Fingal, D. (2011, March/April ). Member profile: being the change she wants to see in the schools. Learning & Leading , 38(6), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/issues/Member_Profile_Being_the_Change_She_Wants_to_See_in_the_Schools.aspx
Education is obviously in need of a technological re-boot as technology continues to grow and broaden. Libraries across the country have started to re-construct into state-of-the-art facilities. Librarians in charge of these libraries are great leaders and innovators for students. One person can make a difference, and Shannon McClintock Miller greatly demonstrates that. She has devoted herself to education and has provided many students with an outstanding education.
Shannon Miller is the district teacher librarian and technology coordinator at the Van Meter Community School in Iowa. She also co-teaches a personal learning network class with a principal from Philadelphia through Skype. She was the main reason that every student at her school, grades 6-12, now have laptops. She trains students on how to network with online tools like Twitter, Facebook, Animoto, and of course Skype. She cares about the interests of her students, as she oversees a digital photography club online called Club Click. This club allows students to gain resources for photography and collaborate with one another as members share a genuine interest in photography. She has motivated many teachers and students to step out of their comfort zone and become contributors. As if everything she has already done is not enough, she has created a website with helpful updated resources for other educators. She also makes herself available to anyone who needs assistance with technology over the weekends and when she is not teaching. Teaching is not only her passion, it is her life.
Shannon loves what she does and she proves that one person can easily make a difference in life. Teaching is her passion, and she will do anything to improve the student education experience. She credits her great success to the collaborative, creative, and respectful community that she is apart of. If she did not have great collaboration with her administrators and fellow educators, she would not be as successful as she is today. It is very important to collaborate and connect with your educational community, as that connection can pave the way for change.
1. How can we connect with Shannon Miller?
Shannon Miller currently runs a technological librarian website, http://tinyurl.com/yyde2gw, that can povide access to great resources that she uses. She also blogs which can be found on her website as well. She is very welcoming and assits anyone that might need help. She is a great leader.
2. What is the best advice that we can learn from Shannon?
Shannon contributes her success to staying connected and collaborating with her peers. Educators should work together to help education change, as it takes a universal change to really impact education. Her passion also guides her through her work and contributions, which can show that passion is important to have in education. All educators must have a passion for the job, as that is how change starts.
3. How can we promote change and innovation in education?
Educators should all connect with PLNs. This is a great strategy to gain new resources and to collaborate with other people who share your passion. Educators need to work together and not remain in solitude. Educators like Shannon who participate in a collaborative, supportive environment have more incentive to bring about change. PLNs need to be promoted in education for educators/administrators to work together and create solutions. Our education system is in dire need of change, and people like Shannon began to act out with collaborative support from her PLNs.
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