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Best Books of 2020
Dec. 2020

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Hyperdocs to use with Class Novels
LINK HERE

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Read a Book a Day in your classroom (virtual or in person)
#CLASSROOMBOOKADAY
Follett Book-A-Day Link

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classroombookaday was started by Jillian Heise (@heisereads) during the 2014-2015 school year, inspired by Donalyn Miller's (@donalynbooks) #bookaday challenge. With a goal to read aloud a picture book every day of the school year for a #bookaday with her 7th & 8th grade students, 180 complete texts were shared that grew classroom community and reading engagement.

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From Melissa Stewart

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Feel free to use these biographies and photo
in conference materials and printed media:

Melissa Stewart is the award-winning author of more than 180 science books for children, including Summertime Sleepers: Animals that Estivate; Seashells: More than a Home; Pipsqueaks, Slowpokes, and Stinkers: Celebrating Animal Underdogs; and Can an Aardvark Bark?. She edited the anthology Nonfiction Writers Dig Deep: 50 Award-winning Authors Share the Secret of Engaging Writing and co-wrote 5 Kinds of Nonfiction: Enriching Reading and Writing Instruction with Children's Books, Perfect Pairs: Using Fiction & Nonfiction Picture Books to Teach Life Science, K-2, and Perfect Pairs: Using Fiction & Nonfiction Picture Books to Teach Life Science, 3-5.
Melissa maintains the award-winning blog Celebrate Science and serves on the board of advisors for the Society of Children's Writers and Illustrators. She offers school visit programs in person or via Skype as well as programs for educators that focus on nonfiction writing techniques, using children's books to address curriculum standards, and creative ways to integrate science and language arts. melissa-stewart.com
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Melissa Stewart is the award-winning author of more than 180 science books for children. She has always been fascinated by the natural world and is passionate about sharing its beauty and wonder with readers of all ages.

Afterearning a bachelor's degree in biology from Union College in Schenectady, NY, and a master's degree in science journalism from New York University, Melissa worked as a children's book editor for nine years before becoming a fulltime writer in 2000. She has written everything from board books for preschoolers to resources guides for educators.

Melissa believes that nothing brings nonfiction writing to life like firsthand research. While gathering information for her books, she has explored tropical rain forests in Costa Rica, gone on safari in East Africa, and swum with sea lions in the Galapagos Islands.

When Melissa isn't writing or exploring the natural world, she spends time speaking at schools, libraries, and conferences for educators. She can't imagine any job she'd rather have.

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Melissa Stewart - Nonfiction Reading Resources

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Feel free to use these biographies and photo in conference materials and printed media: Melissa Stewart is the award-winning author of more than 180 science books for children, including Summertime Sleepers: Animals that Estivate; Seashells: More than a Home; Pipsqueaks, Slowpokes, and Stinkers: Celebrating Animal Underdogs; and Can an Aardvark Bark?.

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In This Together: School Librarians Help Address Learning Loss, Upheaval

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In This Together: School Librarians Help Address Learning Loss, Upheaval

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School Library Journal
By Wayne D’Orio
September 3, 2020

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Illustration by Monica Garwood

As schools reopen, either virtually, in-person, or some combination of the two, many educators hope the focus will quickly shift from facilities, PPE, and cleaning methods to students, learning, and social-emotional needs.

At the same time, they're grappling with where students are, academically and emotionally, six months after the abrupt shift to online learning. Meanwhile, the pandemic that has impacted so many families rages on.

School librarians are creating plans to greet their returning students, ease their anxieties, and address whatever learning gaps widened during the spring and summer. In fact, librarians are uniquely qualified to help students this fall, says Bill Bass, innovation coordinator for the Parkway School District in Missouri.

"Especially in this time of uncertainty, librarians have never been more critical to the nation's schools," Bass said in the new report from EveryLibrary Institute, " School Librarians and the COVID Slide." "As master curators, we rely on librarians to sift through the abundance of information and digital noise. They are essential in helping teachers and students understand how to find and utilize high-quality digital tools and content."

"Librarians have a flexible and broad view of their school," Bass maintains. "They see everyone who is in that school and can really help connect the dots for teachers around technology and access to content."

By late July, although most librarians still didn't know their school's opening plan, they were already working to meet student needs as they began to understand them, according to an online poll by School Library Journal.

Some plans to address the COVID slide were simple and direct: "Reading, reading, reading." Other survey respondents mentioned putting together book giveaways and creating home learning kits that could be jammed with activities and games for students.

READ: Texas High School Teacher Zooms Into Remote Classes from U.S. Historical Sites and Landmarks

EveryLibrary's report quantified the work librarians had done during remote schooling. More than 80 percent of respondents to that study said they provided curated resources for at-home activities, nearly as many shared community resources, and six out of 10 offered technical support. Almost half of librarians reported co-
teaching a class, while slightly more than one in 10 offered students makerspace events and gaming.

Measuring learning loss

Every year, educators fight the "summer slide," where experts quantify the learning loss students experience as anywhere from a few weeks to several months. In normal times, the extent of learning loss for older students is even greater, research shows. But with schools shifting abruptly, and for the most part not smoothly, to distance learning in the spring, bigger learning gaps than seen in a typical summer are expected in fall 2020.

Learning loss in part will be impacted by how a school's online learning program unfurled and how vigorously students participated. Early estimates from the EveryLibrary report predicted students would return to school this fall with about 70 percent of a typical year's English learning gains. (In math, the gap is expected to wipe out half a year of learning.) With many states canceling or postponing assessments, it may be even harder for teachers and librarians to determine exactly where to start when students return to learning in the fall.

Researcher Chris Minnich, the CEO of NWEA, a nonprofit that creates assessments for growth and proficiency for K-12 students, expects that the COVID-19 learning loss will hit younger students hardest, especially those who are acquiring basic skills. Students already facing steep inequities may be more affected, he adds. In some grades, students may lose an entire year of learning.

"We'll start with kids wherever they are," says Jody Timmins, media coordinator at the South Mebane (NC) Elementary School, part of the Alamance-Burlington School System. Her school is planning to run classes at half capacity, and she expects to be back in classrooms doing lessons on research and digital citizenship. Her library will not be open, but she will do a form of curbside checkout, bringing requested books to students' classrooms.

The school last conducted data benchmarks in January, and Timmins says most educators expect students to be right at that same level when school returns. Because students will do half their work at home, she expects to provide a lot of resources that allow teachers to personalize education for each student.

One private school librarian says her school regularly does assessments, so she expects a new set of tests at the beginning of this year will provide a road map for educators. "We'll determine by assessments where they are and then move on," she says.

Infographic from EveryLibrary Institute's "School Librarians and the COVID Slide" report. Infographic by Allison Mackley, courtesy of EveryLibrary

During the summer, Michelle Davis, librarian at Abingdon (VA) Elementary School, delivered free books to about 100 students and used the school's Facebook page to help drive students and families to the town library's holdings. If Davis's school begins the year online, she's ready to roll out some online lessons that might better reflect home life, such as work that can be easily overseen by an older sibling instead of requiring a parent.

"I'm doing high-quality read-alouds and picking books that will be timeless," she says.

"Be generous and gentle"

Like many librarians, Ariel Dagan is worried about the emotional state of his students, especially if they start school online. Dagan is the library media specialist at the Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical School in Franklin, MA, which has 1,000 students and 17 different programs. Students typically spend one week in the classroom taking core subjects and one week in shop, learning a trade.

"I had to work really hard to find content," he says of the spring, citing both students' varied interests and need for technical information. He found himself recommending the NPR podcast How I Built This.

READ: After Crisis, Opportunity: Embracing Antiracist Teaching

Beyond the challenge of delivering remote, hands-on learning tools to students, "Kids don't have daily routines, and we have some kids who are challenged," Dagan says. He has tried to show them how to tap into virtual hangouts to recover some connection with students while they are physically away from school.

"Kids who are stressed aren't going to be able to learn," a New York City school librarian told SLJ. School officials don't always appear to realize the enormity of how the global pandemic has scrambled students' feelings, not just their schedules, she added.

"Honestly, I think learning loss is the least of our worries," she says. "It's essential to give them space to talk about how they are feeling. If things are falling apart, we have to take care of them rather than push on with a lesson."

One respondent to SLJ suggested schools take the whole first month this fall to address students' social and emotional needs.

Librarian Marta Rivas worries about how young students at the private Shady Hill School in Cambridge, MA, will get to see and know their teachers with masks. In 2019-20, students at least spent the bulk of the school year mixing with teachers and classmates in person before being diverted online. Shady Hill plans a "soft" opening where about 20 percent of students are in the building just to practice new protocols.

Rivas will bolster her communication with families so she can ask them what their children need. With a fair number of students whose parents are first responders, she expects that staff will find a way to "hold kids accountable, and be generous and gentle."

But as of late July, Rivas still didn't know if her library would be open. "I'm hoping to get books to kids and teachers, but we don't know what it will look like," she says.

Either in-person or remote, Rivas expects to use books to help teachers and students begin difficult conversations about anxiety or social justice. "This will help our teachers talk more about race with a level of comfort," she says. "I'll probably contextualize the books more than I would normally, especially if they can't come to the library."

One way to meet students' emotional needs is to connect them with research and literature that may help them express how they feel. One Florida private school librarian challenged her middle schoolers to study early pandemics and analyze how politicians, doctors, and businessmen handled the 1918 flu. This work helped demystify some of today's rapidly changing news, she says, and gave students an outlet to understand the current situation better and discuss it with classmates.

A corner of the library at B. Everett Jordan Elementary School in Graham, NC, sits empty, awaiting its readers. The school starts the year with nine weeks of remote learning.

Photo courtesy of Alamance-Burlington Schools

Rethink typical tasks, take chances

EveryLibrary executive director John Chrastka is seeking to focus librarians with this simple advice: "Nothing's changed about the mission of school librarianship; the mode of delivery has changed."

Addressing equity, Bass says his district is speeding up its 1:1 plan by two years to ensure each student has both a device and an internet connection.

He says librarians should use this time to rethink the nature of what they do. "Librarians don't have the same boundaries as classroom teachers," he says. "They should provide authentic, meaningful experiences instead of trying to re-create physical classrooms."

Davis agrees. "Librarians can be whatever the school needs them to be. They can coteach [and] provide enrichment and links." Sometimes during the spring, she would pop into various classes' Zoom calls just to say hello and offer students a read-aloud. She even held Zoom parties for kindergartners in her school, making sure to offer lots of imaginative activities, and sometimes silly dances.

Still, with so much focus on how children will handle the new school year, librarians have been deeply affected by all these changes, too. In the middle of reviewing her preparations, Timmins stopped and acknowledged, "I miss the kids. I miss them incredibly."
Wayne D'Orio writes about education and equity.

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In This Together: School Librarians Help Address Learning Loss, Upheaval

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Illustration by Monica Garwood As schools reopen, either virtually, in-person, or some combination of the two, many educators hope the focus will quickly shift from facilities, PPE, and cleaning methods to students, learning, and social-emotional needs. At the same time, they're grappling with where students are, academically and emotionally, six months after the abrupt shift to online learning.

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Curated Resource of articles and book titles by Rene Hohls

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Children's Publisher Permissions for Reading Aloud Live and Recordings

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Children's Publisher Permissions for Reading Aloud Live and Recordings

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UPDATED 10/13/20

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Article updated September 6 to include additional publisher revised policies

With remote learning looking like the state of play this fall, publishers have extended permissions for read alouds of their titles.

To help educators and librarians engaged in online learning and storytimes held via Zoom and other virtual means, many publishers relaxed copyright restriction on their works at the start of the pandemic. (See "Publishers Adapt Policies To Help Educators ")

"With the uncertainty of what this upcoming school year will bring-either home-learning, in-classroom or a combination of both-and the number of requests to extend our Story Time Temp Permissions having increased over the past few weeks, we decided to announce the extension of the program through the end of 2020," wrote Skip Dye, SVP, Library Sales and Digital Strategy & SVP, Sales Operations, Penguin Random House, in a note accompanying PRH's announcement.

Included below are updates from Boyds Mills Kane, Enchanted Lion, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Sourcebooks, and TeachingBooks. These are included in SLJ's full COVID-19 Publisher Information Directory.

Publishers with updates or special policies or offerings related to remote learning can contact SLJ for inclusion in the Directory. Email us at sljupdates@mediasourceinc.com.

August House

Permission for Recording and Posting Read-aloud Stories from August House

August House, Inc. is committed to sharing stories from the world's great oral traditions. During this challenging time of the Covid-19 pandemic, August House, Inc. is supporting classroom teachers, families, educators and librarians who wish to use our stories in a variety of ways. As a result, August House, Inc. grants permission to teachers, families, educators, after school care providers
and librarians who would like to record and post online read-aloud versions of our titles for educational and non-commercial purposes.
Please follow these basic guidelines:

At the beginning of your recording, please note that you are reading/recording the book with permission from August House, Inc.

Read-aloud recordings can be shared on any site or social media platform where there is no user or subscriber fee including: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, public or independent school sites and any public or school library sites.

Please tag your recording with @augusthouse after you post on a social media site.

After you post your recording, please email us your name, the title, your institution and the name of the social media platform or site to: steve@augusthouse.com.

You can also access lesson plans aligned with the common core standards for our picture books, along with additional reading lists and learning resources at: https://www.augusthouse.com/learning-resources

By posting your read-aloud recording, you are agreeing to these terms of usage by August House, Inc.
This agreement to record and post recordings of our stories will run until December 31, 2020. At that
time, if you wish to extend the use and availability of your recording on social media platforms or
other web sites, please contact: steve@augusthouse.com for permission.

Bloomsbury

Support for Classroom Read-Aloud Videos and Read-Aloud Live Events

During these challenging times, Bloomsbury wishes to support parents, teachers and children while schools and public libraries are closed as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bloomsbury is therefore permitting teachers, authors, librarians and booksellers to create and share story time, read-aloud videos and live events temporarily, according to the below guidelines.

PLEASE NOTE:

These permissions are granted only in respect of teachers and educators providing distance learning to students in a virtual classroom setting, and to authors, booksellers and librarians who wish to provide a live reading aloud experience to young people who would normally visit a library or bookshop in person.

Permission is granted only for free use of the readings, and you may not charge in respect of any of the activities mentioned below without formal agreement from Bloomsbury.

Bloomsbury grants the permissions set out below until December 31, 2020.

In every case where a Bloomsbury book is read out loud we request that the title of the book and the name of the author and/or illustrator are announced at the beginning of each read aloud video or live event.

For Teachers and Educators - Story Time or Read Aloud Videos

Story time or classroom read-aloud videos in which a Bloomsbury book is read aloud (and, in the case of picture books, displayed) may be created and posted solely to closed educational platforms or to another closed network or platform where access is restricted to pupils of the teacher or educator.

If a teacher or educator plans to share a story time video by recording a video, uploading it to a YouTube channel, and posting a link to that YouTube video inside a closed educational platform, that YouTube video must be designated as "Unlisted" (not "Public") when uploading.

These story time and classroom read-aloud videos may be hosted on the educational or other closed platform and/or or YouTube (as an "Unlisted" file - see above) until the end of the current school year, after which they must be deleted from the relevant platform unless this permission is extended by formal agreement with Bloomsbury.

For Bookshops, Public Libraries and Bloomsbury Authors- Live Streaming:

Live events in which a Bloomsbury book is read out loud (and, in the case of picture books, displayed) may be streamed live, in real time, on social media platforms such as YouTube, Facebook Live, Twitter, and Instagram. Because these platforms automatically archive live events, when your event has finished, please immediately delete the link associated with the event and the recording of the event from your account.

REQUIRED NOTIFICATIONS:

Bloomsbury requests that all educators, authors, librarians and booksellers notify us via email to childrensmarketing@bloomsbury.com when you post or stream a story time or read-aloud video or live event and provide the following information:

Boyds Mills Kane

Update: June 1, 2020

Guidelines for Online Reading During the Coronavirus

How to share BMK books with students

* These guidelines are for all educators and librarians, wherever you reside.

A silver lining of the challenges we are currently facing is the heartwarming and absolutely unsurprising commitment we are seeing by authors, illustrators, teachers, librarians, and all other educators to make sure kids continue to have access to great books while schools are closed.

Here are our guidelines for reading Boyds Mills & Kane books online during this time:

Please note at the beginning of your recording that you are reading with permission from Boyds Mills & Kane.

You may post your recording on either a closed (e.g., through a password-protected school platform or a private YouTube channel accessible only by students/educators) or open platform.

If you post on a closed platform, please delete or disable access to your recording after September 7, 2020. If your recording is available on an open platform, it must be taken down after two weeks.

If you are an educator, please email your name and title to us at marketing@bmkbooks.com. We'd love to hear how you're using our books during this time!

By posting any recording, you agree to all terms outlined above. Boyds Mills & Kane may adjust these terms in the future, as the situation evolves.

Candlewick

Candlewick Press is operating in accordance with the newest COVID-19-related guidelines from the governor of Massachusetts. The majority of staff continue to work remotely, and Candlewick Press wants to assure you that we are taking every step possible to maintain business continuity while ensuring the safety and well-being of our staff. We understand that it's a time of uncertainty, and our thoughts are with all who have been impacted. Times like this remind us how thankful we are to be part of such a resilient community and how truly grateful we are for each and every one of our partners and readers. We thank you for your continued business.

For specific inquiries, please use the following email addresses:

COVID 19 online reading permission requests:

Candlewick Press is committed to the authors and illustrators who create our books and to the readers who love them. We value the art of storytelling and are keenly aware of the power of stories to connect and comfort us. During this difficult time, we want to ensure our authors' and illustrators' works are protected without being prohibitive. Please note, to avoid unrestricted sharing and possible copyright infringement for any of our titles, it is our policy not to permit any posted recorded video readings showcasing the entirety of our books on large, open, public platforms online such as YouTube, Facebook, etc. Live readings are permissible on open platforms; please see below.

Below are guidelines we ask you to follow, and by posting a reading, you are agreeing to these terms, which will remain in effect until your school, library, or venue reopens in full. Please note that many Candlewick Press books are available in audio and/or video formats. You may wish to seek out those versions of the books to meet your needs instead of making your own.

Live Readings:

Live readings of Candlewick Press books that are not recorded do not require permission from Candlewick Press. Librarians, teachers, parents, caregivers, members of the clergy, and staff of museums, bookstores, and nonprofits can, through virtual means, read any Candlewick Press title live to their patrons, students, and children. However, these readings cannot be archived or saved. If possible, we ask that live videos are posted only through your school or group's private platform or within a closed group with access limited to your student/patron community. Please note at the beginning of your live reading that you are reading with permission from Candlewick Press and give credit to the author and/or illustrator.

Recorded Readings:

Teachers, librarians, and those who intend to make recordings may share these readings only on private, closed platforms accessible solely to your students or patrons. These readings should not be archived or saved on public social media channels, websites, YouTube, etc.

Prior to posting your reading, please email onlinereadings@candlewick.com with your name, your city and state, the name of your school/library/institution, the name of the private and closed platform you will use to share the reading, and the title and author/illustrator of the book(s) you intend to read. Please note that we receive a high number of these requests and will do our best to respond as promptly as possible.

Authors and Illustrators:

Authors and illustrators can read their own books, as long as they've received permission from a co-creator. These readings can be live or posted for a limited time on such outlets as Instagram Stories, Snapchat, etc. For more recorded readings, or readings shared on closed, private platforms which will be posted for more than 24 hours, please contact onlinereadings@candlewick.com

Crabtree Publishing

Crabtree Publishing Company is dedicated to supporting our education community as we navigate uncertain service challenges. We realize that librarians, teachers, home-educators and parents are actively looking to provide reading resources for their students and community in an effort to keep them learning and reading. Virtual sharing through story time and online read-alouds provide that solution.

At this time, Crabtree is granting open permission to those individuals wishing to use our books in a virtual online setting to extend learning and engagement through read-alouds. We commend those individuals who have committed their efforts to furthering the education of their students and community during this time of uncertainty. It's wonderful to see individuals coming together, in a virtual manner, to enrich their communities, with the love of books and reading!

Teachers, librarians,home-educators and parents may use any Crabtree Publishing title in a read-along for non-commercial use until June 30, 2021 as follows:

At the beginning of the recording/live video, please indicate that you are reading with permission from Crabtree Publishing and reference the author.

Video live streams may include displaying the book as part of the reading.

Teachers, librarians, parents, caregivers, and clergy are granted permission to read any Crabtree Publishing title to their patrons, students, and children through virtual means(public or private platforms). Refer to conditions of recorded use below.

Recordings of video or live-stream read-alouds through public or private platforms (ie Facebook Live, Instagram, Zoom, Youtube Live and other such means) are allowed under the condition the recordings of these events are removed from your archives by June 30, 2020.

