Digital Resources

New resources for schooling at home are being pulled together by some of the best known and vetted sources. Recently, National Geographic launched a new online hub, NatGeo@Home, which pulls together all of National Geographic’s family-friendly educational content into a one-stop shop for parents and teachers alike. The free digital resource for K-12 students combines the educational content from the National Geographic Society with those from National Geographic Kids and other tools and services. This includes access to the National Geographic Society’s Learn at Home portal, featuring educational content like articles, lessons, videos, other online activities and more. In addition, children’s media nonprofit Common Sense just last week debuted Wide Open School, a comprehensive collection of resources for parents and teachers that included age-appropriate educational activities as well as daily schedules.

Looking for a way to “get away” when you can’t actually get away? A company in South Africa is offering free daily livestreams of safaris through the end of April, according to Lonely Planet. The excursions are completely authentic so you never know what you are going to see (or not see!). Some of the livestreams even cater to kids, with guides answering questions the kids ask. Because of the time difference, the safaris begin at times that might not fit your schedule, but they last a couple hours and if you catch one before it ends, you can rewind the YouTube video back to the beginning.

Living with a high school senior? Campus closures mean a change of plans for current college students as well as prospective ones. Dozens of schools have taken to digital tools to give virtual tours in lieu of traditional campus tours for high school seniors and are pushing back admissions deadlines, however there is a chance these seniors may end up picking a college to attend without setting foot there.

Your kids are probably spending more time online then ever before, so now is a better time than ever to work on digital safety. Think about things such as navigating digital information, vetting sources and fact checking, to name a few. Check out this set of 10 short videos on YouTube from Crash Course. The videos, ranging in length from 5 to 13 minutes, cover fact checking, lateral reading, vetting sources, the pros and cons of using Wikipedia as a source, evaluating photos and videos and data and infographics, and even how not to be drawn in by click bait. Brain Pop also has an excellent Media Literacy video for older kids on how to be a savvy consumer of mass media, including topics such as how to evaluate advertising, news stories, opinion pieces and other hidden persuasions. For a quick read on the subject, try 5 Essential Media Literacy Questions for Kids .

With school closures and COVID-19 lockdowns, kids are spending a lot more time online, increasing the risk of them stumbling into dark corners of the Web. Add to this the fact that many parents are also now working from home, and unable to supervise what their children are doing, and the problem grows exponentially. In order to help, Facebook has recently launched a new education resource for kids, parents and educators that aims to "provide lessons and resources to help young people develop the competencies and skills they need to more safely navigate the Internet". The new initiative - called simply 'Get Digital' - includes several dedicated education areas, each of which features a video overview, and links to a range of tools and resources to help improve digital literacy.

Have your kids read and reread every book in your house while practicing social distancing?  Check out this list of places to access free audio books that can be listened to on a computer, laptop, phone or tablet; digital books that can be read on any of the same devices; and even pdfs of books that can be printed out and stapled together. For the time schools are closed, Audible is offering a collection of stories kids can instantly stream including titles across six different languages, “that will help them continue dreaming, learning, and just being kids”. All stories are free to stream a desktop, laptop, phone or tablet. You can also check YouTube to watch videos of books being read aloud, such as the book version of the Disney Pixar film Coco, for example.

Social distancing is tough on everyone, kids included, but there are quite a few ways you could help your kids interact with others virtually. Using Facetime (on an Apple product) or programs like Skype or Zoom, you can set up virtual play dates with your kids' friends or family members. Try a setting up a show and tell, completing a LEGO challenge, drawing pictures for others, or even playing board games (there are lots of board games that have free or inexpensive virtual versions). Check out some of these ideas kids can use to keep each other busy, or to cheer up a grandparent or other family member who is in isolation.

The coronavirus virus pandemic is offering a whole new set of challenges for parents and kids who want to be sure they are vetting and evaluating the media frenzy surrounding the outbreak. To this end, Common Sense Media is offering a set of Resources for Families During the Coronavirus Pandemic that can be very useful including how to explain the news to kids, apps to help with mental health and stress and how to teach kids to be media savvy.

Mary Brown, a reading intervention specialist in Ohio, says a great resource for finding books for kids is the "What Kids Are Reading" report, an annual listing of the most-read books sorted by topic, reading level and state. She says the list is especially helpful for finding nonfiction books that resonate with students and help build vocabulary.

If your child needs image resources for a project, report or display, the Smithsonian has released 2.8 million high-resolution two- and three-dimensional images from across its collections onto an open access online platform for patrons to peruse and download free of charge. Featuring data and material from all 19 Smithsonian museums, nine research centers, libraries, archives and the National Zoo, the new digital depot encourages the public to not just view its contents, but use, reuse and transform them into just about anything they choose—be it a postcard, a homework project title page, or a backdrop for a diorama, and includes unique resources such as how to make a collagasarus.