Bio



Welcome to the Impactful Integration blog!  I am a teacher leader who works closely with district curriculum coordinators, the technology director and the library director to increase best practices district wide. I'm passionate about literacy and impactful technology usage.  I am currently a high school librarian who is implementing the Google coaching model to advance teachers in the effective use of technology and to cultivate a culture of life long learning.  Thank you for following along with me as I reflect here on my professional journey.


You can follow me on social media on Twitter @SoTxLibrarian

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Clarity and Engagement Key to Successful Communication

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This post is week 5 of 8 in the #8WeeksofSummer Blog Challenge for educators. This week's topic is all about the successes and challenges of communication during the pandemic.  It became crystal clear that during virtual learning the focus of communication needed to broaden to reach students multiple ways.  Without students coming to the virtual space of the library or classroom, I couldn't rely on signage on walls, tables and doors to spread the news of upcoming events and new resources.  Also I had to consider, how can I get my learners talking in a virtual environment? During this past year, communication had to get an over haul to meet the needs of the different learning styles of my learners and to ensure accessibility to make learning equitable for all.  When instruction was happening in person, many times I would give the directions and model how to do something.  I would include written directions for multi step assignments.  This strategy alone did...
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Making Connections and Finding My Why

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This post is week 2 of 8 in the #8WeeksofSummer Blog Challenge for educators.  One thing that really changed in 2020-2021 for me, was making connections through collaboration with my peers.  Since I didn't have the constraint of needing to remain in the physical space of my library, I was able to collaborate and participate in my campus's daily activities.  It changed my whole outlook on how I could improve my role as librarian. I was able to reignite my passion for instructional technology and working directly with teachers on technology integration.  Finally, I felt that connection; I was a pivotal part of my campus.  As an ally and an asset to my team, I secured my role on campus.  I pushed myself to grow beyond the role of librarian that I had always known. Role Improvement #1: Attending Weekly Teacher Meetings During our time of virtual learning, I was able to attended our weekly Teacher CLCs (collaborative learning communities.)  These sessions w...
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Building Engagement During the Pandemic

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This post is week 3 of 8 in the #8WeeksofSummer Blog Challenge for educators.     " We all needed to do different things to survive all the constantly changing demands of education."  I really connected with this statement on Hot Lunch Tray this week.  I think for all of us, we had to figure out how to keep our head above water and even thrive in the new normal we found ourselves in during the pandemic.  My learners this year became my focus.  Engagement was key.  I knew my students and my staff needed a totally different approach to ensure they were successful and supported this school year.  I had to think outside of the box (in this case the physical space of my library) to develop clear actionable goals for myself about how I could build engagement in my school community. Engaging Students During the Pandemic As a librarian, I had to figure out what my role looked like in a 100% virtual world.  It was a whole new experience trying to eng...
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