Please email permissions@crabtreebooks.com to notify us when you post a stream or recording using Crabtree Publishing books and include the following information:
- Name and address of library, school, institution, individual
- Title and author of book that is read
- Link or social media platform on which the video or live event is posted

We would love to see our books featured in your read-alongs so kindly tag Crabtree Publishing when referencing these recordings on social media!

Twitter: @CrabtreePub
Facebook: @CrabtreePublishing
Instagram: @CrabtreePublishing

By participating in a read-along recording using Crabtree Publishing books, you agree to the above terms,which are in effect until June 30, 2020. Should you have additional questions, please email permissions@crabtreebooks.com

Note: Usage is limited to individuals within Canada and the United States.

Disney Publishing Worldwide

EXTENDED THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2020!

The below permission license from DPW is limited to our Disney Press imprint and does not include Disney-Hyperion. The copyright for most of our Disney-Hyperion titles live with each author, so please check their website and/or social media posts. Mo Willems has granted permission here, Ryan T. Higgins has granted permission here, and Rick Riordan has granted permission here.

Back in February, DPW sold a number of titles to Hachette Book Group. Please double check the copyright of titles online and then send your requests (if applicable) to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

We are doing our best to keep up with the large volume of requests so we ask that you not email us to confirm any of the permissions we have listed here. If you do have other questions please send them to childrens.marketing@disney.com.

With the increase in school closures, and many schools transitioning to remote learning, Disney Publishing Worldwide has received numerous requests from teachers across the country asking for permission to post readings of books online for their students to access. We support the efforts of educators and librarians who wish to provide remote learning at this time. Our permission is limited to Disney Press titles. If you are not sure which category a book falls into, please reach out to us at the following address: childrens.marketing@disney.com.

We ask that if you read a Disney Press book online for your students that you follow a few short guidelines:

Please note that other organizations interested in posting videos of your Disney Press title reading will need to contact childrens.marketing@disney.com who will evaluate their request.

Thank you for all you are doing.

Enchanted Lion

Enchanted Lion is glad to support the creative efforts of educators and others who are providing remote learning in this environment. Should you choose to share our books online with your students/community, please follow these guidelines when doing so:

Please note at the beginning of the video that you are reading with permission of Enchanted Lion Books, and note title, author, and illustrator of the book.

Please only post your video through your school's private platform or through another group or platform with limited access for your students only.

Please delete/disable access by 8/30 for summer reading.

Please send an email to enchantedlion.community@gmail.com with your name, school, city, state, the title and author/illustrator of the book(s) you would like to read online, as well as a follow-up email with a link to your video once you've read it.

By posting a reading, you are agreeing to abide by the above guidelines.

Booksellers and librarians who are doing similar readings and/or live events should also follow the above guidelines.

Please note: No bookseller/librarian event may be archived or saved on the social media platform used.

All other organizations should contact us at enchantedlion.community@gmail.com .

Otherwise, please tag @Enchantedlion in any Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook posts!

Free Spirit Publishing

Dear Educators, Librarians, and Booksellers:

We appreciate your work on behalf of children at this crucial time. The terms listed here are meant to be your guide in using Free Spirit books to support distance learning. Further down are our standard permissions guidelines.

Requests for live, unrecorded readings:

Free Spirit Publishing is pleased to grant permission for one-time live readings of our books.

If you are hosting a virtual read-aloud with a Free Spirit book, you must:

Host only live readings rather than uploading recordings

Credit Free Spirit as publisher

Name freespirit.com as the URL where viewers can find the book

Delete videos on platforms that auto-archive live videos

Please email us at permissions@freespirit.com with the following information: your name, your organization/school and its location (city and state or country), the title and author/illustrator of the Free Spirit book you will be reading online, and the platform and date of the reading.

Thank you for your interest and commitment to supporting the social emotional and academic needs of all kids! We would love to follow along via social media. Please tag us at:

Facebook: FreeSpiritPublishing
Instagram:@FreeSpiritPublishing
Twitter:@FreeSpiritBooks

Requests for recorded readings:
Please be aware that we cannot grant permission for recorded readings of Free Spirit books to be posted online. See below for additional permissions information and contact us at permissions@freespirit.com if you have further questions.

Access Free Spirit Books on Epic
Access select Free Spirit titles for free on Epic, the leading digital library for kids 12 & under. The brand new service, Epic Free, offers every student 2 hours of free weekly reading. Families only need an invitation from their teacher to get started. Click here for full details.

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HarperCollins

PERMISSION FOR ONLINE READINGS 2020

Due to school, college, library, and bookstore closings, the General Books Group of HarperCollins Publishers has new policies in place to help educators, librarians, authors, and booksellers reach out to readers and students.

Terms for US only.

For information about new policies and resources from our Children's Division, please visit HarperAtHome.

The terms below are valid in the United States for books published by the General Books Group (adult trade books) of HarperCollins Publishers.

If you are an educator or librarian who would like to read a HarperCollins book online: We are granting permission to educators and librarians to read HarperCollins titles online, on video, through December 31, 2020.

These virtual readings may be streamed live via digital platforms, or if recorded, posted to closed educational platforms. If a closed platform is unavailable, recorded videos of readings may be uploaded to YouTube as long as they are marked "Unlisted." We ask that any educators or librarians performing or posting readings please do the following, as conditions of this grant of permission:

1. At the beginning of the reading, state it is "with permission of HarperCollins Publishers."

2. Send their name, school or library, city and state, and the title and author/illustrator of the book they intend to read online to academic@harpercollins.com.

3. Tag @HarperCollins in social media posts connected with their reading.

4. Delete uploaded videos or, in the event the applicable platform does not permit deletion, disable access to uploaded videos by December 31, 2020.

This permission grant is to best serve the community of readers out there who need us right now.

If you are a bookseller who would like to stream a live online reading of a HarperCollins book: We are granting permission to booksellers to stream live readings of HarperCollins titles online through December 31, 2020. For clarity, we are not granting booksellers permission to post recorded readings of our titles online. We ask that any booksellers performing live readings please do the following, as conditions of this grant of permission:

1. At the beginning of the reading, state it is "with permission of HarperCollins Publishers."

2. Send your name, city and state, and the title and author/illustrator of the book you intend to read online to academic@harpercollins.com.

3. Tag @Harpercollins in social media posts connected with your reading.

4. Delete any archival copies of the reading that the applicable digital platform may have stored.

If you are an author who would like to do a recorded or live reading of your HarperCollins book: We are granting you permission to read your HarperCollins titles online through December 31, 2020. These virtual readings may be streamed live via digital platforms, or if recorded, posted in closed educational platforms. If a closed platform is unavailable, recorded videos of readings may be uploaded to YouTube as long as they are marked "Unlisted." We ask that you work with your editorial and marketing contact so we can amplify appropriately. This permission grant is to best serve the community of readers out there who need us right now.

If you receive a request from a bookseller, educator or librarian, please refer them to the instructors listed above.

Just Us Books

Resources and Guidelines to Support At-Home and Remote Learning

To help support children, parents and families, educators, librarians and the greater community during this challenging time, Just Us Books has expanded read along permissions and resources for at-home and remote learning. If you are an educator or librarian who would like to use our books as part of an online read along or other online instruction, we please follow the guidelines posted here.

Lee & Low

During this critical time, we realize the absolute importance of continued learning in ways that do not put our students at risk. Normally there are companies licensed to professionally produce audio and video recordings of our titles; under the current circumstances, time does not permit professional production to take place.

For this reason, Lee & Low is granting permission to allow educators and librarians to do virtual read alouds of our titles for non-commercial purposes only. Here are our guidelines for reading Lee & Low titles online during this time:

Please note at the beginning of your recording that you are reading with permission from Lee & Low Books.

Recordings should only be posted/shared on closed platforms such as a private YouTube channel or password-protected school platform.

Story time or read-aloud events featuring our books may be streamed live through platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube Live. However, please make sure recordings of these events do not remain in your archives for more than 24 hours after the event has concluded.

Please tag @LEEandLOW when discussing any recordings featuring our books on social media

Please encourage readers to access the book through a digital lending platform (e.g. Sora/Overdrive, Epic!, Follett TitleWave, or MackinVIA) whenever possible.

Reporting: Please use this form to notify us when you post a stream or recording using our books.

By posting a reading, you agree to the above terms which are in effect until December 31, 2020. For other questions, or if your permission request does not fit the above guidelines, please email hehrlich[at]leeandlow.com.

Little Brown

With the majority of schools and libraries continuing to operate by remote learning this fall, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers has extended the permissions for teachers, librarians, and booksellers to post readings of books online for students to access through the remainder of the calendar year. We are in awe of your efforts to adapt to the changing needs of your students and communities, and we want to support you. We ask that if you read an LBYR book online to your students or library patrons that you follow a few short guidelines:

Please note at the onset of the video that you are reading with permission from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

Please only post your video through your school, library, or bookstore's private platform or through another closed group or platform with limited access for only your students or patrons.

Please delete your video or disable access by December 31, 2020, as this is a limited-time permission.

Please send your name, school, library, or bookstore, city, and state, as well as the title and author/illustrator of the book(s) you intend to read online to childrenspublicity@hbgusa.com.

By posting a reading, you are agreeing to abide by the above terms.

Please tag our social media handles in any posts affiliated with your readings-we'd love to see them!

Thank you for all of your incredible work to support students and families during an uncertain time.

Macmillan

With many schools around the country closed, and more closing daily, Macmillan wants to support teachers, librarians and parents as they work to keep their students and children engaged with reading and learning via virtual classrooms and other forms of remote learning.

Using Our Content in Media

During this emergency (through December 31, 2020), we have no objection to (1) teachers and librarians live streaming or posting videos reading our children's books to their students, provided it is done on a noncommercial basis, and (2) authors live streaming or posting videos reading their children's books, provided it is done on a noncommercial basis.

Oni Press

Read Aloud Guidelines The love of literacy and sharing stories has always been important to us. We realize that now more than ever, we need stories to inspire, uplift, and help us experience a world outside our own. We are granting temporary permission for libraries, schools, bookshops, and comic stores to record reading aloud our titles, and titles previously published under the "Lion Forge" name, provided the following conditions are met:

Prior to recording, please email marketing@onipress.com with the below information:

Title of the book you intend to read

Name and address of your school, library, store or organization

Contact information for the individual who will be reading the book

The location of where the recording will be hosted, with a link if possible.

At the beginning of your video please state that the reading of this book is done "with the permission of Oni Press".

Your introduction to the book should include the full title of the book and the full list of creators, as there are many individuals whose work makes comics and graphic novels possible. (You need not read Oni Press staff names)

If possible, please include the Oni Press logo at the beginning of your video and at the end. A copy of the Oni Press logo can be found here.

If possible, and if appropriate, please link to the OniPress.com website or the book's listing in the Oni Press store. Videos should not be live streamed to any social media, but should instead be hosted on a private server or closed educational platform, with limited access for students, patrons, or customers.

Reading live via Zoom in a closed setting such as a classroom or bookclub is permitted. If you do not have access to a closed platform, then you may post the video to YouTube provided the video is non-public, with the setting as "private" or "unlisted." Instructions on how to do so can be found here.

All recordings should be disabled/deleted by December 31, 2020 unless you have received written permission from Oni Press stating otherwise. If you have any questions regarding these guidelines, please contact marketing@onipress.com

If you are a librarian or educator who would like to receive more Oni Press news, resources, activities, and discussion guides, please ask to be added to our Forging Connections Newsletter so we can keep in touch! And follow along on social media @OniPress.

Peachtree

Permissions:

We want to do everything we can to help kids and parents, educators, librarians, and booksellers cope with the extraordinary situation we find ourselves in now while protecting the hard work of our authors and illustrators. Peachtree Publishing Company, Inc. is happy to share a resource page full of free downloadable teacher's guides and activity sheets.

We would be happy to allow you to read our titles to your audiences, but we do need your help to protect our creators' copyrights. We ask you to follow these guidelines:

We would also love to follow along with your read-aloud, so please tag us on social media in any posts affiliated with it!

Thank you for everything you are doing to help kids and families during this difficult time.

Penguin Random House

PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE

LICENSE EXTENDED TO DECEMBER 31st, 2020

In order to encourage reading and classroom read-aloud experiences, and to support schools and public libraries forced to close by the escalating COVID-19 outbreak, Penguin Random House is permitting teachers, librarians and booksellers to create and share story time and read-aloud videos and live events, according to the following guidelines which have been extended to December 31, 2020. This Open License is not meant to grant permission for the posting of any pre-recorded audiobook product.

For Teachers and Educators providing distance learning to students in a virtual classroom setting:

Story time or classroom read-aloud videos in which a Penguin Random House book is read aloud and the book is displayed (for picture books) may be created and posted to closed educational platforms such as Google Classroom, Schoology, Edmodo and Discovery Education, in order to replicate the read-aloud book experience that would otherwise be available to educators in the classroom.

If a Teacher or Educator plans to share a story time video by recording a video, uploading it to a YouTube channel, and posting a link to that YouTube video inside a closed educational platform, that YouTube video must be designated as "Unlisted" (not "Public") when uploading. See screenshot for how to choose "Unlisted" while uploading on YouTube.

These story time and classroom read-aloud videos may be hosted on the educational platform and/or YouTube (as an "Unlisted" file) until the end of the current school year, after which we request that they be removed from the educational platform and/or from YouTube, unless this permission is extended for the next school semester.

For Booksellers, Librarians and other readers who wish to provide a story time reading or other read-aloud experience to young people:

Story time or read-aloud live events in which a Penguin Random House book is read out loud and the book is displayed (for picture books) may be streamed live, in real time, on social media platforms such as YouTube, Facebook Live, Twitter, and Instagram.

These story time or read-aloud live events may not be maintained in the archive of the social media platform and appropriate measures should be taken to ensure that videos of the live events are not retained. Because these platforms automatically archive live events by default, when your event has concluded, please locate the recorded live video in your account (YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) and delete it. See screenshot for how to delete a live video from YouTube after it has concluded.

Reporting requirements - We ask that all educators, librarians, booksellers and other readers to please complete this form. As an Open License, permission will be deemed granted upon submission of the required information on the form, and your compliance with the above guidelines. If you have any questions, please email StoryTimeTempPermission@penguinrandomhouse.com.

Scholastic

As COVID-19 continues to impact schools and libraries, we remain sensitive to the needs of children to continue their learning and to reap the many benefits that literature brings them, especially during these challenging times. Only a short while ago, we were hopeful that schools would re-open and students would return to in person learning this Fall. But we all know too well that this is no longer a certainty and many schools will, at best, have some hybrid form of in-person and remote learning, while some schools may not re-open for in person classes at all. We continue to marvel at the educators, librarians and others across the country who remain committed to bringing the wonders of reading and literature to students by posting readings of books online for students to access, despite the ongoing challenges COVID-19 has thrown in their path. We want to support these efforts and have decided to reinstate our Read Aloud Permission Policy, which will remain in effect through December 31, 2020.

Guidelines for Teachers and Educators:

1. We ask that you post your reading through your school's platform or another closed group or platform with limited access for your students, such as your school's or district's network, Edmodo, Google Classroom, or similar service. However, we recognize this may not be possible, in which case you may post your video on YouTube, provided the video is posted as "unlisted" (not public) and you only share a link to the video with your students. Click here for instructions on how to upload a video to YouTube as unlisted.

2. At the beginning of your video, please state that you are presenting your reading "with permission from Scholastic."

3. Please delete your video or disable access by the end of this current school semester, but no later than December 31, 2020, unless we announce an extension to this policy.

4. Please complete the Permission Form available here.

By posting a reading, you are agreeing to abide by the above terms.

Finally, we would love to follow along with your read-aloud, so please tag Scholastic's social media handles in any posts affiliated with it!

Twitter: @Scholastic
Instagram: @ScholasticInc
Facebook: @Scholastic
YouTube: @Scholastic

Guidelines for Booksellers and Librarians

1. A live "story time" or other reading event may be livestreamed, in real time, on platforms such as Facebook Live, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter, provided they are not retained by the platform after the live event is over. These platforms automatically archive livestreamed events, so you will have to go in to your account with the platform and delete the video when the live event is over. For example, click here for instructions on how to delete a "live video" from your YouTube account.

2. At the beginning of your video, please state that you are presenting your reading "with permission from Scholastic."

3. Please complete the Permission Form available here.

By posting a reading, you are agreeing to abide by the above terms.

Finally, we would love to keep up with your read-aloud activity, so please tag Scholastic's social media handles in any posts related to your read-alouds!

Simon & Schuster

Summer 2020 Update: We are pleased to announce that we have extended these guidelines through December 31, 2020.

Simon & Schuster Online Book Readings - Spring 2020 (COVID‑19) Guidelines

Dear Educators, Librarians, and Booksellers:

Simon & Schuster is pleased to provide resources and support as you navigate distance learning and bookselling in the weeks ahead. Please visit The Book Pantry website for reading group and teaching guides, author studies, and more at SimonandSchusterPublishing.com/TheBookPantry

In addition, we will permit you to livestream and post readings of Simon & Schuster books online for your students and customers, subject to the following. By posting a reading, you are agreeing to these terms:

1. At the beginning of your video, please state that you are reading the book "with permission from Simon & Schuster."

2. We ask that you post your reading within the confines of your school, library, or store's platform or another closed group with limited access for your students and customers. However, for Ready-to-Reads, picture books, and any other younger formats, if this is not possible, you may post it through a public platform, such as YouTube.

3. For these younger formats, it is fine to read the entire book. For chapter books and novels, the readings should be limited to a few chapters.

4. Since this is a way to deal with the current extraordinary situation, your video should be deleted or access disabled by no later than December 31, 2020.

5. If you are an educator or librarian, email us at Education.Library@SimonandSchuster.com with your name, school, city, and state, and the title and author/illustrator of the book you intend to read online and the date. If you are a bookseller, email us at ChildrensPublicity@SimonandSchuster.com with your name, store, location, and the title and author/illustrator of the book you intend to read online and the date.

6. Finally, we would love to follow along with your read-aloud, so educators and librarians, please tag Simon & Schuster Education & Library's social media in your posts!

Twitter: @SSEdLib Instagram: @SSEdLib Facebook: @SSEdLib

Any recordings that Simon & Schuster Children's authors have made and posted may be used in the same way during this period of time.

Sourcebooks

As of 5/7/2020, we have extended our online storytime and reading requests policy to 12/31/2020 (previously 6/30/2020)

Sourcebooks' mission is to reach as many people as possible through books that will enlighten their lives. At the core of that mission is the unfaltering belief that Books. Change. Lives. In the face of the escalating COVID-19 outbreak, we are proud to continue that mission and support our community of teachers, librarians, and booksellers by permitting them to create and share story time and read-aloud videos and live stream events, according to the following guidelines:

Teachers and Educators

For Teachers and Educators who are looking to record and post content to replicate the classroom story time experience, we are happy to grant permission to temporarily create and post readings of Sourcebooks titles to closed educational platforms such as Google Classroom, Schoology, Edmodo, and Discovery Education until the end of the school year, upon which the videos should be removed from the relevant platforms.

Please note, all videos uploaded to YouTube for the purpose of sharing a link on a closed educational platform must be designated as "Unlisted" (or not "Public") when they are uploaded to YouTube to ensure a closed system.

Teachers and Educators may read and live stream Sourcebooks titles on YouTube, Facebook Live, Instagram Live, Twitter, or other live streaming platforms that are available to a closed school network. Live streams cannot be available to the public or recorded or permanently archived on any social media platforms. Live streams may be available for a 24-hour period after their initial recording. Please keep in mind that most social media platforms automatically archive live streams. After the 24-hour period has ended, all efforts must be made to ensure that all potential recordings and archives are deleted.

Reading and Reporting guidelines must be followed for all video posts and live streams.

Librarians and Booksellers

Librarians and Booksellers may include Sourcebooks titles in live reading events on YouTube, Facebook Live, Instagram Live, Twitter, or other live streaming platforms provided that said live events are not recorded or posted.

Live streaming events that include Sourcebooks titles cannot be recorded or permanently archived on any social media platforms. Live streams may be available for a 24-hour period after their initial recording. Please keep in mind that most social media platforms automatically archive live streams. After the 24-hour period has ended, all efforts must be made to ensure that all potential recordings and archives are deleted.

Reading and Reporting guidelines must be followed for all video posts and live streams.

Reading and Reporting Requirements

Start your reading with "Read by permission from Sourcebooks" and please be sure to read the name of the author and illustrator

Please notify us via the google form below for any reading you hold. If you hold multiple events/read-alouds, submit each time you are holding a storytime with one of our books. Information needed includes:

Name and address of the library, school, or store

Title, author and ISBN of the book that is read

Contact information for the individual responsible for the reading

The educational or social media platform on which the video or live event is posted or held and a link to that video or live event
https://forms.gle/gtPo3yEXVMXjHUpt5
Videos must be taken down by 12/31/2020, unless permission to extend the term has been obtained from Sourcebooks.

For any questions, please email permissions@sourcebooks.com.

