Help students find new interests, collaborate with peers, and learn new things.
In recent years, the role of a school librarian has become more and more technology-focused. Students these days visit the library not only to check out a book but also to do research on school computers, to create original movies or music with digital-creation tools, and, in some cases, even use a school's new 3-D printer in the library makerspace. Talk about a different library from the one we grew up in! But there's one thing that's stayed constant: The library is still a place for discovery. It's still a place for students to find new interests, collaborate with peers, and, most of all, learn new things.
If you're a librarian looking for new ways to innovate your library with technology, Common Sense Education has you covered. You can find tons of advice, top-rated tools, sample lesson plans, and more when using Common Sense Education. Below are five ways to help you get started.
1. Looking for something specific? Try Search.
Using Common Sense Education's Search feature is a great way to find what you're looking for fast. Try searching for anything from product reviews to blog posts, and find what you're looking for in no time.
- Tip: Looking for a blog post specifically for librarians? Type "Library" or "Librarian" into the search bar and select "Blog Articles" from the drop-down menu
- Tip: Looking to connect with other teachers you know on Common Sense Education? Type in your connection's name and select "Members" from the drop-down menu.
2. Looking for the best learning tools? Search our Top Picks.
Our Top Picks lists are composed of the best learning products rated by our expert editorial staff. You can filter your search by subject, grade level, and skill to find exactly what you're looking for. Then, go to town exploring all the best learning technology for your students' specific needs.
- Tip: Find a list you like? Save it to My Desk and share it with students and colleagues.
- Tip: Looking for great tools and tips to facilitate a makerspace? Simply type "makers" into the search bar and select "Top Picks," "Blog Articles," or "Collections" from the drop-down menu.
- Makerspace Top Picks Lists to Get You Started
3. Looking for some lesson-plan inspiration? Explore our Lesson Plans.
Don't forget to check out Lesson Plans created by your Common Sense Education teacher community. They're a great way to get ideas for lesson plans of your own that integrate learning technology.
- Tip: Lesson plans created by Common Sense Education Certified Educators are perfect for inspiration, since Common Sense Education Certified Educators have gone through the steps to get certified in teaching with technology. Interested in becoming certified? Click here to learn how.
- Tip: Type "Library" into the search bar and select "Lesson Plans" from the drop-down menu to find library-specific lesson plans.
4. Want to get the most out of Common Sense Education? Save, share, and explore content using your Collections.
Common Sense Education's Collections feature allows you to save reviews, Lesson Plans, Top Picks lists, and blog posts, then drag and drop content to create shareable Collections. If you're not feeling quite up to creating Collections of your own yet, try checking out other librarians' Collections for a bit of inspiration.
- Tip: Type "Library" or "Librarian" into the search bar and select "Collections" from the drop-down menu to find library-specific Collections created by your peers.
- Tip: Look for Collections created by Certified Educators to find subject-specific resources put together by education technology innovators. How do you spot a Certified Educator Collection? All Certified Educators have the Common Sense check-mark logo on their profile pictures. You can't miss it!
5. Want to stay current on innovating your library with technology? Participate in our Digital Classroom and Digital Citizenship webinars.
Check out our monthly webinars on edWeb to learn more about topics such as innovating with technology in the classroom and digital citizenship. Each webinar airs at the end of the month and offers solid teaching insight from expert educators in the field. On top of that, they're a great way to stay current on trends and topics within education technology at any given moment.
- Tip: Don't miss our next webinar. Find out what's up next and register here.
- Tip: Don't know what digital citizenship is? All the more reason to join our webinars! You can also learn more about digital citizenship through the Common Sense Education website.
