I was a teacher, and I'm proud of it!
Education
Post graduate:
East
Carolina University, Greenville, NC
Graduate:
M.S.L.I.S. University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
M.S.,
Rehabilitation Counseling, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
Undergraduate: B.A., English, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond,
VA
Favorite Quotation:
“Read
and you will be forever free.” – Frederick
Douglass
Honors/Awards
· “Trip to Paris,” WUNC Public Radio, 2011
· “Embracing the Child” literacy
grant, Townsend Publishing, 2009
· National Endowment for the
Humanities, “Picturing America,” 2008
· Nominated for Who’s Who in
American Education, 2007
· World War II Oral History
Project: “John Harrawood.” Archived at the Veterans’ History
Project, Library of Congress, 2006.
·
“Crafting Freedom,”
Thomas Day Institute and the National Endowment for the Humanities, 2006
· American Memory Fellowship, Library of Congress, 2001
· Project Tomorrow Grant,1998 and
1999
· American Library Association
travel grant, Guadalajara, 1999
· Phi Beta Mu International Honor
Society, 1992
Training
· Advocacy Summit, Public Policy and Advocacy
Department/Arthritis Foundation, Washington, D. C., 2013
·
Introduction
to the Learning Health System, (online), National eHealth Collaborative, 2011
·
Computers in Medical Settings, Nash Community
College, (Rocky Mount, NC), 2011
·
Computers in the Workplace, Nash Community College,
2011
·
Learning to Learn Online, InSync, 2010
·
“Teaching and Learning With Technology,” (online
course), 2009
·
“Project Based Learning”, Intel, 2009
·
“What’s New in Young
Adult Literature, Bureau of Education Research, 2009
- “Creating a Climate for Reading,” (2006), Wake County Public
Schools, Raleigh, NC
- “Using Character Education as a Motivator in Reading Programs,”
(April, 2006), East Carolina University, Greenville, NC.
- “Reading Circles,” (May, 2006), East Carolina University, Greenville, NC.
- “The Effective Use of Sustained Silent Reading,” (May, 2006),
East Carolina University,
Greenville, NC.
§ Summer Institute, NC Public Schools: “Managing Difficult
Behavior for
Individual Students,” (2005),
Atlantic Beach, NC.
§ “A Mind at a Time,” workshop for teachers by Mel Levine,
(2004),
Chapel Hill, NC.
- Oral History Workshop sponsored by the Southern Oral History
Project at
UNC-Chapel Hill, (2004), Mt. Airy, N
- “Dimensions of Learning” (2003), Wilson, NC
§
NC LIVE (1999-2000),
Raleigh, NC
§
LearnNC (2000),
Weldon, NC
§
“Marco Polo:
Internet Content for the Classroom,” (2000), Raleigh, NC
§
Follett Library
Automation (2001),Weldon, NC
§
NC WISE OWL (2001),
Weldon, NC
§
American Memory
(2001), Washington, D. C..
Presenter, 2002, “Using
American Memory to Enrich Curriculum,” Greenville, NC.
Work Experience
Writer, Tarboro, NC, July, 2011-present. I write up-lifting, compelling articles
about people and places on a global perspective. Many of my articles were published in a local publication,
The Daily Southerner, as well as in Eastern North Carolina Woman. I also write poetry.
Library Media Coordinator (Edgecombe County,
NC) August, 2007-2009
·
Prepared the LMC to
receive students upon the closing of Roberson Elementary School and the
re-opening of the building as the Roberson Center for Educational
Achievement (August, 2007).
·
Led up to 10 classes
a week on a fixed library schedule.
·
Provided leadership
for the launching of the circulation system
·
Solicited corporate
support for the acquisition of new materials.
·
Kept the faculty
informed of new resources.
·
Served on the School
Improvement Team.
·
Served on the School
Library Curriculum Council.
·
Introduced new
presentation equipment to help teachers integrate technology into lesson plans.