TeachingBooks

Open through September 15, you can freely invite your students and families to delve into the world of children's and young adult books. Encourage them to experience read-along performances of favorite titles that are translatable into 100+ languages. Invite them to virtual storytime with 1,000+ complete book readings. And with our new reader's advisory, insightful interviews with thousands of authors, and discussion questions for most books, virtual book clubs are well equipped, too.

TeachingBooks is currently licensed by more than 50,000 schools and libraries, offering readers of all ages this vast, professionally curated collection of resources about children's and young adult books. Please enjoy and share throughout your community the open-access link: TeachingBooks.net/HomeEdition.

If you wish a more customized approach to seamless access during this unprecedented time, please see the "Open Access and Use" section of the Home Edition kit where you can request buttons and links to post on your websites, social media, or anywhere your students look. Or for school communities, set up access for your institution through Clever or ClassLink by asking your technology director to reach out to us, and we'll get back to you asap -- ray@TeachingBooks.net.

On behalf of all of us at TeachingBooks, we wish you and your community our very best. Freely reach out if we can be of any assistance deepening connections to authors and books.

Kathy Ishizuka

Kathy Ishizuka is editor in chief of School Library Journal.

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With Remote Learning Still the Norm, Publishers Extend Permissions for Read Alouds UPDATED

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Article updated September 6 to include additional publisher revised policies With remote learning looking like the state of play this fall, publishers have extended permissions for read alouds of their titles. To help educators and librarians engaged in online learning and storytimes held via Zoom and other virtual means, many publishers relaxed copyright restriction on their works at the start of the pandemic.

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ALA Resources for Libraries

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A pandemic is an outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area and affects an exceptionally high proportion of the population. ( Merriam-Webster Online). This page provides information about preparing for a pandemic, including library-specific policy suggestions and more universal resources on pandemic education, prevention and preparation. Some of the resources are specific to seasonal influenza outbreaks and the 2019/2020 COVID-19 pandemic, but can be used more universally to help educate and inform decisions on pandemic prevention and preparedness.

News

Below are news items from ALA and other sources regarding Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). News items will be added as they are released.

ALA News and official ALA statements:

New ALA Resource, Free Webinar Spotlight Changes to the 2020 Census in Response to COVID-19 (ALA News, June 23, 2020)

Library Associations Underscore Importance of IMLS COVID-19 Efforts (ALA News, April 28, 2020)

National Library Week, April 19-25, 2020, Celebrates Libraries' Resilience During the COVID-19 Pandemic (ALA News, April 15, 2020)

American Library Association cancels 2020 Annual Conference due to COVID-19 (ALA News, March 24, 2020)

American Library Association recommends libraries leave WiFi open during closures while continuing to follow any applicable local, state and federal health and safety guidelines

ALA Executive Board recommends closing libraries to public (ALA News, March 17, 2020)

ALA Statement on COVID-19 (American Libraries, March 13, 2020)

View all ALA press releases related to COVID-19
From American Libraries:
View all American Libraries content related to COVID-19
From the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Board of Directors:

From the Association of Library Service to Children (ALSC):

From the ALA Office of Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services (ODLOS):

From ALA Publishing:

From Programming Librarian, a website of the ALA Public Programs Office:
View all Programming Librarian content related to COVID-19
From the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA):

From the Association of Research Libraries (ARL):

From the REopening Archives, Libraries and Museums (REALM) research project:

Library responses to COVID-19

From Lisa Janicke Hinchliffe (2010-2011 ACRL President) and Christine Wolff-Eisenberg (Ithaka S+ R):

From the Public Library Association:

Crowdsourced resources:

Topics to include in an individual library policy

Below are some topics to include in an individual library policy on illness and/or pandemic prevention and preparedness - after ensuring (if necessary) that they are consistent with the policies of the library's governing body:

Criteria for closing the library

Employee policies for sick leave, payroll and banking/financial issues, working from home

Mandated documentation of procedures or cross training so others can take over for sick employees.

Policies for social distancing -- that is, removing a number of chairs so people aren't sitting close to each other, or limiting the number of people who can come in at any one time, or taking out coat racks, and similar things that keep people and their belongings separate from each other.

Criteria for suspending story times and other library programs.

Provision of masks and gloves along with the training of staff in their removal and disposal.

Standards for the cleaning of bathrooms, railings and door knobs, telephones, keyboards, counters, and cleaning of workstations/offices of employees who go home sick, emptying of wastebaskets, etc.

Setting a schedule for seeing to the critical needs of the facility if the library is closed for an extended time (boiler and building checks by custodians, book drop, payroll and banking considerations).

Communications plan for reaching staff and for communicating with the public

Means for continuing to provide information services for the public, such as digital reference, online materials access and expansion of other online resources

Accommodation of the needs of people in the community who rely on library resources

Education of the public in advance of an epidemic

Professional development/training resources

Resources from ALA

Recording: ALA Connect Live: COVID-19 and the Library Community Response from 4.23.20

From the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL):

From the ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee:

From the Association for Library Collections & Technical Services (ALCTS):

From the Association of Specialized Government and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASGCLA):

A COVID-19 Resources page, including a section of resources specifically for children and teens

From the ALA Chapter Relations Office (CRO):

From the Public Library Association (PLA):

A PLA Resources on COVID-19 webpage, with information for public librarians to consider at their libraries, communities and families respond to the COVID-19 crisis

From the Public Policy and Advocacy office (PPA):

Federal resources

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) offers many resources on the prevention, treatment and national impact of influenza and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), including:

From the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA):

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) provides a self-paced course on setting up a Continuity of Operations Plan, as well as multiple resources on the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) provides Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for an Influenza Pandemic, with information on ways influenza can spread and steps every employer can take to reduce the risk of exposure to pandemic influenza in their workplace,

A U.S. Department of Education COVID-19 resource page includes guidance specific to elementary, secondary, and higher education settings.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has a Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) resource page, with a listing of fast facts and frequently asked questions.

From the U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO):

State and local resources

From the CDC:

Some other helpful resources from state and local agencies:

Additional resources

Resources on disinfecting books, practicing good hygiene and keeping workspaces clean and disinfected:

The REopening Archives, Libraries and Museums (REALM) project - from OCLC, IMLS and Batelle - conducted research on how materials can be handled to mitigate exposure to staff and visitors. Results of this study, published June 22, 2020, found that the virus SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 is not detectable on five common library materials after three days.

American Libraries has published an article, How to Sanitize Collections in a Pandemic (March 27, 2020), which provides advice from several conservators on the proper way to disinfect circulating materials

The Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) has provided recommendations on Disinfecting Books and Other Collections on their website.

The National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT) hosted a Facebook live video on March 23 - now archived and available for asynchronous viewing on their website - entitled Covid-19 Basics: Disinfecting Cultural Resources. A few helpful resources cited in this presentation:

Library Journal published an article, IMLS, CDC: On Staff Safety, Handling Paper In COVID-19 Pandemic (April 8, 2020), summarizing the March 30 webinar from the IMLS and CDC, "Mitigating COVID-19 When Managing Paper-Based, Circulating, and Other Types of Collections" (recording linked above)

The CDC has a page offering Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers, which includes advice on keeping workspaces clean and how to guide employees towards practicing good respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene. They also offer properties of an ideal disinfectant.

The ALSC Blog offers Best Practices for Cleaning Play and Learn Spaces in libraries - with advice that could be applied to all frequently-touched surfaces during an outbreak of influenza or other viruses

NPR offers a somewhat lighthearted look at proper hand-washing technique with their article "How to Do a Really Good Job Washing Your Hands"

Mental health resources to help with pandemic-related fears and anxiety:

From the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) and the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), a continually updated page of downloadable translated language resources to help libraries communicate with their communities

PSA/Promotional resources:

Resources for children and young adults:

Resources for older adults:

Resources from the World Health Organization (WHO):

Resources from the Mayo Clinic:

From Unicef:

The Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering has a global map of COVID-19 cases, updated in near real-time and with data available for download.

Further reading:
Page updated June 30, 2020
Image byFelipe Esquivel Reed used under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

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A pandemic is an outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area and affects an exceptionally high proportion of the population. (Merriam-Webster Online). This page provides information about preparing for a pandemic, including library-specific policy suggestions and more universal resources on pandemic education, prevention and preparation.

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CDC Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfecting

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CDC Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfecting

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Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfecting _ CDC

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Research Shows Virus Undetectable on Five Highly Circulated Library Materials After Three Days

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Research Shows Virus Undetectable on Five Highly Circulated Library Materials After Three Days

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Institute of Museum and Library Services
June 22, 2020

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Institute of Museum and Library Services

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Research Shows Virus Undetectable on Five Highly Circulated Library Materials After Three Days

Findings are Part of REALM Project to Produce Science-Based Information to Help Mitigate Exposure to Virus
Washington, DC- In the first phase of a project to disseminate and develop science-based information about how materials can be handled to mitigate exposure to staff and visitors, scientists have found that the virus SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 is not detectable on five common library materials after three days.

The findings are part of the REopening Archives, Libraries, and Museums (REALM) Project designed to generate scientific information to support the handling of core museum, library, and archival materials as these institutions begin to resume operations and reopen to the public. The first phase of the research is focusing on commonly found and frequently handled materials, especially in U.S. public libraries.

Over the past few weeks, scientists at Battelle tested the virus on a variety of surfaces, in environments with standard temperature and relative humidity conditions typically found in air-conditioned office space. Materials tested in phase one included the cover of hardcover books (buckram cloth), the cover of softback books, plain paper pages inside a closed book, mylar protective book cover jackets, and plastic DVD cases. Battelle tests found the virus undetectable after one day on the covers of hardback and softback books as well as the DVD case. The virus was undetectable on the paper inside of a book and mylar book jackets after three days. "It's below the limit of detection on our viability assay," said Battelle Principal Research Scientist Will Richter.

Lab testing of physical items followed literature reviews conducted by Battelle to help define the scope of the project's research and the information needs of libraries, archives, and museums. Last week, the REALM Project released " Systematic Literature Review of SARS-CoV-2: Spread, Environmental Attenuation, Prevention, and Decontamination," prepared by Battelle. This is an in-depth review of published literature on virus transmission, attenuation, and decontamination methods that can inform discussion and decisions about operations in archives, libraries, and museums.

"Scientific research is essential to answer questions about the spread of the coronavirus on materials that are ever-present in our nation's libraries, archives, and museums," said IMLS Director Crosby Kemper. "We recognized the need to test specific items and surfaces as these organizations are now reopening, asking: How can we mitigate risk to staff? How should patrons and visitors handle books, touchable exhibits, or DVD cases? Our aim was to equip America's libraries, archives, and museums with information to help them do what they do best: continue serving their communities. I am so pleased and hopeful that this critical work will be reaching the people who need it."

"Results from this ongoing research project will help libraries, archives and museums plan with greater confidence at a difficult time," said Skip Prichard, OCLC President and CEO. "Although there are various sources of general information about handling materials in the time of COVID-19, this project is designed specifically to test materials and provide useful science-based information to these institutions. Equipped with this critical information, they will be better able to determine measures they can take to mitigate exposure to staff and the communities they serve."

"Any library worker would agree that people make good decisions when their decisions are based on facts and evidence," said Nate Hill, Executive Director, Metropolitan New York Library Council and member of the REALM Project Steering Committee. "The output of the REALM Project, both the systematic literature review and the lab test results, give library workers the information they need to make practical, informed decisions as they reopen their spaces and resume their services."

Battelle will be initiating lab testing on an additional five materials this month, with results expected by the end of July. Examples of public library reopening plans are being collected, curated, and shared to the website this week. The research reports will inform development of toolkit resources, content, and programming that will help translate the findings for real-world applications in museums, libraries, and archives.

"As museums across the country draft their reopening plans, we know that our exhibitions and galleries contain a vast variety of materials that are not addressed in state and federal public health guidelines," said Carole Charnow, President and Chief Executive Officer, Boston Children's Museum and member of the REALM Operations Working Group. "Therefore, we need up to date, science-based information specific to museums. For those of us that are hands-on, interactive institutions, this is especially critical. The REALM Project is providing the invaluable evidence-based information museum professionals need in order to ensure the highest possible standards of safety for our staff and visitors."

The REALM Project is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the primary source of federal funding for museums and libraries; and OCLC, a nonprofit library technology and research organization; in partnership with Battelle, a not-for-profit global scientific research and development organization.

Project updates are posted at oc.lc/realm-project as they become available. Those interested can also sign up through the project website to receive timely email updates when new information is released.

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's libraries and museums. We advance, support, and empower America's museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. Our vision is a nation where museums and libraries work together to transform the lives of individuals and communities. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Media Contacts:
About Battelle
Every day, the people of Battelle apply science and technology to solving what matters most. At major technology centers and national laboratories around the world, Battelle conducts research and development, designs and manufactures products, and delivers critical services for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio since its founding in 1929, Battelle serves the national security, health and life sciences, and energy and environmental industries. For more information, visit www.battelle.org.

About OCLC
OCLC is a nonprofit global library cooperative providing shared technology services, original research and community programs so that libraries can better fuel learning, research and innovation. Through OCLC, member libraries cooperatively produce and maintain WorldCat, a comprehensive global network of data about library collections and services. Libraries gain efficiencies through OCLC's WorldShare, a complete set of library management applications and services built on an open, cloud-based platform. It is through collaboration and sharing of the world's collected knowledge that libraries can help people find answers they need to solve problems. Together as OCLC, member libraries, staff and partners make breakthroughs possible.

IMLS: Erica Jaros at ejaros@imls.gov or (202) 330-7864
OCLC: Bob Murphy at murphyb@oclc.org or (614) 761-5136
Battelle: T.R. Massey at masseytr@battelle.org or (614) 424-5544; (614) 202-7553 mobile

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Research Shows Virus Undetectable on Five Highly Circulated Library Materials After Three Days

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Research Shows Virus Undetectable on Five Highly Circulated Library Materials After Three Days Findings are Part of REALM Project to Produce Science-Based Information to Help Mitigate Exposure to Virus Washington, DC- In the first phase of a project to disseminate and develop science-based information about how materials can be handled to mitigate exposure to staff and visitors, scientists have found that the virus SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 is not detectable on five common library materials after three days.

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Virtual Classroom Bitmoji and activity resources

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Virtual Classroom Bitmoji and activity resources

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By Esther Park, ESL teacher and Distance Learning Pro! Twitter: @MrsParkShine

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Adaptive and Differentiated Tools
Saddleback Publishing and     Southport CoLAB

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September 8th at 11:00am
School Library Journal Webcast

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Picture Books for Fall
Tuesday, September 8, 2020
2-3 PM ET, 11 AM-12 PM PT

Visual storytelling provides one of the earliest building blocks for helping young minds make sense of their emotions and surroundings. Join this webcast for a preview into the colorful and candid world of picture books, spanning timeless educational concepts to stories of loss and hope. Here is just a sample of the forthcoming titles you'll hear about:

A Vote is a Powerful Thing: Callie knows there's a presidential election coming up. Her class is having an election, too, about an issue that affects them all-the class field trip! She's about to witness first-hand what a difference a vote can make-even a single vote-and along the way will find out about the election process and why people have fought for the right to vote throughout history.

Arithmechicks Take Away: This simple picture book about math concepts, the second in a series, is perfect for young children and a great choice for teachers, librarians, and parents who choose to homeschool!

While You Were Away by Thodoris Papaioannou, illustrated by Petros Bouloubasis: "Beautifully rendered ... offers a gentle reminder to appreciate the natural world and its creatures." (STARRED review, School Library Journal)

For Beautiful Black Boys Who Believe in a Better World by Michael W. Waters and illustrator Keisha Morris: Inspired by real-life events, this book tells the story of a boy named Jeremiah and his family who discover hopeful forms of activism and advocacy in response to racism and gun violence in their community. Includes a discussion and activity guide by the Muhammad Ali Center.

Robobaby by David Wiesner: In this hilarious gem from triple Caldecott winner David Wiesner, it's big sister to the rescue when a new baby is delivered to a family of robots and the adults are flummoxed by technical difficulties.

You'll Find Me: STARRED REVIEW, Kirkus! Loss becomes remembrance in this rhyming book that offers tender ways to pay tribute to, and meaningfully incorporate, a loved one's lost presence into present and future life experiences. Be it departed friends, family, pets, and more, memories can carry us beyond the precious moments we have together to keep the ones we loved before in mind forever.

...and more!

Register Now!

Presenters

Lisa White, Associate Manager, Marketing & Publicity, Albert Whitman & Company

Kerry McManus, Marketing Manager, Boyds Mills & Kane, and Deborah Sloan, Marketing Consultant, minedition

Kerri Daly, Marketing Manager, Flyaway Books

Amanda Acevedo, Marketing Manager, School & Library, and Taylor McBroom, Marketing Specialist, School & Library, HMH Books for Young Readers

Kristine Enderle, Editorial Director, and Jason Wells, Marketing Director, Magination Press, Books for Kids from the American Psychological Association

Heather Ji, Youth Services Librarian, Fox River Valley Public Library Moderator

Sponsored by

Can't make it September 8th? No problem!
Register now and we will email you when the webcast is available for on-demand viewing.

Follow us on Twitter!
@SLJournal #SLJPictureBooks

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Picture Books for Fall Tuesday, September 8, 2020 2-3 PM ET, 11 AM-12 PM PT Visual storytelling provides one of the earliest building blocks for helping young minds make sense of their emotions and surroundings. Join this webcast for a preview into the colorful and candid world of picture books, spanning timeless educational concepts to stories of loss and hope.

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Read the World with               Kristin Ziemke and Katie Muhtaris

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Read the World with               Kristin Ziemke and Katie Muhtaris

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Distance & Digital Learning Support

A curation of resources for online, at home or in school learning

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Read the World Distance & Digital Learning Support

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YouTube series for teens investigates controversial subject matter to help young viewers draw informed conclusions, while inspiring media literacy and civic engagement.

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kqed "above the noise" "myles bess" "shirin ghaffary" "media literacy" science "current events" explainer ngss "common core" news journalism research above the noise pbs education youth teens media investigate evidence student high school

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ABOVE THE NOISE is a show that cuts through the hype and takes a deeper look at the research and facts behind controversial and trending topics in the news. ...

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Common Sense Media

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Use this lesson plan to help students think deeply about the role of faked and synthetic media in their lives.

Every day, teens engage with countless images and videos that have been edited or digitally altered. From simple Snapchat filters to short, lighthearted, or ironic TikTok videos, it's clear that young people are pretty savvy when it comes to consuming -- and creating -- manipulated media. And in a lot of ways, seeing altered media is just part of being online today.

But are your students aware of -- or have they thought deeply about -- disinformation online, including the phenomenon of deepfake videos? Known more formally as a type of "synthetic media," these altered videos usually show real people doing and saying things they never actually did or said. The thing that makes deepfakes different is that they're created almost entirely with artificial intelligence, or "AI." This technology is advancing quickly, and some experts believe that some of these fakes will soon be nearly imperceptible to the human eye.

"Deepfakes are really the latest incarnation of manipulated media. Think Photoshop on steroids." -Dr. Hany Farid, UC Berkeley School of Information

Use this lesson plan to have your students consider questions like: Why are faked images and videos so popular? How might AI or deepfake technology subvert or threaten a democratic election? And perhaps more universally, How does the existence of this new technology change the way we see the world?

Recommended for:

Grades: 8-12
Subjects: ELA, social studies, newspaper/media, digital citizenship

Prep for teachers

Preview the media examples in the "Manipulated Media" Google Slide deck. If you'd like to use your own examples, you can simply make your own copy. Please note that the video in slide 8 contains explicit language -- please preview before deciding whether it's appropriate for your class.

Make copies of the "Manipulated Media" worksheet that accompanies the slides.

In the classroom

Hook (10 minutes):

Before showing the video, give students an essential question for their viewing: "What is deepfake technology, and what are its potential impacts for us, for our democracy, and for our world?"

As students watch, have them practice using questions from the "See, Think, Wonder" Visible Thinking routine to guide their critical thinking: What do you see? What did it make you think about? And, What do you wonder?

Show the video: "Deepfakes and Democracy: Know Before You Vote."

Unable to view on YouTube? You can also watch this video on our site.

Discussion (15 minutes):

After watching, lead a whole-class discussion about the video. Ask your students: What did you see that stuck out to you? What did it make you think about? And, What do you still wonder about after watching the video? You can also follow up with some more direct questions for discussion, depending on time and your class's response to the video:

Are you worried about what could happen if deepfake videos became more prominent? Why, or why not?

Should technology companies like Facebook, Google, or YouTube play a role in alerting the public about faked images or videos? Should the government play a role?

Right now, it's easiest to make deepfake videos of famous people or public figures since the computer algorithms require a lot of existing images and footage to create a fake video. But as the technology advances, experts say, fakes could be made with far less source material (potentially with even just a few photos from public social media profiles). If that happens, how might everyday citizens be affected by this technology?

What are the potential consequences of deepfake video technology on our legal, criminal justice, or judicial systems?

