Employment History

Teacher Librarian, 2010 – Present

Vermont Secondary College, Vermont

Responsibilities:

  • Planning, implementing and assessing a range of  teaching programs including  weekly lessons in information literacy, research skills, cybersafety, and media literacy as part of the Year 7 Integrated Stream program.
  • Planning, implementing and assessing a range of teaching programs for Years 8- 12 including: Senior Study Skills, Note-taking Refresher Course, Building Personal Learning Environments  and Managing Your Digital Identity.
  • Developing digital resources for the school community including: a digital citizenship website, an iPad Tips Tumblr site, library guides and electronic pathfinders.
  • Supporting teachers in the use of ICT in their teaching programs including eLearning coaching and provision of PD sessions.
  • Supporting teachers in curriculum development and innovation including provision of PD sessions.
  • Ensuring teachers, students and the wider community have access to appropriate resources in a range of formats (digital and  non-digital).
  • Planning, implementing and assessing programs for the school’s Junior and Senior lunch-time Book Clubs, Young Writers’ NaNoWriMo group, Online Youth Advisors’ group and iPad Cafe
  • Planning, implementing and assessing a range of activities designed to stimulate and motivate a love of reading amongst students and teachers. Activities include: Premier’s Reading Challenge, Book Week, CBCA book awards,special days and cultural events.
  • Organising Cybersafety parent information evenings.

Education Services Officer, 2011 – Present

State Library of Victoria, Learning Services

Responsibilities:

  • Collaboratively developing, delivering and assessing online Professional Development programs including: Research Toolkit, VicPLN and PLN Plus.
  • Planning and writing regular  articles for the Bright Ideas professional blog site to support Teacher Librarians and educators around Australia/internationally.
  • Delivering a range of curriculum-based school programs including: information literacy, research skills, history and culture, and engagement with books and writing.
  • Planning and presenting sessions and online webinars for professional development conferences.

Technical Writer  2011 – 2012

Children’s Books, Harper Collins Publishing, Melbourne

Responsibilities:

  • developing teaching notes for children’s and young adult’s texts to meet the pedagogical needs of educators in line with the standards of the three English strands of the National Curriculum and cross-curricular connections where appropriate.

Teacher/Librarian,  2005 – 2010

reading at the window cropt

Village School Primary, Croydon North

Responsibilities:

  • Planned and taught units of work/guided projects collaboratively with teachers, especially to assist the development of  information literacy and inquiry skills in students
  • Provided training in information research skills and cybersafety to students and staff
  • Planned, developed and evaluated library services and library equipment and resources
  • Ensured access to information for the school community via tools, training and awareness-raising
  • Identified, selected, ordered and updated library resources to support the curriculum
  • Liaised and consulted with staff and advising on selection of resources
  • Managed problems reported by staff  with Audio Visual and Information and Communication Technology equipment
  • Developed policies in consultation with staff to improve  library access, services and resources
  • Reported to the Principal on Library Budget and all major library issues

Key Achievements:

  • Collaboratively planned, organized and managed BER refurbishment of the library
  • Introduced and taught cybersafety to all classes, lead parent information sessions and provided resources for better understanding of internet safety issues
  • Introduced the Bookbag and Lexile programs, which were embraced by parents and contributed to improved reading comprehension and writing competency for students
  • Successfully organized and managed Premier’s Reading Challenges, read-a-thons, author visits, literary excursions, book sales and special events to promote literature and a love of reading
  • In 2008, began re-developing the Library collection to meet the needs of the changing student body and expanded students’ research skills
  • Successfully developed an online resources site for the school, designed to assist students in targeting their research and to be accessible at school and at home
  • Supported teachers in developing appropriate resource materials and collaborated in developing learning activities for classes across a range of diverse projects
  • Created a Professional Development Wiki to meet Teachers’ professional learning needs
  • Worked closely with students on an individual basis, helping them to use a range of resources and technologies to meet individual needs and interests
  • Acted as Facilitator of Steering Committee on Future Planning over 2008-09, and successfully led the Committee through a lengthy decision making process to formulate a new administrative structure and design a 5 Year Plan.