If you haven’t used eMediaVA, you’re missing out on a powerful resource that is completely free for all public, private, and home educators and students in Virginia, from Pre-K through grade 12. Not sure whether you have access? Simply check your SSO portal or visit eMediaVA’s info page to select your school account.
November is a time when we focus on gratitude. But with eMediaVA, there’s something to be thankful for year-round—and today I’m sharing some of my favorite features that make teaching a little easier and a lot more engaging.
And yes, the cost (or lack thereof!) is already a win. Many school divisions include eMediaVA directly on their SSO portals so there’s no extra setup or password to remember. You can simply log in and start exploring a world of high-quality resources.
The Search & Filters
Like any content library, you can search easily—but what truly stands out is the streamlined filter system. You can filter by SOL, grade level, resource type (video, document, image, etc.), licenses (like Creative Commons), and language.
As an English teacher, I relied heavily on the SOL and grade filters to quickly find relevant resources and lesson plans. And specialists who support the whole school—librarians, technology coaches, literacy coaches—will appreciate the range of materials available across subjects, formats, and languages.
Resources for PLCs & PD
Speaking of specialists, eMediaVA shines during PLCs, professional development sessions, and collaborative planning. Whether you’re introducing a new database, searching for primary sources, or finding supplemental materials for extension activities, there is something for everyone.
As a school librarian and literacy coach, I was always looking for extra resources to support teachers. eMediaVA offers lesson plans, discussion questions, support materials, and citations—making classroom modeling or PD facilitation incredibly simple. It takes the legwork off teachers and prevents those endless “rabbit hole” research sessions.
Curated and Created Collections
Teachers often need multiple resources for lessons, choice boards, research, and project-based learning. As a former teacher and current specialist, I spent hours pulling these together—but eMediaVA makes it so much easier with two favorite features: Curated Collections and My Collections.
Curated Collections offer ready-made sets of resources on high-interest topics, organized by grade level. For example, if your team is discussing how to incorporate service learning, the Citizen Better collection provides a great starting point with videos designed to inspire and prompt reflection. Each video includes support materials such as note-catchers, vocabulary, and extension activities.
What Are You Most Thankful For?
Which eMediaVA resource are you most grateful for? Share your favorites on Free Virtual Learning VA. And don’t forget to tag #eMediaVA!
Angela German is a Literacy Coach in Virginia Beach Public Schools and an eMediaVA Ambassador.