Impactful Integration With Amy

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...

This post is week 4 of 8 in the #8WeeksofSummer Blog Challenge for educators.   As we settled in to virtual learning for over a year in my district, my technology integration expertise definitely grew.  I felt like I was in a constant period of growth and learning.  Which tools did I discover this year and which familiar tools did I branch out and try in new ways?  Today's topic is a fun one, but also a little overwhelming to answer.  I feel like, where do I begin?  I'm sure you probably feel this way as well.  The 2020-2021 school year was the year of "all the technology tools." The Familiar I think the most frequent tools I used were the Google Workspace platform.  Getting Google Trainer certified was the best decision I made in the summer of 2020.  It truly propelled me to be equipped to train my staff and students on technology integration.  I was able to start visualizing any task and connect which Google tool would be the right fit...

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...

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...

This post is week 1 of 8 in the #8WeeksofSummer Blog Challenge for educators.   2021 was such a pivotal point in my career.  It was filled with ups and downs, challenges and excitement.  I found myself faced with figuring out how to be a school librarian in a completely virtual setting.   How do you engage students and staff when you don't have the physical library space they are used to engaging with you in?   This was the challenge I faced this year; a nd I realized some things that truly changed me as a teacher librarian.  I saw my school community with new perspective.  In July of 2020, I realized I wanted to reinvent my role as the school librarian.  I wanted to engage my school community in ways I never had before.  I decided to fall back on my library science degree and research as much as I could about technology integration, blended learning and technology support.  Impactful technology integration was need at my campus and...