Whole-class activity (20 minutes):

Ask your class to think about the larger role of manipulated media in our daily lives. Where else do we encounter images, videos, or audio recordings that are manipulated, edited, or altered in some way?

Then, view a series of manipulated images (and one video) in the "Manipulated Media" Google Slide presentation. Each of these examples has been heavily edited or doctored, or completely faked. As you view each example, have students complete the "Manipulated Media" worksheet (a variation of the " See, Think, Wonder" thinking routine from the video activity above). Please note that the video in slide 8 contains explicit language -- please preview before deciding whether it's appropriate for your class.

Give students time to reflect and record their thoughts on the worksheet.

As you work your way through the examples, ask students to share their responses and reactions.

Final Discussion/Writing Reflection (5-10 minutes):

Before finishing the lesson, wrap up the whole-class discussion and/or have students complete a five- to 10-minute exit note to tie all their thoughts together. You can use any of the questions above, or return to the lesson's essential question: What are the potential impacts of deepfake technology for us, for our democracy, and for our world?

Possible follow-ups
Editor's note: This resource is part of a series that helps teachers facilitate classroom discussions about trending and timely issues in the news and media. For more, browse our library of news and media literacy articles.

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Are Deepfake Videos a Threat to Democracy? | Common Sense Education

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Every day, teens engage with countless images and videos that have been edited or digitally altered. From simple Snapchat filters to short, lighthearted, or ironic TikTok videos, it's clear that young people are pretty savvy when it comes to consuming -- and creating -- manipulated media.

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Common Sense Media

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Common Sense Education provides educators and students with the resources they need to harness the power of technology for learning and life. Find a free K-12 Digital Citizenship curriculum, reviews of popular EdTech apps, and resources for protecting student privacy.

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Common Sense Media

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Prepare your students for tomorrow's headlines with our free news & media literacy activities and inquiry-based lessons lessons.

From viral trends to breaking news on social media, students must learn to navigate a noisy, biased, and challenging world. But with the right support, they can learn to be critical and not cynical, to practice empathy, and to speak up, not sit back. This collection of Common Sense's free news & media literacy lessons, videos, and classroom activities will help you get started teaching these important and complex ideas in the classroom.

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News and Media Literacy Resource Center | Common Sense Education

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Prepare your students for tomorrow's headlines with essential news and media literacy lessons, videos, printables, and more. Get a just-right resource for your classroom.

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Distance Learning Instruction Planning Guidance

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Distance Learning Instruction Planning Guidance

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CDE Guidelines
August 18, 2020

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Common Definitions | Instructional Time by Grade Level | Research-Based Distance Learning Principles | Initial Support for Distance Learning | Use of Common Tools | Success Criteria | References

Distance learning in the COVID-19 context provides a unique challenge in that, in many cases, neither families nor educators chose to engage in this model of instruction, it is an opportunity provided due to circumstances beyond our control. It is also important to acknowledge the understandably high levels of stress and anxiety these circumstances have created across the system in adults and children alike. During this time it is vitally important that we all give attention to and provide space for the emotional well-being of those within their organizations and communities. The guidance provided here is meant to offer suggestions for best practice in a distance learning setting through a lens of continuous improvement. As we all embark on a new learning journey successful outcomes will rely heavily on our collective ability to monitor the effectiveness of current practices, respond to feedback and changes in public health conditions, iterate or redesign, and repeat the improvement cycle. Each LEA is encouraged to work together with stakeholders at the local level to identify needs and determine the appropriate supports to address the local context.

It is important to develop structures that continue to place students at the center of learning, understanding the varied contexts of at home supports. While nothing will replace the invaluable connection developed through in-person teaching, there are best practices LEAs may consider in order to maximize instructional time. It is important to consider utilizing the time educators spend directly interacting with students to be focused, planned, and designed to further student learning goals. Learners will need opportunities for guided learning with an educator, as well as opportunities to work with peers, families, and community members to apply their learning and practice their skills. On June 29, 2020, the Governor signed Senate Bill (SB) 98 which reinforced these concepts providing required instructional minutes for grade-levels while emphasizing the necessity of teacher-student engagement. This document offers suggestions in four key areas 1) clear definitions of instructional models and language outlined in statute, 2) an overview of required daily minutes for the 2020-21 school year and considerations for synchronous and asynchronous instruction (California Education Code (EC) Sections 43501(a)(b)(c)(d)(e), 3) researched based principles for considerations for LEAs as they prepare to open school and 4) sample student learning blocks that provide a few ideas for how educators may structure learning. This guidance is not all-encompassing as instructional time can be a nuanced area. These suggestions are recommended best practices and do not constitute legal advice or a legal service. Any unique or specific instructional time questions should be referred to the California Department of Education (CDE) School Fiscal Services Division at attendanceaccounting@cde.ca.gov. Any specific unique distance learning program questions should be referred to distancelearning@cde.ca.gov.

Common Definitions

The definitions below are designed to provide a common understanding of the various models of learning and their unique distinctions and to avoid the common misconception of applying terms interchangeably. It is important to note that not all distance learning requirements outlined in statute are included in this document. Readers should consider CDE Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and additional guidance documents as they plan for and engage in distance learning during the 2020-21 school year to ensure all requirements are met.

Distance Learning. Instruction in which the pupil and instructor are in different locations and pupils are under the general supervision of a certificated employee of the local educational agency. Distance learning may include but is not limited to all of the following:

Interaction, instruction, and check-in between teachers and pupils through the use of a computer or communications technology

Video or audio instruction in which the primary mode of communication between the pupil and certificated employee is online interaction, instructional television, video, telecourses, or other instruction that relies on computer or communications technology

The use of print materials incorporating assignments that are the subject or written or oral feedback (EC 43500(a))

Blended Learning. Combination of in-person and distance instruction.

Independent Study. Independent Study is provided as an alternative instructional strategy, not an alternative curriculum. Independent study students work independently, according to a written agreement, and under the general supervision of a credentialed teacher or teachers. Students enrolled in an independent study program for the 2020-21 school year must meet the additional requirements of distance learning. For more information regarding independent study requirements see: https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/eo/is/isprogramsummary.asp

Home School. In California, there are several ways that parents educate their children at home: through an existing private school, through a public charter or independent study program, and in many instances by opening their own private home-based school and submitting a Private School Affidavit to the CDE. However, it is important to note that (1) the CDE does not provide guidance on how to home school, and (2) California statutes do not explicitly authorize homeschooling or differentiate between private schools and home schools. Students enrolled in a home school program for the 2020-21 school year must meet the additional requirements of distance learning. For more information on schooling at home see: https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/ps/homeschool.asp

The below terms are used throughout the document as we continue to discuss ways in which LEAs offer high-quality distance learning in accordance with EC Section 43503.

In-Person Instruction. Instruction under the immediate physical supervision and control of a certificated employee of the local educational agency while engaged in educational activities required of the pupil

Synchronous Learning. Synchronous learning takes place in real-time," with delivery of instruction and/or interaction with participants such as a live whole-class, small group, or individual meeting via an online platform or in-person when possible.

Asynchronous Learning. Asynchronous learning occurs without direct, simultaneous interaction of participants such as videos featuring direct instruction of new content students watch on their own time.

Time Value. Instructional time for distance learning is calculated based on the time value of synchronous and/or asynchronous assignments made by and certified by a certificated employee of the LEA. Time value for distance learning is different than time value used previously in independent study programs which include an evaluation of the time value of work product.

Instructional Time by Grade Level

For the 2020-21 school year, instructional time offered through distance learning may include synchronous and/or asynchronous instruction and is calculated based on the time value of assignments made by a certificated employee of the LEA.

Grade Level

Total Minimum Required Minutes per Education Code Section 45301*

* Total minimum required minutes per EC Section 45301 include in-person, distance-learning, or blended learning models. Distance learning can be delivered through synchronous and/or asynchronous instruction.

** 180 Instructional minutes for pupils in grades 11 and 12 that are also enrolled part-time in classes of the California State University or the University of California for which academic credit will be provided upon satisfactory completion of enrolled courses. 180 instructional minutes for any pupil who is also a special part-time student enrolled in a community college and who will receive academic credit upon satisfactory completion of enrolled courses. 180 instructional minutes for pupils enrolled in a continuation high school. (EC Section 43501 (a-f)).

In distance learning, instructional time is calculated based on the time value of assignments made and certified by a certificated employee of the LEA in which the student is enrolled. Those assignments can include assigned instruction or activities delivered through synchronous or asynchronous means. Synchronous opportunities may include full group instruction, peer interaction, and collaboration, two-way communication, small group breakouts, or individual office hours. The delivery method should match the purpose of the current learning outcome, corresponding task, and program placement (i.e. Language Acquisition Program). At times it may be appropriate for new content to be delivered asynchronously utilizing synchronous time for peer interaction, small group breakouts, or individual office hours. Inversely, at times content may require synchronous opportunities to include direct instruction on new content. All modes should provide students a means of checking for understanding and progressing based on that understanding. For English learners, this means of checking for understanding should include opportunities to have oral conversations to elaborate on the language necessary to articulate what is understood and ask questions for clarifying what is not fully comprehended. For students with disabilities, instructional time may be determined by the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team, as instructional delivery should be appropriately adapted to the unique needs of the student. Additionally, instruction and activities should be aligned to learning objectives and goals specified in the IEP.

There is an opportunity for staff to develop integrated lessons to maximize instructional time. An example might include integrating science and math standards in a performance task. Educators will need to support the development of independent learning skills through modeling, scaffolding, student conferences, feedback, and reflection. Although family support is important, applied learning experiences should take into account that many families will not be able to provide extensive support. During time allotted for applied learning, it is important for an adult to be available for questions. Educators will need to be especially in tune with language needs and provide sufficient language scaffolds to ensure the student can participate fully in the development of content and the development of the necessary linguistic structures to meet the language demands of the lesson. Integrated ELD is critical for English learners' access to the material and should be an integral part of the lesson planning and delivery process in all subjects. Structures may need to be in place to provide support for students that may not have an English speaking adult or family member to support applied learning. Consider using expanded learning staff or other staff from community-based organizations to support individual students or learning pods of students. Collaboration with families can be especially important when developing learning opportunities for students with disabilities, particularly students with extensive support needs. Gauging the needs of the family in supporting the student will be key to ensuring successful student outcomes. LEAs are encouraged to engage service providers and paraprofessionals in collaboratively supporting the students and family to ensure meaningful access to learning opportunities.

The ratio of synchronous and asynchronous and the sequence of these chunks of instructional time will depend on the course structure, instructional methods, access to technology tools, student needs, and whether learning is taking place entirely online or if the class is using a blended model. As such, it is important to emphasize that these two types of instructional time do not need to be chunked or sequenced in any particular way. For example, a teacher may choose to have students spend an estimated 30 minutes independently reading a text to prepare for a 20-minute, teacher-facilitated, synchronous discussion, followed by a 30-minute group research task, and then another 10-minute check-in discussion. Some English learners may need materials in the primary language to support their independent learning. Parents may need guidance as to how to support their child to enhance and support the student using these materials.

In the context of a multilingual program, instructional minutes in each language should be aligned to the percentage of minutes dedicated to that language based on the program design. For example, if 80 percent of the instructional minutes in a dual-language immersion program are dedicated to Spanish, then 80 percent of the 230 instructional minutes in a third-grade classroom should be dedicated to Spanish instruction and interaction.

Research-Based Distance Learning Principles

Research on effective distance and blended instruction can provide helpful principles for educators. It is useful to know that well-designed online or blended instruction can be as or more effective than in-classroom learning alone. While many worry that distance learning is necessarily less effective than in-person learning, many studies show that well-designed distance learning that has the features described below is often more effective than traditional in-classroom learning alone (US Department of Education, 2010; see also Policy Analysis for California Education, 2020). Key elements include:

1. A strategic combination of synchronous and asynchronous instruction: Combining synchronous activities where students meet regularly online (or in-person) with their classmates and teachers, with "asynchronous" activities where students think deeply and engage with the subject matter and other students independently are more effective than fully synchronous on-line courses.
Synchronous time should be set for reasonable amounts of time, punctuated with other activities to avoid attention fatigue. It can be used for short mini-lectures and for many kinds of student to student and student to teacher interaction as described below. Many students also benefit from synchronous individual or small-group support in addition to whole-group distance instruction.

Asynchronous time can provide an opportunity for students to gain exposure to concepts prior to engaging in synchronous time or as a follow up to dive more deeply into concepts that have been introduced through independent activities such as reading articles, watching videos or PowerPoint presentations with voiceover, or completing modules online. Teachers can also use these asynchronous modules to provide targeted scaffolding or essential background information for those students in need of extra support in a particular area.

2. Student control over how they engage with asynchronous instruction: Research shows that students do better when they can go at their own pace, on their own time, when they have some choice over the learning materials to use and the learning strategies that work best for them, and when materials are set-up to enable them to engage deeply and critically with course content by managing how they use videos or print materials. As one successful on-line teacher explains:

Rather than assigning only worksheets or reading questions that can often lead to frustration and disengagement, offer students approaches that are universally designed so they can build and apply knowledge based on their interests and readiness levels. For example, provide a recorded lecture, two or three videos, and two readings about the topic. The students can listen or watch the lecture and then choose to complete a combination of the remaining content options. Provide links to reading assignments at different reading levels so that all students find a path to comprehension, with tools like Newsela, Rewordify, News in Levels, and more. Give two or three choices for completing a task, such as writing, recording a video, building a slide deck, using Minecraft Education to demonstrate math concepts, or historical and literary events, through building. Allow students to upload their work onto the classroom learning platform to share with peers.

3. Frequent, direct, and meaningful interaction. The more interaction students have with other students, with their teachers, and with interactive content, the stronger the learning gains. In online learning environments where there is little student-student, student-instructor, and student-content interaction, students often become disengaged. Activities such as experiments, debates, data analysis, and groups solving challenging applications together can serve to synthesize and extend student knowledge. Students can interact with peers and the teacher in multiple formats - whole group and small group discussion in synchronous instruction (for example in zoom breakout rooms), chat rooms and discussion boards that may be synchronous or asynchronous, quick polls and votes followed by debate and discussion are all means to improve engagement, and create positive effects on learning gains, as do interactive materials.

4. Collaborative learning opportunities. Opportunities for students to engage in interdependent cooperative learning are important and improve achievement. Teachers can structure learning opportunities that encourage collaboration by accommodating flexible grouping options for completing work and by setting class norms for collaborative activities. This includes group engagement in shared projects and presentations as well as smaller daily activities. Small groups can work on tasks together during synchronous time in breakout rooms and then return to share their ideas. Asynchronous tasks can also be structured to offer opportunities for students to collaborate and build learning together, for example through discussion boards and by providing peer feedback. Students can pursue projects in asynchronous time by being taught to set up their own collaboration in on-line platforms.

5. Interactive materials. High-quality distance learning incorporates the use of interactive multimedia materials, typically during asynchronous learning. For example, researchers found that 8th-grade students whose teachers integrated the use of the Pathways to Freedom Electronic Field Trips-an online collection of interactive activities designed by Maryland Public Television-in their teaching about slavery and the Underground Railroad, outperformed those who had the same unit without these materials. Fifth-grade science students who used a virtual Web-based science lab, which allowed them to conduct virtual experiments while teachers observed student work and corrected errors online, outperformed those who did an in-person manual science lab. Elementary special education students across 5 urban schools who used a Web-based program supporting writing in action by prompting attention to the topical organization and structure of ideas during the planning and composing phases of writing outperformed those who had the same materials in hardcopy in the classroom (US Department of Education, 2010).

6. Assessment through formative feedback, reflection, and revision. Formative assessment is very important in online and blended learning, and it promotes stronger learning when it provides feedback that allows students to reflect on and revise their work. For example, researchers found that students performed better when they used a formative online self-assessment strategy that gave them resources to explore when they answered an item incorrectly. Similarly, students who received quizzes that allowed them the opportunity for additional practice on item types that had been answered incorrectly did better over time than those who received quizzes identifying only right and wrong answers. Studies have found positive effects of a variety of reflection tools during on-line learning, ranging from questions asking students to reflect on their problem-solving activities to prompts for students to provide explanations regarding their work, student reflection exercises during and after online learning activities, and learning guidance systems which ask questions as students design studies or conduct other activities that support students' thinking processes without offering direct answers (US Department of Education, 2010).

7. Explicit teaching of self-management strategies. Students who receive instruction in self-regulation learning strategies perform better in online learning. Teachers can help students with tools that help them schedule their time, set goals, and evaluate their own work. They can also provide checklists that are readily available to students and parents that break out the steps for task completion to help them understand the scope of the work and the milestones they'll accomplish along the way.

Initial Support for Distance Learning

As districts start the school year it is important they consider ways to: engage and support families and staff, the utilization of common tools, and the identification of success criteria. For students with disabilities, LEAs should plan for how IEPs can be executed in a distance learning environment. It is also important to establish the ELD program expectations, schedules, and guidance as to how to make sure both designated and integrated ELD is provided consistently throughout all subjects.

Preparing Families and Staff for Distance Learning

In order to ensure parents and staff (including community partners where applicable) feel comfortable and prepared to engage in distance learning, it is important to solicit feedback, understanding their experience over the spring as well as offering multiple opportunities to discuss expectations and engage with technology in a low stakes setting. It is important to engage with parents in the language which is spoken in the home.

Understanding context

Students Perspectives on DL [Survey (in multiple languages) or focus groups]

What did you like best about distance learning?

What part of distance learning was the most challenging?

If you could do one thing to improve DL what would it be?

Teacher Perspectives (Survey or focus groups)

What worked well in distance learning over the spring?

What were some of the biggest challenges?

What do you need to be successful in distance learning in the fall?

Were you able to support various types of student needs including English learners, students with disabilities, foster youth, socioeconomically disadvantaged youth, etc.?

What strategies did you use to provide integrated and designated English language development (ELD)? Where do you need additional assistance?

Parents (Survey or focus group with appropriate translations)

What worked well with distance learning?

What was the most difficult?

How would you improve distance learning to better support your child?

What support would you like/need as DL continues?

Was the information provided in a language and manner accessible to you and your family?

During the initial reopening

Considerations for Staff

Offer professional development on a common digital platform by site (See Common Tools Below).

Support a common use of platforms. Example: If using google classroom, are all teachers logging homework in the same place?

Ensure all staff are informed of SWDs current IEP and 504 accommodations and if concerned who to contact to discuss supports needed in DL

Provide professional learning on integrated and designated ELD in the distance learning context and ensure that all staff are aware of the requirement that both integrated and designated ELD are provided to English learners.

Provide professional learning on dual language instruction in the distance learning context and ensure that all staff are aware of the instructional minute requirements and plan for language use schedules to ensure language models continue as designed.

Plan for a schedule of agreed-upon times of IEP meetings to ensure all team members are available to be present.

Collaborate with the IEP team to schedule services for students within the agreed-upon instructional minutes schedule.

Considerations for Parents/Students

Over the course of a week consider offering opportunities for 1:1 meetings or meetings in groups with parents and students. It may be helpful to offer evening options for parents that work full-time. Ensure that interpreters are available for parents who speak languages other than English to the extent possible.

Review the digital platform with the student and parent.

Discuss the rhythm of learning that will be established: Where and/when is work posted? How do they submit assignments?

Ask parents about the best form of communication and feedback loop.

Considerations for Staff

Offer tiered (ranging from beginning to mastering) professional development opportunities for staff to continue to build their capacity in areas to support distance learning such as learning platforms, engaging strategies, or tools and resources.

Utilize staff meeting time to review success criteria (see below), address emerging needs, celebrate successes and identify areas for ongoing professional development.

Establish a regular time for grade-level teams to collaborate in developing shared resources, review student work, and co-create lessons.

Provide ongoing professional learning on integrated and designated ELD in the distance learning context and time for teachers to collaborate on addressing the needs of English learners (successes and next steps).

Provide regular time for grade-level teams to collaborate with special education teams (SAI;SLP;OT;APE..) to discuss supports/challenges in DL model and GE curriculum

Considerations for Parents/Students

Establish a regular time for parents to receive support with technology. Explore platforms that are available in languages other than English to ensure that parents and students have access and that the home language is seen as an asset.

Establish regular office hours for students to connect with their teachers and peers.

Ensure that communications with parents are translated to the extent possible and that translators are available for teachers to contact parents who speak languages other than English.

Tips for Success

Consider other means of communication other than email. Survey data that shows 1 in 3 families of English Learners do not have an email address.

Google and several text messaging apps provide alternative phone numbers that link to your personal phone number so that it is kept private. Calling the alternative phone number will connect to you directly. These services are typically free of charge. Several text messaging apps provide translation services for two-way translation (from English to the parent's preferred language and also translating their response back to English).

Consider creating videos regarding how to access the digital platform for future viewing.

Consider providing guidance in multiple languages including video, written material, digital material, and technology platforms, apps, etc.

