Impactful Integration With Amy

Technology has transformed the way I teach and the way my students learn.   As a librarian I get the pleasure of meeting students and staff right where they’re at to help them select relevant tools to meet their learning goals.   I’m passionate about leveraging technology to amplify student voice and  bringing innovative tools to the library and schoolwide that promote critical thinking, creativity, communication and collaboration.   My goal is that students find the library to be a space for innovation, collaboration and risk-taking. Each day that our students enter the doors of the library is a new opportunity for them to grow and pursue their passions and to get closer to acquiring the skills they need for lifelong success.   I am so blessed to be able to work with our teachers weekly on impactful technology integration.  We are focused on developing a shared vision and culture for technology use campus wide.  At PSJA Collegiate ...

This post is week 8 of 8 in the #8WeeksofSummer Blog Challenge for educators . Honestly, as the final week concludes I'm sad to see it go. I'm so glad I stumbled across this challenge during #pd4uandme Twitter Chats.  I had received some feedback from a few of my colleagues and friends that I should try my hand at something new.  One suggested blogging and one suggested opening a TPT store.  I thought about options and marked them down as possibilities.  When I saw the #8weeksofsummer Blog Challenge I knew this was the time for me to make the leap and just start already!   This week's topic is all about sharing new knowledge, skills and attitudes I learned this year.  The biggest change that led me to gaining new knowledge was becoming a Google certified trainer.  It has opened so many doors for me.  Three years ago I attended a regional service center training to become Google level one certified.  During that summer, three years ago, t...

I'm back again looking into some terrific professional development books. I don't know about you, but there are so many books I want to read and just not enough time to get to them all.  So what I usually do is keep a running "To Be Read" (TBR) list and I try to tackle those by purchasing them, borrowing them from the library or a colleague or even listening to them through Audible.  I thought it would be fun to help me gain as much knowledge as I can while narrowing down my reading choices by downloading free samples of PD books from my TBR to my Kindle.  Did you know that in Amazon you can download a free sample of just about any eBook they sell?  This is a great way to see if a book is a good fit for you! Let me also focus this by explaining what I am hoping to gain from reading these professional development excerpts and samples... I'm looking to shift from my role of school librarian to an instructional technology integration specialist.  While I alrea...

  Have you had a chance to try out www.wakelet.com yet?  If you haven't it is a really awesome tool for organizing information.  It can be used in so many ways.  You can create interactive collections of links, videos, notes, gifs, and so much more.  I have been using Wakelet for about a year now and I'm at a place where I really see why people get so excited about Wakelet.  Recently Wakelet hosted "Wakelet Live" on YouTube where educators and Wakelet ambassadors from around the globe shared their ideas and uses for Wakelet.  You can check out the playlist from the event here.    During the event, I attended some exciting sessions including portfolios, thinking about what to keep and what to ditch after our pandemic experience and many new ways to utilize Wakelet.  I also attended Desiree Alexander's Keynote on " How to Break Barriers and Achieve Your Goals ." Alexander's presentation was so just what I needed in the place where I am in...

When the school year ends, I always look at summer as a time of reflection.   What things am I proud of?   What areas do I want to grow in?   What would I change for next school year?   This year was certainly a big year for technology integration.  Being in a pandemic with 100 percent virtual learning happening for over a year, technology expertise became an asset to me in my role as librarian.  Throughout the year, I researched different tools to see what would be a good fit for myself, my staff and my students.  Along the way I found some new favorite tools that I'll be sharing with you, as well as my journey of how my own technology usage has evolved.  I'll also share different professional development opportunities that are available to help you grow in your own journey as an educator.  I encourage you to not stay stagnant.  Always keep learning and growing to build yourself up to be the best version of yourself ...

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...