AASL Digital Tools
I chose two tools from the AASL Best Digital Tools Archive List.
Quizlet was part of the AASL Best Digital Tools in 2019. Quizlet is a digital learning and flashcard tool. You can search from public flashcards or make your own. Quizlet then takes the flashcards that you created and essentially, creates games to play to help you learn or study what is on the flashcards. But the feature most important to note, would be Quizlet Live. This feature randomly assigns students into groups with a code that they type in. Then each group is given a different term or definition from the flashcard study set. The students have to work together to determine which group member has the correct answer. Quizlet Live keeps students engaged in the learning and helps them prepare for assessments and helps them to learn the material. You can use Quizlet in the classroom or the school library setting to teach terms and concepts.
The second digital tool is Screencast-O-Matic. This tool was added to the AASL Best Digital Tools in 2017 and is an important tool to note because of the current pandemic and many schools beginning the academic year in a virtual setting of some sort. Screencast-O-Matic allows you to screen record, edit videos, and share videos that you create. This tool could be used in the classroom or library setting to teach material in a way that allows students to hear your voice. Screencast-O-Matic will help teachers and librarians connect with their students better than using a simple PowerPoint with no video or audio.
Blogs to Follow
I bookmarked several blogs to follow because each of these blogs had applicable posts. Each blog linked below contained posts that help librarians stay relevant and current with trends.
The Mighty Little Librarian blog in particular had a post about ditching the Dewey Decimal system and explained more current ways to label books to help students navigate your library. I have worked in a school where the librarian had done this and after seeing it first hand, it seems like the Mighty Little Librarian is worth a follow because of how current she is.
The Adventures of Library Girl is another blog worth following because this blog had posts about things that librarians actually do. For example, she has a fairly recent post with tips about building book displays and a post about creating library websites for today’s learners. I like that she posts about real things that librarians do and not a pipe dream that most librarians can’t achieve because of lack of funding in their school district.