Gender

Female

Location

Fairhope, AL

Birthday:

August 19

Hometown:

Laurel, MS

Name of Your School / Library / Organization:

I have been a school librarian on the elementary, middle school and high school levels before teaching on the post-seconday level. I moved to Alabama after serving as a media specialist with the Department of Defense Schools in Italy for ten years. Prior to that, I served as Director of the Teaching Learning Resource Center and the Interactive Video Network at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. I first began my work at USM as an assistant professor in the School of Library and Information Science teaching a wide variety of courses in the fields of school media, education and technology. During my last three years at USM, I received the Excellence in Librarianship Award and the Faculty Excellence Award. I was a tenured professor upon my early retirement from USM. It is unusual for a professor to return to the building level and work with students. I am forever grateful for that experience, as it was an eye-opener in many ways. It is easy to “teach” what to do daily in a school media center, and not as easy to actually be in the trenches doing it! I have been both places recently, and am a better teacher as a result. My educational career also includes service as the Director of Education at Mississippi Educational Television, several years experience as a teacher and a school media specialist, and service as the media director/library supervisor in both the Clarksdale and Biloxi, Mississippi School Districts. I worked on the local and state level writing educational grants and presenting workshops for teachers, media specialists, and administrators.