If you’ve ever been in the media center, or had a class period in one of the computer labs, then chances are you’ve met Ms. Mary George. Due to all her hard work and dedication, our very own librarian was recognized as one of the 2016 PBS Learning Media Digital Innovators, out of a pool of tens of thousands of applicants.

To apply for this honor, Ms. George had to submit a video and answer questions about how she integrates technology. She had heard about this opportunity through email since she had signed up to receive emails from PBS while in attendance at the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) conference in October. The district sent Ms. George all the way to Columbus, Ohio for this conference.

The main question to be answered regarding this award was how digital media and technology are integrated in the classroom to drive student achievement and to create a culture of achievement. Since Ms. George does not have her own classroom, collaborating is a big part of what she does. She said that “some teachers do take a back seat when I’m with them and let me run with it, but of course we’ve planned it together.”

With the media center being a very centralized location within the school, Ms. George is frequently able to work with her colleagues and share information to further help them with their lessons. A main lesson regarding media would be that “technology takes time and patience.” Students need time in order to be creative, especially while using new forms of media.

Ms. George originally applied because she wanted to go to International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) conference in Denver, Colorado. However, she was awarded a year of professional development and training along with courses online that are eligible for credit at certain universities. In addition, she has access to exclusive resources and membership into a robust professional learning community. Not to mention, some bragging rights surely to go along with her recognition.

There was one lead innovator chosen per state, which Ms. George did not receive, who gets to attend the conference. The lead innovator was given to a teacher at Engineering and Science University Magnet School in New Haven. However, Ms. George did receive a local innovator position, as well as another teacher from Stamford.