AASL Announces 2025 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 platforms that are reshaping how students and educators connect,create,and collaborate.From promoting literacy to enhancing critical thinking,these online tools serve as essential resources for educators and learners,”said Committee Chair Molly Dettmann.

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.

Engaging Young Readers and Writers

·Beanstack and BookBreak encourage reading engagement through customizable reading challenges and access to diverse literary content,fostering a culture of literacy in schools and libraries.

·Elementari empowers students to create interactive digital stories,blending literacy with coding and design thinking.

Creative and Collaborative Learning

·Canva offers user-friendly design tools perfect for student projects,presentations,and educational content creation.

·Kialo Edu is a platform for teaching critical thinking and argument mapping through structured debates and discussions.

·Learnics allows teachers to track student research habits,helping them guide inquiry-based learning more effectively.

·Stickity brings visual and interactive elements to lessons and feedback for Learners showing what they know,making learning sticky and memorable.

STEM and Digital Literacy Development

·Code.org leads the movement to bring computer science into every classroom,offering free coding curriculum and teacher support.

·Sooth.fyi is an internet search platform that provides real-time All Sides media bias ratings on research results that help students navigate the news and media they consume.

Cultural Awareness and Global Citizenship

·CFR Education,the educational arm of the Council on Foreign Relations,offers deep dives into international relations and global issues—ideal for civics and social studies educators.

·Latinx KidLit Book Festival celebrates diversity in literature,connecting students with Latinx authors and stories that reflect a wide range of cultures and experiences.

Multimedia and Visual Learning

·ClickView Education supplies educators with a library of curriculum-aligned videos to bring subjects to life.

·Project Look Sharp offers free media literacy curriculum kits for elementary through high school learners that combine visual analysis and media decoding with critical inquiry.

Support for Educators

·Concord Infiniti–LibPaths enables librarians and teachers to curate digital learning pathways and personalized research guides.

·MegaMinds delivers professional development resources focused on educational innovation and learner engagement.

Celebrating the Arts

·Poetry Foundation offers a treasure trove of poetry,educational guides,and classroom activities that inspire creativity and critical analysis.

Dettmann notes,“Together,these platforms offer some of the best in educational technology,helping educators meet students where they are and prepare them for a complex,interconnected world.”

The 2025 Best Digital Tools for Teaching&Learning exemplify how technology can transform education—empowering students to think critically,create boldly,and engage deeply in an ever-evolving world of knowledge and connection,”said AASL President Becky Calzada.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 Saturday,June 28,from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m.For more information,visit https://njjn-jsjc-gov-cn-s-1416.res.gxlib.org.cn:443/rwt/1416/https/GIZDENJPMFXGCZLPN34XC5BPN73GH/.

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

Members of the 2025 AASL Best Digital Tools for Teaching and Learning Committee:

·Molly Dettmann,Chair,Norman Public School(OK)

·Ivonne Cintron,Lake County Schools(FL)

·Blake Hopper,H.Y.Livesay Middle School(TN)

·Elizabeth Kahn,Retired(LA)

·Sarah Kresberg,Allen-Stevenson School(NY)

·Dr.Erin Shaw,University of Central Arkansas(AR)

·Diane Stinson,Prince William County Schools(VA)

·John Walker,Tuscaloosa City Board of Education(AL)

·Rachael Welsh,Sablatura Middle School(TX)

·Allison Cline,Staff Liaison