As we kick off a new year, I have been sharing a "tool box" of my favorite digital tools, apps and resources with our teachers, students, and families.
At the top of this list is one of my all-time favorites,
The Achievery. This is a free digital learning platform, designed by education experts for teachers, families, and students.
As shared on The Achievery,
A FREE online platform created by AT&T, The Achievery connects K-12 students to a new world of digital learning through stories that spark curiosity and content that entertains and educates.
Designed by education experts, The Achievery offers 7 subject categories and over 1000 videos, all paired with learning activities that can be accessed at home, in the classroom, and in their communities.
The Achievery is ad-free and available at no cost to everyone.
I have been using The Achievery since the beginning and am always so impressed with the ongoing new additions and features they add throughout the year.
In fact, there are several NEW amazing features that I am very excited about this fall.
There is a refreshed look and feel to The Achievery. When you click on Explore the menu at the top, a drop down menu now gives you three different options.
In Watch and Teach, you can Explore Units and Explore Courses.
As you
Explore Units, you will find lesson plans and learning activities. I appreciate how I can use the search features to narrow down what I am looking for by title, grade level, category, activity type, and even collaborator.
This is very helpful as a teacher librarian as I collaborate with all of the teachers in my district. It is also helpful in my work as I look for lesson plans and learning activities around digital literacy, AI, and other topics.
There are also several new
Interactive Units available.
One of my favorite new additions are the
Courses. These are sets of lessons and activities designed to help students learn or improve specific skills or knowledge. They are organized to guide them step by step within each Course. These are available to all users and there is no login required.
Let's take a look at one I found to use with my students called
Smart and Safe Online created by Media Smarts. Through interactive lessons, students will learn how to navigate with confidence. They also practice questioning what they see through images and news, and build fact-checking strategies. By the end, students will be prepared to make smart, safe, and responsible choices online.
Students work through several lessons within each
Course and complete activities around each section.
In Define Your Focus, you can Explore Topics and Explore Partners. It's very helpful to scroll through these menus and find what you want to focus on within The Achievery. I love being able to pull up everything created by the specific partners and always find exiting new things.
And lastly, under the menu is
Campus where you will find your
Profile, Favorites, Activity, Notes, Courses and
Help. I went into my Achievery Campus so I could see what our students will see as we get back in as school starts.
The first thing I clicked on was My Activity, which shows the Learning Units Completed, Videos Watched, and Favorite Learning Units.
Next is
My Courses, which gives you a summary of courses in process and completed.
You can also click on Favorites to view your favorites. Look for the little heart by each lesson to bookmark them to your Favorites.
I really like the My Notes feature too. This is a teacher feature. You can add private notes to the units you plan to use with your class. Look for the pencil icon to add your ideas, notes and plans. You can revisit your notes anything through your Achievery Campus.
Oh, and don't forget to personalize your profile avatar. That's a fun new feature!
Right next to Profile, you can choose English or Spanish, and the first five state standards (TX, GA, FL, CA, and IL) are now available.
The last new feature I would love to highlight are the Interactive Video Units.
There are currently four available that dive into cybersecurity with interactive videos that challenge students to engage, think critically, and respond in real time. I am excited to use these with our students this year.
You can sign up for your
FREE Achievery account here. Please invite your fellow colleagues and families to join. It is FREE for everyone.
There is something for every grade level, subject, interest, and more in
The Achievery. It's an incredible way to enhance students' learning experiences through interactive, engaging, and exciting learning experiences.
The Achievery also supports us as Future Ready Librarians as we
Build Instructional Partnerships, Advocates for Student Privacy, Cultivates Community Partnerships, Leads Beyond the Library and more. You can find out more about the NEWLY updated Future Ready Librarians 3.0 Framework
here.
As you can see everyone needs The Achievery in their tool box. I know you will love using this amazing digital platform with your school community this year too.
