
Libraries are experiencing the same epidemic all over the country: children are captivated by technology!
I am an inner-city children’s librarian who loves planning weekly youth programs. However, my young patrons do not want to leave their beloved technology behind for anything (except for snacks). Instead of fighting it, I embraced it by creating a summer-long program series to show children how to turn their pastime into a passion, and hopefully a future career.
At my branch, we are very lucky to have a computer lab that holds twelve students. I limit the ages to 8-13 years old because of the motor skills, reading skills, and attention span needed to complete the activities.
I selected fifty websites that children can easily navigate to produce different types of art: paintings, videos, comics, music, games, stop-motion, and green screen photos. Each week we focus on one type of art and integrate art history, techniques, concepts, and analyses. I ask the children to explain if they liked or disliked the website, how and why they made their pieces, and to give positive comments to others’ art. At the end of each lesson, I print the list of websites we used in that class so the children may practice the art sites on their own.
This will be my fourth summer running the computer art program and the children are already excited. I am delighted to share the resources with all of you, so that you may show your youngest patrons how to turn their pastimes into passions!

Create Easy Art
National Gallery of Art 3D Twirler
National Gallery of Art Digital Collage Machine

Create Digital Paintings

Create Videos
Toy Theater Sticker Movie Maker
Toy Theater Animation Movie Maker

Photo Editing
Green Screen Lite App for Android

Create Comics

Create Video Games

Create Stop-Motion Video
Toy Theater Digital Stop-Motion Animation
Stop Motion Studio App for Android

Create Digital Music
Old School and New School Turntables
Drag and Drop Musical Composition
Button Base Computer Keyboard Music
I believe this program is so successful because the children get satisfaction and ownership in what they create. Also, they take pride in helping each other to navigate the sites and creating beautiful works of art.
*************************************************************************************************

Our guest blogger today is Angela Bronson. She currently works for the Toledo Lucas County Public Library as a Children’s Librarian at the Kent Branch and is pursuing her MLIS at Wayne State University.
Please note that as a guest post, the views expressed here do not represent the official position of ALA or ALSC.
If you’d like to write a guest post for the ALSC Blog, please contact Mary Voors, ALSC Blog manager, at alscblog@gmail.com.
Julie
What a timely post! Additional STEAM programming is on our programming calendar for FY18 and this list will be a great help.
Sandy
Thanks for sharing this info. Will use with our teens this summer.