WEMTA 2025 - Ignite and Inspire: Impacting Learning Together: Full Schedule

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8:15am CDT

10 Creative Ways to Engage Students

Tuesday March 11, 2025 8:15am - 9:15am CDT

Discover practical and impactful strategies to engage students in the school library. We will focus on creative ways to foster a love of reading, enhance learning experiences, and find time-effective and realistic ways to engage students at all levels. Hands-on learning, digital strategies, and more will be explored!

Speakers

Jackie Markowski

Digital Learning Specialist, Pulaski Community School District

Jackie is in her 18 year of teaching, and 8th year in her role as a Digital Learning Specialist in the Pulaski Community School District, She loves sharing her learning with others. Working in an elementary school setting, she is passionate about engaging students in critical thinking... Read More →

Tuesday March 11, 2025 8:15am - 9:15am CDT
Sheraton Wisconsin 7

Beginner, Elementary, Middle School

Company Culturally Responsive Instruction, Library Space, Literacy

9:30am CDT

¡A Leer y Competir! Organizando una Batalla de Libros!

Tuesday March 11, 2025 9:30am - 10:30am CDT

Sheraton Wisconsin 7

Investing in students' home languages is a powerful tool for equity. Librarians can create rigorous opportunities for an often neglected reading population. Learn how MMSD hosts an annual Batalla de Libros in grades 4-8. Advanced Learning Coach Katie Hayden and LMTS Hollis Rudiger will guide you through the process: creating teams, selecting books, writing questions, and running the tournament. They'll share book lists and selection processes. Spanish knowledge isn't necessary, and can help monolingual librarians support biliteracy goals, even in smaller settings. This model can be adapted for other languages and grades. Join us for a lively, multilingual discussion!

Speakers

Hollis Rudiger

Hollis became an old school librarian in 1997, but recently drove back to the future, and is settling nicely into 2024. She is also, reluctantly, a Media and Technology Specialist. She has been an ed tech trainer, an ESL teacher, a librarian at the CCBC, a tutor and coach for neurodivergent... Read More →

Katie Hayden

Tuesday March 11, 2025 9:30am - 10:30am CDT
Sheraton Wisconsin 7

Beginner, Elementary, Middle School

Company Culturally Responsive Instruction, Instructional Partnerships, Literacy

10:45am CDT

My Genrfying Journey: Genrefying an entire elementary library

Tuesday March 11, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am CDT

Sheraton Wisconsin 7

This session will focus on the organization of the elementary library. The idea behind genrefying a school library will be discussed as well as how I have genrefied our fiction and nonfiction books and have started out the picture book reorganization. I will discuss the physical changes that were made to the books, the space, the supplies I purchased to reorganize (labels, covers, and face out bins), the changes made in Follett Destiny as well as the impact these changes had to our circulation numbers. I believe strongly in this type of organization and am excited to share the benefits of this with other librarians.

Speakers

Keri Johnson

K-5 Learning Center Director, Copeland Manor

My road to the library began in a classroom in 2000. I taught fourth grade for thirteen years before I made the transition to the library. This is my seventh year in that position. I earned my bachelors degree in human development and family studies from the University of Illinois... Read More →

Tuesday March 11, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am CDT
Sheraton Wisconsin 7

Beginner, Elementary

Company Budget & Resources, Library Space, Literacy