Use of Common Tools

Consistency across grade-levels will support the success of students and families as they prepare to engage in distance learning. Consistency also provides opportunities for teachers to marshal resources. As an example, if teachers are all using the same high-quality curriculum, they might develop or curate videos for asynchronous learning and share with colleagues. Consistent use of platforms allows parents with multiple children to learn and offer support in a focused area. Similarly, students with multiple teachers will have space to focus on content as opposed to navigating multiple digital platforms for learning.

Select one common digital platform for appropriate grade-spans, i.e. Kindergarten and first-grade may utilize a different platform than second-grade and above.

Ensure support is provided to teachers on how to use the platform in a consistent manner.

Ensure support is provided to parents on how to use the system and that this support is available in multiple languages.

Identify the district adopted materials for each subject area.

Ensure every teacher has access to the required curriculum, including ELD and Special Education.

As a staff, use the mathematical frameworks to identify the major clusters, supporting clusters and additional clusters for focus and planning.

As a staff uses the ELA CCSS to identify the new content introduced in each grade-level for focus and planning.

As a staff, use the ELA/ELD Framework and the ELD standards to ensure that instructional materials include both integrated and designated ELD for English learners. Integrated ELD should be provided in all subject areas.

As a staff, discuss multilingual program needs.

Identify necessary supports to build staff, parent, and student capacity around the curriculum that will be used. (see Preparing Families and Staff for Distance Learning above)

Administer a common grade-appropriate diagnostic assessment at the beginning of the year to establish a baseline for student learning

Plan for the administration of common assessments to use for grade-level collaboration, including assessments in other languages for multilingual programs and the English language proficiency for ELD progress.

Provide timely, personalized feedback to students on formative and summative assessments including acknowledgment of the receipt of their work and a way for students to track their grades.

Communicate to parents and students progress in learning regularly ensuring translations when appropriate.

Success Criteria

It is important for districts to review the past and current local data in order to identify metrics for success in the distance learning setting. As an example, if an LEA previously saw high rates of chronic absenteeism with their students with disabilities, a clear improvement outcome should be established with a plan to monitor participation rates for that student group. Success criteria will clearly communicate the vision of the LEA regarding student performance and allow staff to monitor progress, to celebrate success, and identify needs early.

Identify anticipated student needs based on previous data and on formative assessments within the first month of school.

Develop clear, consistent ways to solicit feedback from students, parents, and staff

Identify and develop common assessments at each grade level.

Identify local data to review regularly, including specific data for students subgroups traditionally underserved.

Data Commitments

Develop clear data commitments: when will assessments be given? Who will collect the information? Who will create data visuals that are easy to read?

Data Analysis

Review data on a regular basis with the Every Ed Team (comprised of representative staff to support general education including students with exceptional needs and English learners)

Communicate data at staff meetings including time to brainstorm the next steps.

Establish a relationship between data outcomes and practices or strategies that were implemented.

References

Policy Analysis for California Education (2020). Supporting Learning in the COVID-19 Context: Research to Guide Distance and Blended Instruction. https://edpolicyinca.org/sites/default/files/2020-07/r_myung_jul20.pdf

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development (2010.) Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies, Washington, D.C. https://www2.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/tech/evidence-based-practices/finalreport.pdf

Last Reviewed: Tuesday, August 18, 2020

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Distance Learning Instruction Planning Guidance

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Common Definitions | Instructional Time by Grade Level | Research-Based Distance Learning Principles | Initial Support for Distance Learning | Use of Common Tools | Success Criteria | References Distance learning in the COVID-19 context provides a unique challenge in that, in many cases, neither families nor educators chose to engage in this model of instruction, it is an opportunity provided due to circumstances beyond our control.

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Recorded Training Sessions

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1. Services To the Public

2. Quick Access to California K-12 Online Content during the COVID-19 Crisis

ProQuest research databases, the TeachingBooks literacy service and online content from Encyclopaedia Britannica are available to every Californian from this website until August to support educator training and planning.

Information and materials from ProQuest, TeachingBooks and Britannica are normally available to public school students through their local districts. If you are a district or charter administrator looking to set up access for your students, see the main K-12 Online Content page, for instructions, or email Marybeth.barber@library.ca.gov. Contact information for ProQuest, TeachingBooks and Britannica is listed below.
If you are a California student or educator who needs access to content right away, just click on the buttons below to access these resources.
Note: Open access to these resources is available only through this specific webpage but you're welcome to share the web address with anyone in California, or copy www.library.ca.gov/k12-covid-19/

Recorded trainings during COVID-19 school closures

Thank you to the San Bernardino County Office of Education for hosting the training and recording the webinar for future reference.

Want a quick look at these resources? The State Library has a 20-minute overview.

ProQuest offers a variety of research solutions. Quick Access is available for the following ProQuest resources:

For more information, visit our California K-12 LibGuide, or contact Support at 800-521-0600 ext. 72971.

Children's and young adult books brought to life with movies with authors, audiobook performances, activities and lessons.

Resources about children's and young adult books focusing on the authors.

A cross-cultural range of fiction and nonfiction books.

Content to enrich children's books, including Meet-the-Author videos, read-along audio, complete book readings and book trailers.

Resources about books for teens including author interviews, discussion questions, and a Reader's Advisory Tool to find related books.

A one-stop shop for reading and literacy instruction at home for students, families, teachers, librarians and educators.

Need help from TeachingBooks.net? See our support page. (800) 596-0710 | accounts@TeachingBooks.net

Britannica School offers up-to-date, curated, and curriculum-relevant articles, images, videos, audio clips, primary sources, maps, and other research tools that allow you to easily adjust reading levels, auto-translate in 80 languages, and use the read-aloud tool. Britannica Escolar is PreK-8th grade content that is similar to Britannica School but in native Spanish.

Need help from Britannica? See our support page. (800) 621-3900 x 7160 | edsupport@eb.com

Additional Resources

For additional educational website suggestions, please visit the resources that support distance learning page from the California Department of Education's COVID-19 Guidance for Schools. Also consider joining the State Library's email list for K-12 education supports. Questions may be directed to Marybeth.barber@library.ca.gov.

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Quick Access to California K-12 Online Content during the COVID-19 Crisis

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Services To the Public Quick Access to California K-12 Online Content during the COVID-19 Crisis ProQuest research databases, the TeachingBooks literacy service and online content from Encyclopaedia Britannica are available to every Californian from this website until August to support educator training and planning.

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Upcoming Training for CA State Library Resources

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Upcoming Training for CA State Library Resources

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K-12 Online Content Project

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From CDE  Updated June 2020

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Non-comprehensive list of publishers offering free distance learning resources.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Main Web Page
Below is a non-comprehensive list of publishers offering free distance learning resources. At the URL listed, users can learn about the specific resources available as publishers continue to expand their offerings. Districts are not mandated to utilize only state-adopted instructional materials, and many classrooms utilize a network of resources. In this list below, educators and parents/guardians may discover the individual resources they want for a particular need.

Please note that this list is comprised of publishers who have offered their site information. The California Department of Education (CDE) has not reviewed these sites and resources, nor does the CDE in any way endorse or specifically recommend these resources. Users should carefully conduct their own evaluation based upon their own specific local needs and the appropriateness of the resources offered.

Capstone Publishing
Resources available during school closures.
User Name = Engaged; Password = Learning

Zearn
Distance learning for math

Questions: Curriculum Frameworks and Instructional Resources Division | Covid19@cde.ca.gov

Last Reviewed: Friday, August 20, 2021

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From Teaching Tolerance

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Increasing Accessibility for individuals with Disabilities

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This page was created to serve as a central place for people looking to support the movement to end violence and systemic racism towards Black people. Whether it's donating to organizations that contribute to Black liberation, learning new strategies to become a better ally, or purchasing goods from a Black-owned business, there are many ways to make a difference.

Content note: includes discussion of COVID-19, police brutality toward Black people, murder of unarmed Black people, transphobia As I was moving my arms back and forth next to my wife in our very first protest, chanting Black Lives Matter, two beautiful strong brown-skinned African Americans in the midst of COVID-19 and racism pandemics, I was ... Continued

The following post is part of our series on perspectives from disabled and chronically ill people regarding COVID-19. The global pandemic has affected each of us in ways no one could have imagined. It has exposed the structural failures of many of the systems we took for granted before the world changed at the beginning ... Continued

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This page was created to serve as a central place for people looking to support the movement to end violence and systemic racism towards Black people. Whether it's donating to organizations that contribute to Black liberation, learning new strategies to become a better ally, or purchasing goods from a Black-owned business, there are many ways to make a difference.

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Checkology Lesson Online

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Copy the link below to share this lesson with others.

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A Collection of Resources for Teaching Social Justice

by Jennifer Gonzalez

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Ask teachers to describe the impact they hope to have on their students, and most will eventually say something along these lines: I want my students to grow into responsible citizens. I want my students to participate in society in an active, productive way.

And maybe: I want my students to change the world.

But how many of us know how to make that happen, really? Can we explicitly teach students how to change the world? If this question has been whispering in the back of your mind, the resources in this collection will help.

What is social justice, and how does it fit into the curriculum?

The National Association of Social Workers defines social justice as "the view that everyone deserves equal economic, political and social rights and opportunities." To study social justice is to learn about the problems that dramatically impact quality of life for certain populations, and how people have worked to solve those problems.

If you teach social studies, you'll have no trouble finding direct curricular links to social justice. The National Curriculum Standards for the Social Studies includes Civic Ideals and Practices as one of its 10 Themes of Social Studies, and this includes an emphasis on learning how to get involved in influencing public policy. In history and social studies class, social justice teaching is a natural fit.

In other content areas, teachers disagree over whether social justice has a place. We put ourselves in a vulnerable position by exploring issues that are seen as more controversial than others (a topic I will get into in the next section), and some teachers prefer to completely steer clear of those kinds of complications. For others, social justice was a driving force in why they became teachers, and they weave it into whatever content they are teaching. If you choose to address some or all of these issues in your classroom, the next section offers some tips for doing it effectively.

Some Advice for Teaching Social Justice

As an undergraduate, I served as a student counselor for three years and a resident assistant (RA) for one. I regularly delivered workshops on social justice topics, and I learned a few important lessons along the way. Here are some things to keep in mind when studying social justice issues with your students:

Make getting to know students a key component of any social justice teaching. If you and your students don't spend time examining your own backgrounds, biases, and beliefs, you will be missing an essential component of any social justice curriculum. We all view every social justice issue through the lens of our own experience, and these different lenses can block our growth and learning if we aren't aware of them. If we fine-tune our self-awareness, our individual lenses can richly inform classroom conversations and help us understand issues on a much deeper level, directly from each other.

Know that not all students feel the same way about these issues. Most, if not all, of these resources have been created from a pretty liberal, progressive viewpoint. For example, one of the lessons in the Learning for Justice (formerly known as Teaching Tolerance) series described below is on Confronting Unjust Laws. The lesson uses California's Proposition 8 as an example of an unjust law. But not all of your students (or their families) will see a law like Prop 8 as unjust. In fact, some may strongly oppose same-sex marriage. That doesn't mean you can't talk about controversial issues; in fact, teaching students how to respectfully discuss an issue with people who don't see things the same way is a lesson that will serve them for the rest of their lives.

Familiarize yourself with the material before teaching. Sometimes we just skim materials before we teach. With social justice topics, this would be a mistake. Not knowing exactly what's in all of your teaching materials, including the texts or videos you and your students will be looking at, can leave you vulnerable to problems when unexpected content pops up.

Keep your administrator in the loop. As with any potentially controversial lesson, it is essential that you talk to your administrator about it ahead of time. Show the curricular connections between your planned lessons and the standards you're teaching. Talk about potential problems or objections that may come up and how you both plan to address them. That way, if your administrator gets a phone call from a concerned parent, she or he won't be blindsided.

Featured Resources

When I set out to find good resources for social justice teaching, I was looking for classroom-ready materials, lesson plans with supplementary texts or videos that would prompt students to learn about, think about, and talk about social justice issues. I also hoped to find some that would actually teach students about activism, about how a citizen zeroes in on a problem, formulates a solution, then does the grassroots work necessary to see that solution come to life.

Some of these resources fit the bill perfectly, especially the first one on the list. Others do not include lesson plans at all, but serve such an important and innovative role in social justice education, I thought they were essential to include here.

Learning for Justice

This award-winning organization (formerly known as Teaching Tolerance) comes up most often any time social justice teaching is discussed. There's lots to explore on their site, including the Classroom Resources section, which is loaded with lesson plans and other resources teachers can use for free in their classrooms. One of these lessons is Confronting Unjust Practices, where students learn about the anti-segregation actions taken by the Freedom Riders and the attack on one of these buses in Anniston, Alabama (pictured above).

Other lessons from this library include What is Ageism?, Unequal Unemployment, and What Makes a Family? Lessons are available for elementary, middle, and high school students.

DoSomething.org

No lesson plans here: DoSomething.org is an outstanding organization whose goal is to support the work of young people who want to make a difference in their world. Students browse through a big list of campaigns, public education and activism projects students can launch right in their own communities, and choose one or more that they'd like to participate in. Once they have finished a campaign, students submit a photo or video to prove they completed the required steps. This entry makes them eligible to win prizes, including scholarships. Currently, only U.S. students are eligible for these scholarships, but DoSomething.org is expanding into other countries as well.

Although this site will not help you do any direct instruction about social justice, it provides incredible opportunities for students to actively participate in social justice projects. Most campaigns are just right for high school students, and some would be appropriate for middle schoolers as well. Some topics may be considered risque, so review the content before introducing it to students.

On a related note, DoSomething.org is the organization where Katia Gomez, the college student who started her own school in Honduras (featured in the first Cult of Pedagogy documentary last year), got her start. One more bit of trivia that totally doesn't matter but might if you are a Melrose Place fan: DoSomething.org was co-founded by 90's heartthrob Andrew Shue. Squeee!!

The Global Oneness Project

The Global Oneness Project offers a beautiful collection of multicultural films, photo essays, and articles that "explore cultural, social, and environmental issues with a humanistic lens." Many of the featured stories are paired with a lesson plan for high school or college classrooms, aligned with Common Core and national standards.

One such pairing starts with the film Amar, which follows a young Indian boy living in a high-poverty neighborhood through a typical day that includes rising before dawn to do one of his two jobs and attending school. The accompanying lesson plan is called A Day in the Life, which has students examine the film and other resources related to the economic situation in India.

The films are truly stunning. This collection doesn't include explicit teachings in any kind of civics or grassroots activism, but it will provide students with a deep understanding of lives completely unlike their own. And that kind of empathy is one of the most important building blocks for any kind of social justice action.

Pushing the Edge: Social Justice Resources Collection

Educator Greg Curran's podcast covers a range of educational topics, but quite a few episodes circle around issues of social justice. Recently, he curated these resources into a Social Justice Resources Collection. These episodes will be mainly useful for teachers to educate themselves about social justice education: what complications and questions come up, helpful do's and don'ts, and why it's worth it. He interviews practicing teachers and administrators who are walking the walk with social justice teaching. Listening to them will give you a template from which to build your own practice.

Here's an example of one episode, where Curran interviews Nakisha Hobbs, principal of the Village Leadership Academy, a k-8 social justice school in Chicago.

GLSEN: Educator Resources

For teachers who want to include consideration of LGBT issues in their study of social justice, a great source for materials is GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network. offers a nice collection of educator guides and lesson plans.

Here are a few examples: The ThinkB4YouSpeak Guide for Educators includes lesson plans, resources, and tips for teachers for addressing anti-LGBT language in the 6-12 classroom. Unheard Voices is a collection of audio interviews with "individuals who bore witness to or helped shape LGBT history in some way." And the Day of Silence Guide shows educators how to run a Day of Silence awareness campaign in their schools.

Educational Video Center

I love this idea: The Educational Video Center teaches students the skills of documentary filmmaking, telling important stories in the name of social justice. Although the EVC holds after-school workshops only for students in New York City, they do offer professional development for teachers anywhere who want to learn how to teach these skills to their own students.

Alumni of the EVC have created documentaries on everything from criminal justice to domestic violence to mental health. You can view a collection of trailers for student-created documentaries here.

The Two Dollar Challenge

The Two Dollar Challenge is a challenge issued to people who want to make an impact on poverty. The challenge is simple: For 5 days, live on just $2 per day, publicizing the complexities of global poverty and helping to raise funds for a partner organization.

What's most striking about this organization is their emphasis on cultivating a deep respect for people affected by poverty and raising participants' awareness of their own privilege. One look at the project's code of conduct shows just how serious they are about that mission: "At all times participants must respect those nearby who are truly in need. If at any time those taking the Challenge are using resources which are valuable for indigent residents in the area this action must be re-evaluated."

Anti-Defamation League

The ADL's collection of lesson plans explore topics in categories like gender issues, sexism, ableism, religious bigotry, and racism. For example, What is the School-to-Prison Pipeline?, a lesson for high school students, has students study and discuss the impact of zero-tolerance policies in schools, statistics on the connection between school suspensions and the juvenile justice system, and their own school discipline policy. The end of the lesson offers students a choice of next steps for taking action on this issue. Lessons are available for preschool through high school.

Update: Since publishing this post, a few readers have pointed out that some of ADL's other website content (separate from this curriculum) takes a strong stance on issues relating to Israel and may offend some users. I still feel that this curriculum contains incredibly valuable lessons on very recent events that you won't find anywhere else, but this reinforces my second and third points above: Know your audience, and read through the materials carefully. For more details on this issue, please read the comments below. This article may also shed some light on the topic.

Further Reading

Stirring Up Justice
Laurel Schmidt, Education Leadership, May 2009
Explores the value and process of teaching students about activism. Offers a template for how to engage students in authentic conversations about difficult issues, ask themselves what they can do about social justice issues, consider ways they have already acted in the past, study how other kids and young adults have successfully solved problems, and participate in their own social justice projects.

Turning Current Events Into Social Justice Teaching
Jinnie Spiegler, Edutopia, January 6, 2016
Spiegler, the curriculum director for the Anti-Defamation League (the first resource in this post) offers advice on teaching social justice topics in a way that's both sensitive and productive.

Educolor Resources
Educolor, an organization dedicated to an equitable, just education for everyone, maintains this list of books, movies, articles, and websites that will educate teachers and students on issues of social justice, especially as it pertains to educational equity.

The Best Teacher Resources Sites for Social Justice
Larry Ferlazzo, Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day, July 1, 2008
A big list of resources related to social justice education.
What Are Your Favorite Social Justice Resources?
This is by no means an exhaustive list. If you have a resource you like to use for teaching about social justice, please share it in the comments below. ♦

Keep in touch.
Join my mailing list and get weekly tips, tools, and inspiration-in quick, bite-sized packages-all geared toward making your teaching more effective and fun. To thank you, I'll send you a free copy of my e-booklet, 20 Ways to Cut Your Grading Time in Half, which has helped thousands of teachers spend less time grading!

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A Collection of Resources for Teaching Social Justice

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Want your students to actively engage in addressing inequality? Explore this annotated bibliography of resources for teaching students about social justice.

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Book Suggestions from Rene'

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Anti-Bias Framework:   Social Justice Standards         Lesson Plan Builder       

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Anti-Bias Framework:   Social Justice Standards         Lesson Plan Builder       

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Teaching Tolerance

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What is it? Based on the four domains of the Social Justice Standards (Identity, Diversity, Justice and Action), our Learning Plan Builder allows you to select meaningful student texts, choose how you’ll teach them and how you’ll assess student learning. Starting with an essential question that ti…

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School Library RETURN TO CAMPUS Planning Tool

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School Library RETURN TO CAMPUS Planning Tool

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Google Drive form (copy and use)
ISTE guidelines

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Library Reopening Plan & COVID Response (Copy/Add to Drive/Revise/Share/Use)

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Social-Emotional Learning Online Summit: Key Takeaways

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Social-Emotional Learning Online Summit: Key Takeaways

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SEL in Schools: Making It Work When Schools Are Open or Closed
EdWeek Seminar - April 2020

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Reading Recommendations
July 2020

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Ethnic & Diversity (BIPOC) Book Suggestions

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Inclusivity in Children's Books - Teacher List and Resources

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Inclusivity in Children's Books - Teacher List and Resources

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The Conscious Kid

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Book Lists and Teaching Tools

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TeachingBooks | Author & Book Resources to Support Reading Education

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TeachingBooks strives to enrich everyone's experience reading children's and young adult books with our original and curated literary resources.

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Antiracist Resources and Reads: Lists for All Ages

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Antiracist Resources and Reads: Lists for All Ages

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By ELIZABETH BIRD
June 2, 2020

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Silence is complicity.

A blog, no matter what its subject, no matter how large or small its reach, is a platform. You use it to make your thoughts and feelings known. And if the world harbors evil, harbors racism, harbors pain and death and agony to a specific group of people in your society, if you just carry along without acknowledging it in any way, you are a coward. I am a coward. Normally I don't say much when things are bad, but even I have to open my eyes sometimes and say something.

