for, and see if that book they had their eye on is in or checked out. Include links to any online databases you may have, or post flyers of interesting things about the library or going on in the library.

Kids Discover Online - I have been reviewing the Kids Discover reference tool possibly purchase a subscription, so this resource has been on my radar. The good news is there is some free content to access to help supplement your class/topic. Free topics are limited, but it's a good preview of Kids Discover Online or if you do not have a large library budget. If you don't mind sales emails and pitches, if you submit your email address they will also send you emails on seasonal topics and links to the free content. A couple of weeks ago they sent me an email with Martin Luther King, Jr. articles, videos and printables.

Music Explorers - This resource is from Carnegie Hall and is a new one for me. It looks like a fantastic resource with a lot of information, videos and songs on various genres of music, and music from different areas and cultures.

Virtual Field Trips - I was so happy to find this site of free virtual field trips. I am often looking for virtual field trips for the end of the school year when we can no longer check out books, or for when I teach summer school. This includes videos, printable worksheets, resources, quizzes and standards. You can view the videos by curriculum topic, by grade, or by geographical location. This is the one resource on this list that is not free, but the cost for 1 year is really reasonable so I decided to include it in the list.

For the Librarian: Resources to Help You

Padlet - We have been talking about this resource in our class. Our librarians are loving the ability to organize our books and classes using it and find it more friendly to teach students how to use and organize their lives. It has a "board" feature for collections, and a "sandbox" feature for slides and presentations. This is one I'm going to have to try out!

Educational Insights - a great educational website that includes printables and activity videos for younger children, like crafts and how to make sensory bins. They also have videos on various Educational Insights toys, so if you lost those instructions this site may have them.

Holiday House - This is the publisher's website, but has an amazing list of activities to go with Holiday House imprint books along with author Q&As. The site is a bit overwhelming, but if you know you are reading a Holiday House book, this is a great resource for activities and information. I chose the link "storytime kits" under "For Booksellers" to get to the activity printouts. You can then find the links to the author videos & Q&As. 

Highlights for Children! - Being a Xennial I love Highlights! Waiting in the Dr's office went much quicker reading a Highlights magazine. I was glad to see that Highlights has an awesome parents webpage with activities and the famous hidden pictures printables. There is an educator tab, but it is a little more "salesy" than the parents tab.

Lego Build the Change - The Lego Foundation has some sustainability resources that include information on that project, plus building challenges. Science topics include human impact, biodiversity & climate change, and reducing waste. The PDF topics can be downloaded for free and include video links, print outs and information about the challenge.

Scholastic Learning at Home - This is another classic company that has a resource for parents that is also good for librarians. The Learning at Home is salesy, but we kind of expect that from Scholastic, but it has some great links to seasonal topics like "How to Start a Hot Cocoa Book Club" and a number of different printable reading trackers. It also includes blog topics on various literacy topics. It's good for a quick peek seasonally to see what the freebies are! 

Seussville.com - With Read Across America week & Dr. Seuss' birthday coming up, I was happy I found this site. You can click on the various links to see books and information about Dr. Seuss' characters. The key is in the right hand corner, where you can click on links for parents or educators. Again, I found the parents link more meaningful with more activities, games and printables than the educators link, but you can honestly click back and forth to find the information and activities you want. 

If you are looking for more, this list was based off of an exhaustive list of resources, on the We Are Teachers website: 350+ Amazing Online Learning Resources by Jeanne Croteau.