Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Have you checked out SymbalooEdu lately?


SymbalooEdu is an interactive collection of all your favorite web tools, YouTube videos, Animoto videos, lesson plans, RSS Feeds, and much, much more.  
Create links to research tools, lib guides, e-books, and cool sites like EasyBib.  Having all the links in one place makes researching easier for students and teachers. Symbaloo easily embeds in library homepages such as Destiny.  Students love using the webmix with icons. Before using Symbaloo, I had a list of links to important resources on my library homepage. This frustrated students who were looking to find links quickly.  The colorful icons help students find resources easily.  Symbaloo is a great tool for student projects. Let students create webmixes on any topic and share them.  Students can also create e-portfolios and have a professional body of work for the 21st century. The possibilities are endless! Check out www.SymbalooEdu.com today!

Saturday, July 27, 2013

TALL TEXANS 2013



Being selected to be a part of the Tall Texan Leadership Development Class of 2013 has been one the highlights of my career.  I am thankful for the Texas Library Association’s commitment to create an institute that prepares leaders to excel in the field of librarianship.  Jack Siggins, Director of the George Washington University Gelman Library, and Maureen Sullivan, Past President of the American Library Association, were the institute’s facilitators.  Along with an amazing group of mentors, Jack and Maureen shared insights from their own careers and leadership theories to help us become successful leaders.   
Jack Siggins & Maureen Sullivan

With an emphasis on collaboration, we learned how to lead groups of professionals, utilize risk taking strategies, and develop interpersonal relationships and skills. 

Ted Wanner is the project coordinator for Tall Texans and does a wonderful job organizing the institute. The Montserrat Jesuit Retreat Center, a beautiful facility overlooking a lake, provided the accommodations for the institute.  


I would like to express my thanks to everyone who helped to create a wonderful Tall Texan experience: Texas Library Association, Jack Siggins and Maureen Sullivan, Ted Wanner, Sharon Amastae, Donald Dyal, Oralia Garza de Cortes, Carlyn Gray, Deborah Halsted, Ling Hwey Jeng, TASL, YART, and all the participants of the Tall Texan Class of 2013. A special thanks to my longtime mentor and friend Sharon Gullett, my amazing superintendent, Keith Boles, for supporting me, and Stacey Sullivan who has always believed in me.
Our Amazing Mentors