What can a white librarian do to help, even a little, when injustice is so blatant? You can be an ally. You can work to actually actively fight racism when you hear it, see it, and you can acknowledge it. You can listen. Project Ready, a free online professional development curriculum by UNC-Chapel Hill's School of Information and Library Science (and that my library has been using to regularly educate its employees), created this rundown of what allyship entails (click on it to enlarge):

Check out Project Ready's Allies and Antiracism module, if you get a chance. All their modules are good, but that one is just amazing.

My role in my library is to manage our collections. Yesterday, I was asked to create a booklist for my city's patrons of some antiracist titles. I was immediately helped by about eight of my colleagues and, together, we created the following list of links. Please use this where it is most needed. Ebook links are to my own library system's Hoopla, Overdrive, and Kanopy sites, but if your library has any of those platforms then you may be able to check out some of these titles as well.

Thank you.

UPDATED TO ADD:

I was recently alerted to this rally on Thursday. Please try to attend if you can.

Books for Children (Fiction):

Books for Children (Facts):

Resources for White Parents to Raise Anti-Racist Children:

Podcasts:

Articles:

The Conscious Kid: Follow them on Instagram

Books for Teens (Fiction Ebooks):

Books for Teens (Facts - Ebooks)

Books for Teens (Fiction eAudiobooks)

Books for Teens (Facts - eAudiobooks)

Books for Adults (Fiction):

Books for Adult (Facts):

Friends Disappear: The Battle for Racial Equity in Evanston by Mary Barr (ebook)

Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon (ebook)

An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States, by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz (ebook, YA ebook, audio, Hoopla audio)

Lies my Teacher Told Me, by James Loewen (ebook, other ebook edition, YA ebook, Hoopla ebook, other Hoopla ebook edition)

Microaggressions in Everyday Life: Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation, by Derald Wing Sue (ebook)

A People's History of the United States, by Howard Zinn (ebook, other ebook edition, audio, other audio edition, Hoopla)

Racism without Racists: Color-Blind Racism and the Persistence of Racial Inequality in America, Fifth Edition, by Eduardo Bonilla-Silva (Hoopla audio)

The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson (ebook)

When Affirmative Action Was White: An Untold History of Racial Inequality in Twentieth-Century America by Ira Katznelson (Hoopla audio)

Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?: and Other Conversations about Race, by Dr. Beverly Tatum (ebook)

Articles to Read:

Films and Series to Watch on Kanopy

Additionally, Sarah Sophie Flicker and Alyssa Klein compiled the following resources in May 2020. Consider their helpful list of links to follow-up on as well:

Videos to Watch:

Podcasts to Subscribe To:

Organizations to Follow on Social Media:

More Anti-Racism Resources to Check Out:

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Antiracist Resources and Reads: Lists for All Ages

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Silence is complicity. A blog, no matter what its subject, no matter how large or small its reach, is a platform. You use it to make your thoughts and feelings known. And if the world harbors evil, harbors racism, harbors pain and death and agony to a specific group of people in your society, if you just carry along without acknowledging it in any way, you are a coward.

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Understood For ALL
2019

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Stories for All Project

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The Stories for All Project™: Increasing Diversity & Inclusion

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First Book's Stories for All Project™ - the largest worldwide collection of curated inclusive content - makes the best books representing diverse characters, voices, and life circumstances available and affordable to educators supporting kids in need.

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School Libraries & Social Justice Education

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School Libraries & Social Justice Education

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Knowledge Quest | AASL
January/February 2020

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Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves

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Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves

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Louise Derman-Sparks & Julie Olsen Edwards
National Association for the Education of Young Children
2010

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Teaching Hard History - American Slavery

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Teaching Hard History - American Slavery

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by Teaching Tolerance

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Most students leave high school without an adequate understanding of the role slavery played in the development of the United States-or how its legacies still influence us today. In an effort to remedy this, we developed a comprehensive guide for teaching and learning this critical topic at all grade levels.

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Most students leave high school without an adequate understanding of the role slavery played in the development of the United States-or how its legacies still influence us today. In an effort to remedy this, we developed a comprehensive guide for teaching and learning this critical topic at all grade levels.

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Resources for Racial Conversations in Classrooms
by Teaching Tolerance

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Skip to main content

A Framework for Anti-Bias Education

The Social Justice Standards are a road map for anti-bias education at every stage of K-12 instruction. Comprised of anchor standards and age-appropriate learning outcomes, the standards provide a common language and organizational structure educators can use to guide curriculum development and make schools more just and equitable.

Divided into four domains-identity, diversity, justice and action (IDJA)-the standards recognize that, in today's diverse classrooms, students need knowledge and skills related to both prejudice-reduction and collective action. Together, these domains represent a continuum of engagement in anti-bias, multicultural and social justice education. The IDJA domains are based on Louise Derman-Sparks' four goals for anti-bias education in early childhood.

Each of the IDJA domains has learning outcomes and school-based scenarios organized by grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12.

Download the Standards

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The Social Justice Standards are a road map for anti-bias education at every stage of K-12 instruction, providing a common language and organizational structure educators can use to guide curriculum development and make schools more just and equitable.

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Talking About Racism and Violence withStudents: Resources for Educators

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Talking About Racism and Violence withStudents: Resources for Educators

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Colrin Colorado

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Talking About Racism and Violence with Students_ Resources for Educators _ Colorín Colorado

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Reading Teacher Article MAR/APR 2020

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7 ways to make remote learning accessible to all students

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7 ways to make remote learning accessible to all students

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ISTE
By Jennifer Snelling
March 23, 2020

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Across the nation, equity and accessibility are two of the thorniest issues districts face as they rapidly move toward remote learning. Some states are delaying online learning for all students because they feel they are unsure how to provide it for some.

This may be a false choice, says Torrey Trust, Ph.D., an associate professor of learning technology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. As students whose families have resources continue to learn at home on their own, those without will suffer even greater learning loss, exacerbating the learning gap.

"The point of public education is to try to provide equal footing," says Trust. "It doesn't have to be perfect in this emergency situation, but I want to see educators be creative in these times. Instead of shutting down, use technology as a resource."

"I'm hoping we can shift to UDL, whether high tech or low tech, because it will be so beneficial for making more inclusive learning environments at home as well as when students get back to the classroom," says Trust.

Trust developed a slide deck, rooted in Universal Design for Learning, with seven things to consider as educators move quickly to set up emergency remote learning.

1. Multiple means of representation.

Give students the option of reading text, watching videos, listening to audio or examining images. Microsoft Immersive Reader makes text more accessible. For higher-tech options, virtual tours (check out the many offered by museums and national parks), augmented reality or digital 3D are exciting possibilities. For older students, Trust suggests sending students out to find their own ways to consume information.

2. Multiple means of engagement.

Looking at a screen all day may be hard for some kids, while others may need a more hands-on or project-based activity. Flexibility is especially important in the weeks ahead. Try developing a HyperDoc or create digital documents such as Google Doc with links to all the resources a student may need to explore on their own time and become fully engaged.

Activities can be as simple as allowing students to use a parent's cell phone to take pictures of shapes around the house and email them to the teacher.

"We shouldn't shy away from that option if it will reduce the digital divide," she says.

3. Multiple means of action and expression.

Design open-ended activities where students choose how to demonstrate their knowledge. Students can write, create a podcast or video or use no technology at all. One example is students can build a 3D model in Tinkercad or just pull items out of the recycling and make a model using those.

4. Use open educational resource (OER).

Also known as openly licensed materials, OER are resources that are available in the public domain or introduced with a public license. Look for the Creative Commons License to see if something is an OER. They are free and can be remixed to your specific needs. The Mason OER Metafinder, OER Commons or OASIS database will help you find one to fit your needs.

Although many technology companies are making their products available for free to educators during extended school closures, not all these products have been vetted by educators for privacy and data usage requirements or for accessibility the way OERs have been, Trust says.

5. Design for accessibility.

Check that the videos you assign have closed captions or create your own and add captions in YouTube. If the audio files you assign don't have transcripts, ask for a student volunteer to make one for extra credit. Most apps, such as Google Docs, have instructions for making your materials more accessible.

6. Stay connected with your students.

Just because you're using digital means to communicate with your students doesn't mean there is no longer a human aspect to teaching. Kids are stressed now, too, and any time you can find to connect with them through a video morning or a personalized text or email, that connection will mean a lot.

Trust has two chihuahuas that she dresses up and photographs for her students. As her classes moved to online over the second week of March, she dressed them up for St. Patrick's Day and sent pictures to her students. Several responded that it was exactly the laugh they needed. Fun TikToks or memes will give everyone a mental break.

7. Connect with other educators.

Trust recommends ISTE Commons as a great place to learn what fellow educators are doing. To get answers to specific questions or advice about online learning, ISTE has created a COVID-19 Educator Help Desk.

"Educators need to get connected in these spaces," she says. "It's like a window into other educators' practices and serves as a mirror to reflect on our own practices. The ideas, resources and tools that are shared is what will inspired your creative thinking and push your teaching to the next level."

When this is all over and students return to the classroom, says Trust, this effort will pay dividends. A lot of educators are now using tech in ways they were not comfortable with before.

"Educators have been given a difficult challenge and they are going into these communities online and figuring it out," she says. "When they come back to the classroom, I hope that willingness to try technology will come back with them."

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Across the nation, equity and accessibility are two of the thorniest issues districts face as they rapidly move toward remote learning. Some states are delaying online learning for all students because they feel they are unsure how to provide it for some.

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School Library Journal
by Jennifer LaGarde and Darren Hudgins
Jul 02, 2020 |

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Broadcasting is increasingly filled with citizen-generated content. But being a media producer also brings responsibilities.

Getty Images

In 2012, former Dresden Dolls frontwoman Amanda Palmer made history by r aising $1.2 million on Kickstarter to fund the production of her next album, tour, and other related works. The video that punctuated the end of that campaign featured Palmer holding a series of handwritten signs conveying messages to her fans and backers. One read "WE ARE THE MEDIA," a phrase that became a tagline for Palmer and manages to feel even more relevant today than it did in 2012.

Social media shows how prophetic Palmer's words were. As #BlackLivesMatter protests surge throughout the world, news coverage documenting those events is filled largely with "boots on the ground," citizen-generated content. Similarly, cable news features many videos, shot largely from mobile phones, capturing everything from the solidarity of peaceful demonstrations to the brutality of crushing violence.

These videos have been used to both i nform and influence, and to inspire and incite. Since nearly everyone has access to a mobile device and can capture and broadcast information in real-time, we are, indeed, the media. But as the saying goes, with that power also comes responsibility.

READ: The Importance of Critical Thinking in the Age of Fake News

Consumers and creators
Recent surveys reveal that many young people aspire to be social media influencers, as opposed to more traditional careers. This drive, and the popular apps that require kids to produce content to connect with one another, push young people into the content creation game early.

When we work with kids as young as fourth grade, many admit to having secret YouTube channels or to counting the days until their parents will let them to create an Instagram or TikTok account. This urge to influence provides an opportunity for educators who want to help young people be more savvy consumers of the information they encounter in these spaces and others.

One way to help young people think deeply about the information they consume is to ask them to apply that same analysis to the information they create. The more time they spend considering how their choices as information creators affect outcomes like clicks, likes, and shares, the more shrewd they become at recognizing when those same strategies are being used on them. This infographic provides critical questions that can help guide learners as they carefully consider what it means to produce content for an audience in a way that informs rather than influences.

Resources like The Bad News Game put kids in the driver's seat as they see how their choices around news consumption produce real results that affect themselves and the world. Coupled with meaningful reflection, such decision-based games can be effective in helping learners see a direct line between their actions and potential consequences. Educators can use a tool like Google Slides to produce similar resources like the one we created here to simulate an Information Literacy "Choose Your Own Adventure" style activity.

Older learners can take this a step further, by designing their own decision-based activities, like the one we created above. By challenging kids to create an activity in which the choice to be a more ethical, transparent information creator is pitted against the desire to be a more influential one, they are forced to think about just how easy it is to manipulate information in order to achieve more clicks or increased followers. The questions posed in the infographic above, coupled with their own experience as content creators, provide a solid foundation for today's learners to build resources that trigger meaningful reflection and robust conversations about their roles and responsibilities as content creators.

What happens when we get it wrong?
There was a time when the phrase "primary source" conjured images of blood-stained journals found on the battlefield. These firsthand accounts of a significant event were viewed as the gold standard of information sources. Today, everyone with a mobile device is creating primary sources that document the world around them. Just as the aforementioned bloodstained journal was written from the perspective of the person holding the pen, with details included or excluded reflecting their own experiences, desires, and fears, today's digital equivalents reflect the similarly limited and biased points of view of the person holding the phone. The most significant differences between these two artifacts are a) the rate at which today's information is spread and b) the absence of vetting that takes place prior to today's primary sources becoming part of any historical moment's canon.

If Amanda Palmer was right eight years ago when she proclaimed "We Are The Media," then it is up to us to both do that vetting beforehand and the necessary reflecting when we get it wrong. In the infographic, we ask learners to consider whether or not they are ever tempted to leave out details such as how or where something was created if those details don't support their ideas or the story they are trying to tell. For our learners, the answers will almost certainly be no (most of the time). However, people aiming to deceive make these are the kinds of choices. It's important for young creators and aspiring influencers to understand how this poses an ethical dilemma. Knowing that omissions also occur unintentionally, it's critical that we teach kids how to responsibly communicate the error when they get it wrong.

We've all shared or posted something that turned out to be misleading, biased, or just plain false. What happens next speaks to our credibility. We have the choice to (at least attempt to) erase the mistake from public view, or we can dissect what happened so that others can learn from it. In Fact vs. Fiction: Teaching Critical Thinking Skills in The Age of Fake News, we shared tips for helping kids navigate difficult conversations related to the news. Here are more tips to help kids take responsibility when they unintentionally spread misleading or false information:

1. Apologize. If what you shared had the potential to inflict harm or cause confusion, say you are sorry.

2. Explain the specific mistake you made. Rather than just saying, "Oops! I goofed," outline the choices you made that led to the misunderstanding.

3. Resist blaming others. Instead, if people brought the mistake to your attention, thank them. Rather than giving people the opportunity to say "I told you so," you can head off that kind of negativity by just admitting that they told you so!

4. Be reflective. Let people know what you will do differently in the future as a result of these missteps.

5. Be sincere. We all make mistakes. Using them as an opportunity to learn is what turns a momentary lapse into a long-lasting lesson.

In the time it took you to read this article, more information was created than at any other time in human history. Without gatekeepers, we, and our students, are the media. But with this role comes responsibilities. Helping kids reflect on their choices as content creators, and giving them strategies for positive outcomes when they get it wrong, prepares them for a potential future as a social media influencer and helps them think about the choices others make when creating the information they consume.

Jennifer LaGarde and Darren Hudgins are co-authors of Fact vs. Fiction: Teaching Critical Thinking Skills in the Age of Fake News.

READ: Get Smart About Memes

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We Are the Media: Helping Young Information Creators Be Better Consumers | News Literacy

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Broadcasting is increasingly filled with citizen-generated content. But being a media producer also brings responsibilities. Getty Images In 2012, former Dresden Dolls frontwoman Amanda Palmer made history by r aising $1.2 million on Kickstarter to fund the production of her next album, tour, and other related works.

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Pandemic Resources for School Librarians

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Pandemic Resources for School Librarians

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AASL
July 2020

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AASL
July 2020

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Designing Distance Learningwith an Equity Lens

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Designing Distance Learningwith an Equity Lens

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CCEE and San Diego COE

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COVID-19 CA Government
Statewide Governance

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Smothsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

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Smothsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

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“Talking About Race” Web Portal

Portal Helps People Explore Issues Of Race, Racism And Racial Identity
May 31, 2020

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National Museum of African American History and Culture

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Research shows that many people feel they do not have the information needed to discuss race in a way that is candid, safe and respectful of other viewpoints and experiences.

"The portal offers a wealth of resources to inform and guide discussions-videos, role-playing exercises, targeted questions and more, said Crew." "We hope that people will use this site to become more comfortable about engaging in honest dialogue and self-reflection."

Talking About Race builds upon decades of work by the museum's educators. It is the result of extensive research, studies, consultations, and educational resources from these fields: history, education, psychology and human development. It includes published research from leading experts, activists, historians, and thought leaders on race, equity, and inclusion, including Brené Brown, Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw, Robin DiAngelo, Julie Olsen Edwards, Jerry Kang, Ibram X Kendi, Enid Lee, Audre Lorde, Beverly Daniel Tatum, Bishop Desmond Tutu, and Tim Wise.

Phase one of the portal features eight foundational subjects including:

Being Anti-Racist: a conscious decision to make frequent, consistent, equitable choices daily.

Bias: the inclination or prejudice toward or against something or someone.

Community Building: connecting and engaging with others doing anti-racism work and exploring issues of race.

Historical Foundations of Race: how race, white privilege, and anti-blackness are woven into the very fabric of American society.

Race and Racial Identity: how societies use race to establish and justify systems of power, privilege, disenfranchisement, and oppression.

Self-Care: caring for one's mental, emotional, and physical health to sustain the work of dismantling racism.

Social Identities and Systems of Oppression: systems built around the ideology that some groups are superior to others.

Whiteness: an ideology that reinforces power at the expense of others.

Explore Talking About Race at nmaahc.si.edu/talkingaboutrace. The portal is free and does not require a registration or sign-up to use. Talking About Race is generously supported by The Atlantic Philanthropies.
Download Images for Media Use Social Media Toolkit
About the National Museum of African American History and Culture
Since opening September 24, 2016, the National Museum of African American History and Culture has welcomed more than 7 million visitors. Occupying a prominent location next to the Washington Monument on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the nearly 400,000 square-foot museum is the nation's largest and most comprehensive cultural destination devoted exclusively to exploring, documenting and showcasing the African American story and its impact on American and world history. For more information about the museum, visit, follow @NMAAHC on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram or call Smithsonian information at (202) 633-1000.

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National Museum of African American History and Culture Releases "Talking About Race" Web Portal

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The Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture today launched Talking About Race, a new online portal designed to help individuals, families, and communities talk about racism, racial identity and the way these forces shape every aspect of society, from the economy and politics to the broader American culture.

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CDE Stronger Together - Guidance for Returning to Schools

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CDE Stronger Together - Guidance for Returning to Schools

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CDE Released June 8, 2020

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Teaching Ideas and Resources to Help Students Make Sense of the GeorgeFloyd Protests

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Teaching Ideas and Resources to Help Students Make Sense of the GeorgeFloyd Protests

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Putting the demonstrations into a larger context, with help from The NY Times and other news and educational organizations.
By Natalie Proulx and Katherine Schulten
Published June 3, 2020 Updated June 4, 2020

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ASCD

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CCEE, UCLA and San Diego COE

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Mendocino COE

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Tania Andrade - Rio Del Sol

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From Imagination Soup

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Homeschoolers and teachers use YouTube to supplement lessons because it's a treasure trove of amazing content. But it's a lot of work to sift through the not-so-treasury channels. Which is why I've created this post - here are some wonderful gems for you, excellent YouTube channels for language arts, foreign language and art.

Language Arts YouTube Channels

Disney Educational Publications
School House Rock videos and more!

Book Box
Read digital books in over 30 languages.

Arts and Craft YouTube Channels for Kids

The Artful Parent
Easy and fun kids art activities that are unique and familiar favorites.

Art for Kids
This art channel will get your kids to draw, paint, fold, and sculpt all kinds of cool things.

Draw Kids Draw
An artistic drawing channel for learning cartooning and more.

Snippets from my art classes with four and five year olds and DIY projects.

Art History
Foreign Language YouTube Channels for Kids

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Excellent YouTube Channels for Language Arts, Foreign Language, and Arts and Crafts | Imagination Soup

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Homeschoolers and teachers use YouTube to supplement lessons because it's a treasure trove of amazing content. But it's a lot of work to sift through the not-so-treasury channels. Which is why I've created this post - here are some wonderful gems for you, excellent YouTube channels for language arts, foreign language and art.

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Ed Tech Tools                  (FREE and Discounted)          

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Ed Tech Tools                  (FREE and Discounted)          

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Campus Technology
By Dian Schaffhauser
June 1, 2020

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Teaching and Learning

Updated: Free and Discounted Ed Tech Tools for Online Learning During the Coronavirus Pandemic

(Updated June 1, 2020; originally published March 16, 2020) As more and more colleges and universities have shut down their campuses in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19, education technology companies have stepped forward to help move student learning to the virtual realm. Some companies are making their paid services free through the rest of the school year; others are lifting limits to services and/or adding premium features to what's free. The following list will be updated regularly as announcements are made. (If you know of a company that should be included on this list, please send details to [email protected] .)