·
Collaborated with
teachers on student research projects.
·
Advocated for school
libraries and their relationship to high student achievement.
·
Promoted the LMC
through library newsletters to parents and teachers.
·
Participated in
school activities (Relay for Life, Field Day).
·
Planned activities
to increase student achievement.
·
Wrote grants to
enhance range planning for the collection.
·
Created an
attractive space to encourage student use of the library.
Library Media Coordinator (Wake County, NC) Jan., 2006
– June 13, 2006.
- Assistded with providing library services to approximately 820
elementary students grades K-5.
- Taught 17 classes a week in the media center (fixed schedule).
- Aligned lesson plans with the North Carolina Standard Course of
Study
- Help to create a climate conducive to reading and learning.
- Integrated elements of the North Carolina Character Education
Initiative and
history into lessons.
Special Ed Teacher (Nash County, NC) 2004-2005
- Worked as a special education teacher for juvenile offenders at
an off-campus program. Grade
range was 6-8. Emphasis: reading, literacy, social studies,
Character Education, math, art, career focus.
Library Media Coordinator (Wilson
County, NC) 2002-2003
§ School Librarian for 315 elementary students K-5.
§ Collaborated with faculty.
§ Wrote collection development grants totaling $10,000.00
§ Integrated the NCSOS into library lesson plans.
§ Renovated and re-organized the school library
§ Promoted the library with newsletters and special events
(“Celebrity Readers”, “Read Across America”, etc.)
Library
Media Coordinator (Halifax County,
NC) 2000-2001
§
School librarian for
600 middle and high school students.
§
Collaborated with
teachers.
§
Set up the Follett
circulation system.
§
Re-organized the
library for better access.
§
Promoted the library
with speakers, programs, Teen Read Week, etc.
§
Wrote grants.
§
Supervised student
assistants in the library.
§
Formed partnerships
with publishers to help extend the book collection.
Assistant Director and Reference Librarian (Tarboro, NC)
1996-2000
§
Provided reference
services for all ages and disciplines.
§
Assisted children
and their parents in the absence of the Children’s Librarian.
§
Initiated and taught
NC LIVE and Internet classes for the public.
§
Wrote collection
development grants of over $5000.00.
§
Staff training and
adult programming.
§
Involved in outreach
to area schools.
§
Involved in the
development and maintenance of adult reference and nonfiction collections
§
Aided in the
cataloging of the adult nonfiction collection and books in Spanish.
§
Weeded the reference
collection.
§
Assisted in the
weeding of the adult nonfiction collection.
§
Publicized the
library with a weekly news column (1997-2000) and an interview for WITN-TV to
promote public libraries (March, 2000)
§
Organized art
exhibits and displays.
Reference
Librarian (Mt. Vernon, GA)
1992-1996
§
Initiated reference
and bibliographic instruction services for Brewton-Parker College.
§
Kept the faculty
informed of new reference sources and services
§
Designed research
guides and library pathfinders
§
Implemented book
exhibits, displays, and special events for Black History Month, Women's History
Month, National Poetry Month, and National Library Month.
§
Led the development
of the reference collection in all disciplines.
§
Gave tours of the
library for school groups and helped high school students learn to use
reference materials
§ Publicized the library to the public through events such
as a poetry reading coffeehouse during National Poetry Month.
Memberships
North Carolina Writers Network, PEN America, Edgecombe
County Arts Council,
Nasher Museum of Duke University
References
Aniko Redman, Researcher, Durham, NC, cell 919-544-7437
Beverly McNeill, Educator Emeritus/Teacher Trainer. Chairman of the Board for APPREND,
Durham County, NC. Cell: 919-489-1166.
Chip Wigginton, former publisher/editor of The Daily
Southerner, Tarboro, NC, Cell:
804-426-2757.
.
Bea Burnett, tennis champion and retired actress, Cell: 252-469-8383