Page 31 - THE Journal, March 2017

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student-created resources and teacher- created materials — in a container to house it all. On top of that, Hempfield’s librarians have been leading professional development workshops on the technical skills necessary to access those resources as well as the proper integration of them into teaching and learning. The focus, all along, has been on embedding inquiry-based learning into the solution of technology transforming
REFERENCES
teaching and learning. That focus helped the district see their librarians as leaders in teaching, technology and resource collection.
The school librarian, because of his
or her knowledge of all grade levels, all curricular needs, and all students in the school, has a unique place from which to coordinate the digital shift. The person in that position impacts every student in
every grade level; however, that person must be allowed a seat at the table when schools plan and implement the curation of digital resources and the integration of those resources into the school day. The school library professional can be your most valuable asset for taking teaching and learning to the next level and building Future Ready students (and teachers)
as readers, thinkers, tinkerers, problem- solvers and curious, focused learners. Georgia and Pennsylvania provide just
two examples of how a new generation of system administrators are leveraging their library professionals to help them make the digital shift and there are many, many more out there. So, instead of looking for a third party or vendor to manage purchased digital or open educational resources, look within and leverage the school librarian. Instead of looking for content that doesn’t translate into curriculum, look at your library leaders. School librarians all over the country are Future Ready right now!
Susan K.S. Grigsby, Ed.S. is the district media specialist with Forsyth County Schools, GA, and a member of the ISTE Librarians and ISTE Learning Spaces PLN Leadership teams. She is the professional development coordinator for the Georgia Library Media Association (GLMA) and a 2015/16 Lilead Fellow.
Cathi Fuhrman, Ed.D., has been the library department supervisor for 17 years and a librarian for 22 years in the Hempfield School District, Landisville, PA. She is a 2015/16 Lilead Fellow.
Amos, J. (2016, June 24). Future Ready Schools Announces New Project to Recognize School Librarians as Leaders in School Transformation. Retrieved from all4ed.org: http://all4ed.org/press/future-ready-schools-announces-new-project-to-recognize- school-librarians-as-leaders-in-school-transformation/
FR_Librarians_Factsheet.pdf. (2017). Retrieved from Futureready.org/about-the-effort/librarians/: http://1gu04j2l2i9n1b0wor2zmgua.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/FR_Librarians_Factsheet.pdf
Raths, D. (2016, November). Digital and Print: Helping Teachers Find the Right Balance. THE Journal, pp. 16-18.
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