The Academy of Art University is hosting a free series of online events, including guest experts in art and design speaking through Zoom, movie afternoons and nights, and virtual workshops on sketching and the use of various software programs. https://www.academyart.edu/admissions/upcoming-events/

Acer has put together a handy comparison table that provides an overview of remote learning tools. The chart specifically compares Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and Zoom, for remote learning; and Facebook and YouTube for video conferencing. The information examines whether or not screen sharing is allowed, the maximum number of attendees, the maximum length of meetings and other features. https://eu-acerforeducation.acer.com/uncategorized/remote-learning-a-comparison-among-top-collaboration-tools/

Addigy, a cloud-based Apple device management platform, has announced free 60-day access for colleges and universities. The program helps organizations deploy, manage, and track new and existing Apple devices from a single console; automate IT tasks and implement IT policies related to deploying software, updating security settings, running scripts, managing groups of users, and distributing and updating software; and troubleshoot problems for users remotely and in real-time. https://addigy.com/covid-19-addigy-60/?utm_content=covid-19-addigy-60

AdGuard is offering a free personal account to its ad and tracking blocker program for three months. The privacy protection software is available for Windows, MacOS, iOS and Android. To obtain a license key under this offer, register via this link and confirm the registration. Existing users may get an extra key by logging in through a special landing page. https://adguard.com/en/blog/stayhome.html

Adobe is offering free access to Creative Cloud tools through May for home use by students attending schools that currently only provide lab access through May. https://helpx.adobe.com/enterprise/kb/covid-19-education-labs.html

Agora.io is offering a free online classroom application to support remote teaching and learning non-profit educational institutions through Aug. 31, 2020. The application enables one-to-one tutoring, small classroom work, lecture-hall class streaming, whiteboard collaboration, chat and a management console. The company is providing onboarding support. https://www.agora.io/en/free-online-classroom-application

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Updated: Free and Discounted Ed Tech Tools for Online Learning During the Coronavirus Pandemic -- Campus Technology

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Teaching and Learning (Updated June 1, 2020; originally published March 16, 2020) As more and more colleges and universities have shut down their campuses in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19, education technology companies have stepped forward to help move student learning to the virtual realm.

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School Libraries and UDL in the Time of Learning from Home

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School Libraries and UDL in the Time of Learning from Home

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JENNIFER STURGE on 06/02/2020

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Universal Design for Learning

I'll be honest. I think a lot about Universal Design. I've been teaching an online class on the subject for the better part of 10 years and have served on our district Universal Design for Learning committee on and off for about just as long. Especially now, while our students and teachers are adjusting to a "new normal," receiving their course delivery online, we need to be thoughtful of ways in which we can incorporate UDL into our library instruction. We can also assist teachers in designing their activities to help meet the needs of all their students, whether that means ensuring the closed captioning works on all the videos posted in the online classroom, or using a folder and naming sequence to help students tackle their school work in manageable chunks.

Universal Design

Universal Design for Learning stems from the idea of Universal Design. In case you are not familiar with Universal Design, it's the idea that we should design for everyone, not just the few. Some easy examples of Universal Design include curb cutouts (great for wheelchairs, people with strollers, and bikes) and automatic doors. How many times have you stumbled into work with an arm full of books and bags?

The principles surrounding Universal Design for Learning (UDL) have been around for quite some time. CAST, the central organization involved with UDL has been working with schools and districts to ensure that students have experiences that benefit them and that the needs of every learner is met in our school buildings.

Universal Design for Learning uses that same principle. Rather than design for a few, lessons and curriculum should be designed to meet the needs of all students by employing technology such as closed captioning and strategies such as small groups. Technology can be high tech or low tech. Everyone is scrambling to learn new technologies and create online learning experiences that are meaningful for all in this COVID-19 pandemic-and we need to be always mindful of the needs of all of our students when designing instruction.

Our school libraries should not be forgotten when it comes to UDL. School libraries serve every student in the school community. School librarians interact with students over multiple grades and multiple years and are in the amazing position to see students grow and learn over the course of several years in a building. And now, as we teach and learn from home, we are assisting teachers on a daily basis on creating learning activities and working with students virtually. UDL becomes even more important.

Principles of Universal Design for Learning

Universal Design for Learning is comprised of 3 main principles in order to provide:

Multiple means of engagement

Multiple means of representation

Multiple means of action and expression

Breaking the principles down is a perfect way to look at why school libraries are the ultimate classroom in which Universal Design for Learning can be employed successfully.
Principle 1: Multiple Means of Engagement
Multiple means of engagement refers to what correlates to the affective networks of our brain. This is really where educators want to engage students by providing options for recruiting their interest. It's where choice is given. Within this principle, educators are working to provide autonomy and optimize relevance and authenticity. In addition, within this principle, we are looking for students to sustain their efforts, to persist and to self regulate. UDL promotes self-reflection.

Let's think about school libraries. We're all about providing choice. School libraries are about exploring the world through literature, technology, discussion, and collaboration. Think about our collections. We promote a wide range of reading, literacy and literature appreciation. School librarians cheerlead for our students to self-select books for academic purposes and for reading pleasure. We build our lessons to be relevant to what the students need now, including information literacy, media literacy, and research skills. School libraries offer a welcoming environment where students can exercise their choice and autonomy.

This principle of UDL connects brilliantly to our own AASL Standards.

In the Shared Foundation Explore, learners are discovering and innovating in a growth mindset, they are reading widely and deeply in multiple formats and engaging in an inquiry-based process for personal growth. These actions allow students options for how they learn and provide them with choice in order to persist and self-regulate.

How does this look with our virtual learning? We provide feedback, videos, reading options. We provide multiple databases and pathfinders for student use and engage students with meaningful choices.
Principle 2: Multiple Means of Representation
Multiple means of representation aligns with the recognition networks of the brain. That is to say the "what" of learning. Universal Design for Learning and providing multiple means of representation means offering ways to customize how information is displayed and offering alternatives to print or auditory information. In addition, UDL looks at providing information in multiple types of media, across languages, and looks at ways to supply and support background knowledge. Multiple means of representation also means assisting students in looking for patterns, finding the big idea, seeing relationships in their learning, and visualizing and processing information.

What does this mean in the world of school libraries? First, there are multiple types of media. School libraries provide visual media in the form of books, periodicals, articles on databases, etc. We provide auditory information in the form of audio books or databases where the text is read to the student. What a great support! School libraries support wide background knowledge with our never-ending ability to search and assist a student to find the information she or he needs. We provide books across multiple languages and databases that translate. We teach teachers how to utilize closed captioning in their videos and how to choose media that is accessible. We assist students in finding and understanding the big ideas of learning, picking out relevant information, and then sharing it with a wider audience.

In terms of our AASL Standards this means in part thinking about the Shared Foundation of Curate. Learners are asked to act on an information need and to identify sources of information. Our student learners gather and exchange information and organize their information. As the school librarian, we are curating the resources students need to activate the "what" of their learning.
Principle 3: Multiple Means of Action and Expression
The strategic network, or the "how," of learning is activated when it comes to multiple means of action and expression. UDL encourages educators to provide a variety of methods for responding and navigating information. In this principle, educators are also encouraged to use multiple medias for communication and multiple tools for construction so students can show what they know. Educators guide students to appropriate goal setting, support their endeavors, and assist students in learning how to monitor their own progress as learners.

In the school library, we collaborate with teachers on planning research projects in which students have choice in how they present their findings. We provide multiple databases, texts, and ways to research. School librarians have the knowledge and the know-how to leverage technology in order for students to create video, audio, podcasts, presentations, and more. We utilize green screen technologies so that students doing a report on Italy can present their telecast from Rome. We teach the use of tools such as Audacity and Garageband in order for students to find their voice. Truly, school librarians are the champions of multiple means of action and expression. We support students in finding their passion projects and in learning as much about the world as they possibly can.

Multiple means of action and expression relate to the AASL Standards in the Shared Foundation of Engage. This foundation is all about creating and sharing ethically and responsibly. As we create and share in this virtual world, encourage students and teachers to use copyright friendly images, to utilize copyright friendly videos, etc.

Creating Expert Learners

Finally, the Universal Design for Learning guidelines are designed with this goal in mind:

Expert learners who are:

Purposeful and Motivated

Resourceful and Knowledgeable

Strategic and Goal-Directed

As school librarians we want all of these things and more for our students. We derive pleasure from watching motivated students utilize library resources in a manner that is purposeful, strategic, and directed toward the end goal.

Personally, I feel like there are connections in many more places in the standards but in the interest of space and your time in reading this post, I am sticking to just a couple per UDL principle.

What do you do in your library to ensure access to the curriculum for all? I'd love to know. Please share in the comments.

To learn more about Universal Design for Learning please visit these websites.
CAST Reading Rockets Universal Design for Learning Guidelines Understood

Categories: Advocacy/Leadership, Blog Topics, Collection Development, Community/Teacher Collaboration, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, Intellectual Freedom, Professional Development, Student Engagement/ Teaching Models

Tags: action and expression, engagement, library, pandemic resource, principle, representation, school, universal design for learning, virtual

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School Libraries and UDL in the Time of Learning from Home -

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Universal Design for Learning I'll be honest. I think a lot about Universal Design. I've been teaching an online class on the subject for the better part of 10 years and have served on our district Universal Design for Learning committee on and off for about just as long.

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School Library Journal
May 31, 2020

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In a new series of articles and virtual sessions, the authors will guide a conversation about the future of public libraries, culminating in a practical plan to reenvision youth services.

filo/Getty Images

The past few months have been full of adjustments for every person in the world. For many young people, the adjustments take shape along a spectrum.

On one end of the spectrum, youth attend school via instructionally sound virtual learning, live in a family environment filled with social-emotional and learning support, connect with their peers via unlimited digital means, experience an increase in quality family time, and have access to the necessities of life such as water, clean air, sanitation, and healthy food. On the other end, youth experience mediocre distance learning, toxic environments lacking social-emotional support, limited broadband access to connect with teachers and peers, and are left to scramble for the basics of a quality life.

These physical, intellectual, and social inequities vary widely from one young person to another. The existence of these inequities is not new to public library staff. What has changed is that library staff is seeing these disparities more clearly in their communities every day, and there is an uncertainty of what the future holds for learning, economic advancement, and civic engagement.

As the COVID-19 crisis began to unfold, many public libraries rushed to support young people. Some focused on providing resources via ebooks and curbside pick-up, others worked with community organizations to provide much-needed services like childcare and wifi, and some launched virtual opportunities such as gaming parties and escape rooms. In creating these pandemic era services, libraries did not have much time to think about the big picture; they reacted and provided what they could.

Reopening, and beyond

Now many library staff are asking important and timely questions. What do we do next and how can we be thoughtful about those next steps? What will it be like when we partially reopen? What will it be like when we fully reopen? How do we handle it if this happens again? Of course, there are state and county opening guidelines provided for community organizations such as public libraries, however, almost all of these guidelines focus on opening hours, space use, measures of physical distancing, handling and sanitizing materials, etc. (ALA, 2020a; ALA, 2020b; IMLS, 2020). In other words, almost all of the focus is on physical and operational "stuff."

Admittedly, this "stuff" is part of what makes the library function as a brick-and-mortar space. However, what's missing is the people that the library serves-the vibrant communities that libraries help to build through their programs and services. As David Lankes states, "To say we are about community and only be a source of ebooks in a pandemic is hypocrisy. Yes, our fellow citizens need ebooks, but they need compassion, connection, and community dedicated to their full well-being."

We agree with Lankes and are certain that connection and compassion need to be at the center of work now and when libraries reopen. To achieve this connection and compassion, library staff need to ask themselves the following:

● What does your local community need now?
● What are the best practices to engage with local communities compassionately during and after a crisis?
● What are the failed practices that we can learn from?
● What are the bests of the "old normal" that should be kept, and what norms of the "new normal" should be created?
● How can we restructure library management and staffing, so it is flexible enough to hold the demands of a crisis and when the local community is not in crisis?
● How do we collect data and stories of how we are engaging with our communities now when we ourselves are constantly handling personal adjustments?
● How can we communicate to our funders how we are fulfilling immediate needs that the community is facing?

The potential list of questions is endless...but the short answer to each is: "We don't know." Period.

Want to redesign library services? Join us.

We, the authors of this new SLJ article series, are on the hunt for solutions to help local communities thrive in a pandemic and post-pandemic world. We are in an unprecedented time, with the opportunity to respond to the specific needs of local communities, in particular the youth that we serve. These solutions need to organically emerge from each of us committed to serving young people's changing needs.

This is the launch of a series of articles and virtual engagement opportunities that will help the library community answer the above questions. Our intention is to co-produce-with you-a document containing a series of phases toward a new vision for youth librarianship. We will facilitate weekly virtual Zoom sessions where we listen, co-create, and crowdsource challenges, solutions, and best practices-on one hand providing pointers to serve your local communities, and on the other, stewarding the national narrative on the role of public libraries in this moment of need. What we learn via these virtual sessions will be synthesized in the next article and will serve as a guide for our upcoming live sessions.

Join us in co-creating these phases of "reopening" for libraries that focus on the needs of local communities and the youth we serve. If you are interested in joining us in this quest, please complete this short interest form .
Dr. Mega Subramaniam is an associate professor at the College of Information Studies, University of Maryland. Linda W. Braun is a learning consultant for LEO.

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COVID-19 Is an Opportunity to Rethink Youth Librarianship | Reimagining Libraries

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In a new series of articles and virtual sessions, the authors will guide a conversation about the future of public libraries, culminating in a practical plan to reenvision youth services. filo/Getty Images The past few months have been full of adjustments for every person in the world.

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Teaching Critical Thinking Skills in the Age of Fake News
Lesson Plans and BreakoutEDU resources

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Fact vs. Fiction

Teaching Critical Thinking Skills in the Age of Fake News

ISBN: 9781564847041

Published: 2018

By Jennifer LaGarde and Darren Hudgins

The advent of the 24-hour news cycle, citizen journalism and an increased reliance on social media as a trusted news source have had a profound effect not only on how we get our news, but also on how we evaluate sources of information, share that information and interact with others in online communities. When these issues are coupled with the "fake news" industry that intentionally spreads false stories designed to go viral, educators are left facing a new and challenging landscape. This book will help them address these new realities.

The book includes:

Instructional strategies for combating fake news, including models for evaluating news stories with links to resources on how to include lessons on fake news in your curricula.

Examples from prominent educators (elementary, secondary and higher ed) who demonstrate how to tackle fake news with students and colleagues.

A fake news self-assessment with a digital component to help readers evaluate their skills in detecting and managing fake news.

A downloadable infographic with mobile media literacy tips, available here.

Fact vs. Fiction provides educators with tools and resources to help students discern fact from fiction in the information they access not only at school, but on the devices they carry in their pockets and backpacks.

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Fact vs. Fiction Teaching Critical Thinking Skills in the Age of Fake News ISBN: 9781564847041 Published: 2018 By Jennifer LaGarde and Darren Hudgins The advent of the 24-hour news cycle, citizen journalism and an increased reliance on social media as a trusted news source have had a profound effect not only on how we get our news, but also on how we evaluate sources of information, share that information and interact with others in online communities.

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by Jennifer LaGarde and Darren Hudgins
May 26, 2020

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More schools are consider new ways to add news literacy and SEL to their teaching. There's never been a better time to combine these efforts.

To most educators, the word "firewall" calls to mind a computer system designed to block unauthorized access and protect users from unsafe content. But for decades, the term firewall also held a specific meaning related to news and media. It referred to the tradition of separating news content from the business of raising revenue through advertising. This prevented the need to make money from influencing how the news is reported.

That has all changed. In one of the most prominent examples, in 2013, Time Magazine became the first major news outlet to dissolve the separation between its newsroom and business sides to remain solvent. While the internet has (to some degree) democratized access to information, that shift has not come without consequences: Many traditional journalism outlets have collapsed, while online outlets frequently blur news and advertorial content. According to the Pew Research Center, newsroom employment at U.S. newspapers has dropped by nearly half since 2008, reflecting a 62 percent drop in ad revenue. Other news platforms haven't fared much better in an environment where clicks, not subscription models, are the new currency. Many journalists don't have the luxury of the firewall as their organizations push to make stories go viral.
Pulling the emotional trigger
Combine those factors with the rise of strategic disinformation online, and you understand why news literacy is so vital today. One incredibly effective strategy for increasing engagement with online content is to embed emotional triggers at every access point. A 2018 study found that "content that arouses strong emotions spreads further, faster, more deeply, and more broadly online." Littering headlines, sidebars, and photo captions with words eliciting an extreme emotional response and/or confirming existing biases increases the likelihood that a story, in video or text format, will be clicked, liked, and shared.

When we connect with news that triggers an extreme emotion like fear, anger, or outrage, our immediate urge is to express that emotion-often by passing on the information (and our feelings about it) to others. Too often, this happens without fact-checking or even reading the entire article. Once emotion is in the driver's seat, all our knowledge about how to parse credibility flies out the window. Creators and spreaders of disinformation count on this reaction. Chances are, if I'm outraged by a news story, and I share it, others in my network will also be outraged and pass it on to their networks, who will then share with theirs... and so on.

There is an inextricable, and yet largely untapped, link between information literacy and Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), defined as "process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions" by the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL).

We know that news is often designed to trigger an emotional response. And yet, teaching kids to recognize and manage those triggers isn't always a component of news and information literacy protocols. While many schools are looking for ways to incorporate both news literacy and SEL right now, individually, we believe that the relationship between news and emotion creates an opportunity for them to be combined.

READ: A Media and News Literacy-Themed Mixtape for Tough Times
Helping kids think about how news affects them
Whether exploring headlines online or using an activity like this one from Common Sense Media, it's important for kids to consider what emotions the content creator was hoping to trigger, and why those triggers work. In this simple activity, we've asked learners to not only identify the language that might elicit an emotional response, but to also connect that language to a specific emotion. Asking younger kids how information makes them feel is a great way to develop a disposition of considering how news affects us as human beings. Older learners can take this activity one step further by discussing the target audience for each headline and considering who might be most affected by the sample triggers.

Most importantly, all learners need to see the "red flag" of a potential trigger as a reason to press pause and either a) manage their own emotional response to the information or b) recognize that red flags like emotional triggers are a sign that information may not be credible, and detective work is necessary before we believe and/or share the resource.

CASEL has developed five core competencies (pictured) to help learners manage emotional responses to both internal and external stressors. These core competencies can easily be applied to news/information literacy. What's more, the application of these competencies to news can be a powerful first step in helping prepare students for the later work of applying more general news credibility tests.

One of the reasons these traditional approaches to news literacy fail to be applied outside of school is that our students haven't yet learned how to manage the emotional triggers embedded throughout their screen-filled lives. "News literacy education has long focused on the significance of facts, sourcing, and verifiability," researcher Susan Currie Sivek wrote in the Journal of Media Literacy Education in 2017. "While these are critical aspects of news, rapidly developing emotion analytics technologies intended to respond to and even alter digital news audiences' emotions also demand that we pay greater attention to the role of emotion in news consumption."

For educators, this represents an opportunity. News literacy and SEL efforts have a lot in common. Both require learners to develop new ways of thinking. Both benefit from partnerships between school personnel and families. Both are most likely to be successful when integrated across content areas. And both seek to help kids develop healthy behaviors that will serve them both in and out of school.

As more schools consider new ways to add news literacy and SEL to the ways they serve kids, there's never been a better time to combine these efforts.

Read: Get Smart About Memes

Jennifer LaGarde and Darren Hudgins are co-authors of Fact Vs. Fiction: Teaching Critical Thinking Skills in the Age of Fake News.

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News Literacy Must Include Social Emotional Learning

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More schools are consider new ways to add news literacy and SEL to their teaching. There's never been a better time to combine these efforts. To most educators, the word "firewall" calls to mind a computer system designed to block unauthorized access and protect users from unsafe content.

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by Jennifer LaGarde and Darren Hudgins
May 26, 2020

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More schools are consider new ways to add news literacy and SEL to their teaching. There's never been a better time to combine these efforts.

To most educators, the word "firewall" calls to mind a computer system designed to block unauthorized access and protect users from unsafe content. But for decades, the term firewall also held a specific meaning related to news and media. It referred to the tradition of separating news content from the business of raising revenue through advertising. This prevented the need to make money from influencing how the news is reported.

That has all changed. In one of the most prominent examples, in 2013, Time Magazine became the first major news outlet to dissolve the separation between its newsroom and business sides to remain solvent. While the internet has (to some degree) democratized access to information, that shift has not come without consequences: Many traditional journalism outlets have collapsed, while online outlets frequently blur news and advertorial content. According to the Pew Research Center, newsroom employment at U.S. newspapers has dropped by nearly half since 2008, reflecting a 62 percent drop in ad revenue. Other news platforms haven't fared much better in an environment where clicks, not subscription models, are the new currency. Many journalists don't have the luxury of the firewall as their organizations push to make stories go viral.
Pulling the emotional trigger
Combine those factors with the rise of strategic disinformation online, and you understand why news literacy is so vital today. One incredibly effective strategy for increasing engagement with online content is to embed emotional triggers at every access point. A 2018 study found that "content that arouses strong emotions spreads further, faster, more deeply, and more broadly online." Littering headlines, sidebars, and photo captions with words eliciting an extreme emotional response and/or confirming existing biases increases the likelihood that a story, in video or text format, will be clicked, liked, and shared.

