AASL Announces 2024 Best Digital Tools for Teaching & Learning

CHICAGO – The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) has released its annual list of Best Digital Tools for Teaching & Learning. The Best Digital Tools provide opportunities for school librarians to enhance learning, engage learners, and collaborate with educators. The list can be found at www.ala.org/aasl/awards/best.

“The year’s list provides new additions covering all grade levels and offering valuable resources to assist educators and enhance learning,” said Committee Chair Alexa Lalejini. “Book Creator, Khan Academy, Masters of Tradition, Parlay Ideas, and Write the World offer school librarians inclusive and engaging tools to use with learners or in collaboration with classroom teachers. ClassHook, Diffit, PebbleGo, TeachingBooks, and SeeSaw offer standards-aligned instructional support. Two new tools are bringing music to the school library, Musiquest offers creative ways to learn music, while EarSketch teaches coding through music composition. Tools receiving recognition for a second time, demonstrating their commitment to enhancing and evolving their resources as educators' needs and roles change, include Copyright & Creativity, KidLitTV, New American History, Pixton, Sora, and Wild Classroom.”

The recognition honors digital tools that foster innovation and collaboration, encourage exploration and participation, are user-friendly, and offer information and references. The technology resources are also evaluated for their application of AASL’s National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries.

"As we look to enhance and increase the collaborative opportunities within our school communities, what could be more exciting than sharing these new resources with colleagues and learners,” said AASL President Courtney Pentland. "I encourage everyone to share these resources with your fellow educators to demonstrate the essential role school librarians serve within the school in connecting the right tool with the right lesson to meet the needs of our diverse learner communities.”

A Best Digital Tools presentation will be held at ALA’s Annual Conference on Sunday, June 30, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. For more information, visit https://2024.alaannual.org/.

The American Association of School Librarians, www.aasl.org, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), empowers leaders to transform teaching and learning.