When we connect with news that triggers an extreme emotion like fear, anger, or outrage, our immediate urge is to express that emotion-often by passing on the information (and our feelings about it) to others. Too often, this happens without fact-checking or even reading the entire article. Once emotion is in the driver's seat, all our knowledge about how to parse credibility flies out the window. Creators and spreaders of disinformation count on this reaction. Chances are, if I'm outraged by a news story, and I share it, others in my network will also be outraged and pass it on to their networks, who will then share with theirs... and so on.

There is an inextricable, and yet largely untapped, link between information literacy and Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), defined as "process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions" by the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL).

We know that news is often designed to trigger an emotional response. And yet, teaching kids to recognize and manage those triggers isn't always a component of news and information literacy protocols. While many schools are looking for ways to incorporate both news literacy and SEL right now, individually, we believe that the relationship between news and emotion creates an opportunity for them to be combined.

READ: A Media and News Literacy-Themed Mixtape for Tough Times
Helping kids think about how news affects them
Whether exploring headlines online or using an activity like this one from Common Sense Media, it's important for kids to consider what emotions the content creator was hoping to trigger, and why those triggers work. In this simple activity, we've asked learners to not only identify the language that might elicit an emotional response, but to also connect that language to a specific emotion. Asking younger kids how information makes them feel is a great way to develop a disposition of considering how news affects us as human beings. Older learners can take this activity one step further by discussing the target audience for each headline and considering who might be most affected by the sample triggers.

Most importantly, all learners need to see the "red flag" of a potential trigger as a reason to press pause and either a) manage their own emotional response to the information or b) recognize that red flags like emotional triggers are a sign that information may not be credible, and detective work is necessary before we believe and/or share the resource.

CASEL has developed five core competencies (pictured) to help learners manage emotional responses to both internal and external stressors. These core competencies can easily be applied to news/information literacy. What's more, the application of these competencies to news can be a powerful first step in helping prepare students for the later work of applying more general news credibility tests.

One of the reasons these traditional approaches to news literacy fail to be applied outside of school is that our students haven't yet learned how to manage the emotional triggers embedded throughout their screen-filled lives. "News literacy education has long focused on the significance of facts, sourcing, and verifiability," researcher Susan Currie Sivek wrote in the Journal of Media Literacy Education in 2017. "While these are critical aspects of news, rapidly developing emotion analytics technologies intended to respond to and even alter digital news audiences' emotions also demand that we pay greater attention to the role of emotion in news consumption."

For educators, this represents an opportunity. News literacy and SEL efforts have a lot in common. Both require learners to develop new ways of thinking. Both benefit from partnerships between school personnel and families. Both are most likely to be successful when integrated across content areas. And both seek to help kids develop healthy behaviors that will serve them both in and out of school.

As more schools consider new ways to add news literacy and SEL to the ways they serve kids, there's never been a better time to combine these efforts.

Read: Get Smart About Memes

Jennifer LaGarde and Darren Hudgins are co-authors of Fact Vs. Fiction: Teaching Critical Thinking Skills in the Age of Fake News.

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News Literacy Must Include Social Emotional Learning

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More schools are consider new ways to add news literacy and SEL to their teaching. There's never been a better time to combine these efforts. To most educators, the word "firewall" calls to mind a computer system designed to block unauthorized access and protect users from unsafe content.

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THE Journal (Transforming Ed Through Tech)

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THE Journal (Transforming Ed Through Tech)

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Resources for Technology and Distance Learning
UPDATED 5/19/20

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Industry News

Updated: Free Resources for Schools During COVID-19 Outbreak

(Updated May 19; originally published March 13) In response to the number of states, districts and schools that are shuttering schools to students over the next several weeks in response to fears about the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), education technology companies have stepped forward to help educators reach students in virtual ways. In many cases, the companies are making their paid services free through the rest of the school year; in other cases, they're lifting limits to services and/or adding premium features to what's free. The following list will be updated regularly as announcements are made. (If you know of a company that should be included on this list, please send details to [email protected] .)

Jump to:

Abre.io has made Abre Hub available free to schools permanently. The program provides a single place to post news and announcements and give quick access to software tools. Sign-up is intended for district representatives. https://abre.io/free/

The Academy of Active Learning Arts and Sciences and the Flipped Learning Global Initiative have published the "Rapid Transition to Online Learning," a roadmap for making the rapid shift to online learning during school closures. The resources include a checklist for administrators, another for IT managers, a transition plan and video tutorial for teachers and access to an international team of volunteers who have stepped forward to answer questions. The organization is continuing to seek volunteers for the program. http://aalasinternational.org/rtol/

The Academy of Art University is hosting a free series of online events, including guest experts in art and design speaking through Zoom, movie afternoons and nights, and virtual workshops on sketching and the use of various software programs. https://www.academyart.edu/admissions/upcoming-events/

Acer has put together a handy comparison table that provides an overview of remote learning tools. The chart specifically compares Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and Zoom, for remote learning; and Facebook and YouTube for video conferencing. The information examines whether or not screen sharing is allowed, the maximum number of attendees, the maximum length of meetings and other features. https://eu-acerforeducation.acer.com/uncategorized/remote-learning-a-comparison-among-top-collaboration-tools/

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Updated: Free Resources for Schools During COVID-19 Outbreak -- THE Journal

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In response to the number of states, districts and schools that are shuttering schools to students in response to fears about the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), education technology companies have stepped forward to help educators reach students in virtual ways. (Updated May 19)

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Lists from ALL Library/Educator Professional Resources

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The SLJ team is hard at work curating some of our top summer reading picks for a variety of age groups by type, genre, and subject area. Those lists will roll out starting after Memorial Day. In the meantime, here are some of our favorite lists from other organizations and libraries.

The SLJ team is hard at work curating some of our top summer reading picks for a variety of age groups by type, genre, and subject area. Those lists will roll out starting after Memorial Day. In the meantime, here are some of our favorite lists from other organizations and libraries.
ALSC's Quicklists Consulting Committee Summer Reading 2020 List
The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association, produces an annual list of top picks for summer. The list is organized by the following age/grade ranges: birth to preschool, kindergarten to grade two, grades three to five, and grades six to eight.
The Horn Book's 2020 Summer Reading List
Our friends at the Horn Book suggest 50 stellar titles, organized by the following general age/grade ranges: picture books, easy readers and primary grades, intermediate, middle school, and high school. (Full disclosure: The Horn Book and SLJ are owned by the same parent company, Mediasource, Inc.)
ILA/CBC Children's Choices Reading List 2020
Voted on by 12,500 school children from all over the United States, this list is published by the International Literacy Association and the Children's Book Council. It is organized by age group and format: beginning readers (kindergarten to grade two), young readers (grades three to four), and advanced readers (grades five to six).
ILA Teachers' Choices Reading List 2020
Teacher-selected books for ages five through 14.
NYC Summer Reading Booklists
Created by the Brooklyn Public Library and the New York Public Library, these lists are organized by age/grade level, with suggestions for babies through high schoolers. Teaching Books offers additional resources for all of the NYC reading selections.
Texas Library Association (TLA) Lists
One of the largest and most active state library associations in the country, TLA offers several targeted lists for various ages and interests:

Little Maverick (graphic novels for kindergarten to fifth grade)

Lone Star (fiction for grades six to eight)

TAYSHAS (fiction and nonfiction for high schoolers)

Tejas (English-Spanish bilingual books for grades five to 12)

Topaz (nonfiction for all ages, preschool to grade 12 and beyond)
We Are Kid Lit Collective Summer Reading List
The 2020 list has just been posted, organized by the following general age ranges/format: picture books, beginning readers/chapter books, middle grade, and young adult. Be sure to all check out their past annual summer reading recommendations and other excellent thematic booklists, too.

Get Print. Get Digital. Get Both!

Libraries are always evolving. Stay ahead. Log In.

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Looking for Summer Reading Recommendations? Here Are Some of SLJ's Favorite Lists.

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The SLJ team is hard at work curating some of our top summer reading picks for a variety of age groups by type, genre, and subject area. Those lists will roll out starting after Memorial Day. In the meantime, here are some of our favorite lists from other organizations and libraries.

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FREE trial through Aug. 31, 2020

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Alan November offers Insight on Distance Learning

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Alan November offers Insight on Distance Learning

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May 1, 2020

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Microsoft Education - Alan November Interview

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Industry News

Updated: Free Resources for Schools During COVID-19 Outbreak

(Updated September 14; originally published March 13) In response to the number of states, districts and schools that are shuttering schools to students over the next several weeks in response to fears about the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), education technology companies have stepped forward to help educators reach students in virtual ways. In many cases, the companies are making their paid services free through the rest of the school year; in other cases, they're lifting limits to services and/or adding premium features to what's free. The following list will be updated regularly as announcements are made. (If you know of a company that should be included on this list, please send details to [email protected] .)

Jump to:

Abre.io has made Abre Hub available free to schools permanently. The program provides a single place to post news and announcements and give quick access to software tools. Sign-up is intended for district representatives. https://abre.io/free/

The Academy of Active Learning Arts and Sciences and the Flipped Learning Global Initiative have published the "Rapid Transition to Online Learning," a roadmap for making the rapid shift to online learning during school closures. The resources include a checklist for administrators, another for IT managers, a transition plan and video tutorial for teachers and access to an international team of volunteers who have stepped forward to answer questions. The organization is continuing to seek volunteers for the program. http://aalasinternational.org/rtol/

The Academy of Art University is hosting a free series of online events, including guest experts in art and design speaking through Zoom, movie afternoons and nights, and virtual workshops on sketching and the use of various software programs. https://www.academyart.edu/admissions/upcoming-events/

Acer has put together a handy comparison table that provides an overview of remote learning tools. The chart specifically compares Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and Zoom, for remote learning; and Facebook and YouTube for video conferencing. The information examines whether or not screen sharing is allowed, the maximum number of attendees, the maximum length of meetings and other features. https://eu-acerforeducation.acer.com/uncategorized/remote-learning-a-comparison-among-top-collaboration-tools/

Achieve3000 is offering free access to resources for differentiated literacy instruction. Educators can access three different programs. Achieve3000 Literacy at Home offers access to non-fiction articles at three reading levels with topics covering science, social studies and current events. Premium licenses for Actively , for grades 6 -12, provides thousands of texts, including contemporary and classic literature, with collaboration and discussion tools to facilitate interactive remote instruction for English language arts, science and social studies. For students without internet, the company is offering " Literacy Printable Packets," a set of text sets with 20 printable articles and questions. The company said those text packets add up to a month's worth of content differentiated for students who are at-, below- and above- grade-level in their reading abilities. Lessons can be downloaded and sent home by email or printed out. https://achieve3000.com/community-resources/remote-learning-2020/

ACT Academy is a free resource for personalized test practice for the ACT, Pre-ACT, Tessera and Aspire exams. The organization is also offering a feature for teachers to understand their students' mastery of math, English language arts and science concepts. https://academy.act.org/

ActivEd is offering free access to its "Walkabouts," platform with web-based lessons for students in grades pre-K-2 students that integrate movement with language arts, math and reading content and correlate to state learning standards. Students, teachers, and parents can access grade-level content. http://info.activedinc.com/covid

AdGuard is offering a free personal account to its ad- and tracking-blocker program for three months. The privacy protection software is available for Windows, MacOS, iOS and Android. To obtain a license key under this offer, register via this link and confirm the registration. Existing users may get an extra key by logging in through a special landing page. https://adguard.com/en/blog/stayhome.html

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Updated: Free Resources for Schools During COVID-19 Outbreak -- THE Journal

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In response to the number of states, districts and schools that are shuttering schools to students in response to fears about the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), education technology companies have stepped forward to help educators reach students in virtual ways. (Updated September 14)

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Information and Media Literacy Training PD from Metcalf Institute

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Information and Media Literacy Training PD from Metcalf Institute

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YouTube Channel of Webinars

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COVID-19 in Context: News Coverage and News Literacy in Uncertain Times - YouTube

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The University of Rhode Island's Metcalf Institute and the News Literacy Project partnered to present a four-part webinar series, COVID-19 in Context: News C...

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FREE Resources: Authors, Books & Videos

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Educational Resources - MAIN TAB Landing Page

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Educational Resources for at home learning Bound to Stay Bound wants you to know that during these unprecedented school closures, we are here to sup...

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Curated List of COVID-19 Resources (CSLA)

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Curated List of COVID-19 Resources (CSLA)

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Katie McNamara, CSLA President

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Lesley Farmer, Fresno State Univ.

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Resources for Families: Resources for Librarians:

Advisories from the CDC for:
Travelers: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html
Pregnant women & children: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/specific-groups/pregnant-women.html
Businesses & Employers: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/specific-groups/guidance-business-response.html

Latest Research on COVID-19:
Social Science Research Network: https://www.ssrn.com/index.cfm/en/coronavirus/ (SSRN) reports (Free registration required)
CDC Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/Novel_Coronavirus_Reports.html

Libraries: In preparing for the Coronavirus (COVID 19), your library's Board of Trustees and staff may be reviewing your library's policy on closing the library or cancelling events. This American Library Association resource lists topics to include in an individual library policy, as well as other helpful information about the pandemic. See below for "Topics to include in an individual library policy," and for more information, visit http://www.ala.org/tools/atoz/pandemic-preparedness.

Topics to include in an individual library policy (from http://www.ala.org/tools/atoz/pandemic-preparedness): Below are some topics to include in an individual library policy on illness and/or pandemic prevention and preparedness - after ensuring (if necessary) that they are consistent with the policies of the library's governing body:

Criteria for closing the library

Employee policies for sick leave, payroll and banking/financial issues, working from home

Mandated documentation of procedures or cross training so others can take over for sick employees.

Policies for social distancing -- that is, removing a number of chairs so people aren't sitting close to each other, or limiting the number of people who can come in at any one time, or taking out coat racks, and similar things that keep people and their belongings separate from each other.

Criteria for suspending story times and other library programs.

Provision of masks and gloves along with the training of staff in their removal and disposal.

Standards for the cleaning of bathrooms, railings and door knobs, telephones, keyboards, counters, and cleaning of workstations/offices of employees who go home sick, emptying of wastebaskets, etc. etc. etc.

Setting a schedule for seeing to the critical needs of the facility if the library is closed for an extended time (boiler and building checks by custodians, book drop, payroll and banking considerations).

Communications plan for reaching staff and for communicating with the public

Means for continuing to provide information services for the public, such as online ordering of materials and pick up from a table in the lobby at certain times, or expansion of online services

Accommodation of the needs of poor people in the community who may not have a home subscription to the local newspaper or a working home computer

Education of the public in advance of an epidemic

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Resources for Families: Resources for Librarians: Advisories from the CDC for:Travelers: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html Pregnant women & children: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/specific-groups/pregnant-women.html Businesses & Employers: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/specific-groups/guidance-business-response.html Latest Research on COVID-19: Social Science Research Network: https://www.ssrn.com/index.cfm/en/coronavirus/ (SSRN) reports (Free registration required)CDC Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/Novel_Coronavirus_Reports.html Libraries: In preparing for the Coronavirus (COVID 19), your library's Board of Trustees and staff may be reviewing your library's policy on closing the library or cancelling events.

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Education Week summits offer a unique opportunity for our readers to engage directly with our newsroom and their invited guests - many who are experts and thought leaders in their fields. You will be able to have an open dialogue with our reporters, guests, and sponsors in as many sessions as you would like on a variety of topics.

Each session is a text-based discussion with no audio or video so you can participate from anywhere and are mobile/tablet friendly - all you'll need to participate is a keyboard.

All our summits are accessible for a limited time after the original live conversation so make sure you register before the event date to gain access - and if you cannot attend live, you can still come back and explore the discussion. Join us to ask questions, share your own insights and best practices from your school and district, and walk away with new tips and information to help you do your job.

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Education Week summits offer a unique opportunity for our readers to engage directly with our newsroom and their invited guests - many who are experts and thought leaders in their fields. You will be able to have an open dialogue with our reporters, guests, and sponsors in as many sessions as you would like on a variety of topics.

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Cool Stuff for Curious Kids

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The Kid Should See This: Educational videos for curious kids of all ages, a free resource for parents & teachers. Science, art, nature, animals, & more.

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Join Harry Potter and journey into the wizarding world with our new site! Discover puzzles, quizzes, crafts and more to guide you through the very first book.

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Lesson plans and Info on FAIR Use and Copyright Permissions

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Copyright & Creativity | K-12 Teaching Resources on Copyright and Fair Use

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Copyright and Creativity is a nonprofit project offering a full suite of free K-12 resources for teaching copyright and fair use and more. C&C resources are free and ready-to-use: in-class lesson plans, plug-n-play slides, and videos. Resources were developed on a nonprofit basis with input from independent educators, academic copyright experts, and online civil liberties advocates.

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Infographic on Fake News (Multilingual translations available)

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Infographic on Fake News (Multilingual translations available)

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https://eavi.eu/beyond-fake-news-10-types-misleading-info/

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Choice Boards, Lesson Plans and Engagement Activities

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https://www.homereadinghelper.org/

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Curated List of Resources

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VCOE Distance Learning Opportunities (English)

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School Library Journal Publisher Permissions UPDATE

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School Library Journal Publisher Permissions UPDATE

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4/15/20

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School Library Journal Publisher Permissions 

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School Library Journal Publisher Permissions 

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3/15/20

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An Analysis of CDE's and OSERS' Most Recent Guidance for Serving Students with Disabilities During COVID-19 Related Closures

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On March 20, 2020, the California Department of Education (CDE) published online "COVID-19 School Closures and Services to Students with Disabilities," an update to March 18, 2020, guidance information. On March 21, 2020, the federal Office for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services disseminated a "Supplemental Fact Sheet Addressing the Risk of COVID-19 in Preschool, Elementary and Secondary Schools While Serving Children with Disabilities."

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CDE Website and Resources

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Distance Learning - Curriculum and Instruction Resources (CA Dept of Education)

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Guidance and resources for teachers and families in K–12 schools regarding high quality distance learning.

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Curated Resources from OUHSD

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Study shows the novel coronavirus can only survive on paper for a few hours. An IMLS webinar with CDC officials called the material "a low concern."

Before schools closed in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic, many librarians allowed students to check out stacks of books for the forced break. They wanted their kids to have something to read. Now, these school librarians are worried about the returns, not only how to process such a large volume, but, most importantly, how to disinfect those books. At public libraries that either remain open or are closed by still having books returned, there is an urgent need to understand the proper precautions. The same is true in states that have closed schools for the remainder of the year and are asking students to return books now. For others, the issue isn't as pressing but they want a plan.

A study, published in March in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed that the virus "remained active on plastic and stainless steel surfaces for two to three days under the conditions in this experiment. It remained infectious for up to 24 hours on cardboard." A study published in The Lancet on April 2 showed "no infectious virus could be recovered from printing and tissue papers after a 3-hour incubation."

This data can inform appropriate action, including wiping down cardboard and plastic-covered books with disinfectant wipes and leaving returned books to "quarantine" until the danger of transmission has passed.

To help address librarians' concerns, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) hosted a webinar on Monday, March 30, "Mitigating COVID-19 When Managing Paper-Based, Circulating, and Other Types of Collections." It was presented in coordination with the U.S. Department of Education, National Archives and Records Administration, Smithsonian Institution, and Library of Congress, and moderated by IMLS Director Crosby Kemper, the hourlong webinar featured speakers David Berendes, an epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Waterborne Disease Prevention Branch, and Catherine Rasberry, health scientist in CDC's Division of Adolescent and School Health.

"You don't have to really worry about finding ways to disinfect those materials," Berendes said. "The virus, if it's present, would be present in very low quantities and would die off pretty quickly."

"For us to have been concerned about transmission from any paper-based material, the individual would have had to cough or sneeze directly on the object," he explained.

"We're pretty sure that, with some regularity, people are sneezing onto our books," responded Kemper.

In that case, Berendes recommended leaving books untouched for a 24-hour period before handling them.

Of the many concerns library workers should have about the materials they handle, however, paper is fairly low on the list, he said.

"We would just emphasize that the staff practice good hand hygiene after touching the books. For DVDs or other materials that are more easily cleaned...those are pretty easily wipeable with alcohol wipes."

Materials in Braille usually have plastic coatings that can be wiped down with alcohol-based cleaners.

Kara Yorio, SLJ's news editor, contributed to this report. Lisa Peet is Library Journal's news editor.

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IMLS, CDC Offer Guidance for Disinfecting Returned Library Books

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Study shows the novel coronavirus can only survive on paper for a few hours. An IMLS webinar with CDC officials called the material "a low concern." Before schools closed in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic, many librarians allowed students to check out stacks of books for the forced break.