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

12:30pm CDT

Open Books, Open Minds, Open Hearts: School Librarians' Perceptions of Inclusive Children's Literature

Sunday March 9, 2025 12:30pm - 1:30pm CDT

In December 2023/January 2024, I researched Wisconsin school librarians' perceptions of inclusive children's literature by adapting existing validated surveys from School Library Journal. My goal was to learn school librarians’ perceptions of inclusive literature and investigate alignment among school district collection development policies, school librarians’ professional book selection philosophies, and the Multidimensional Framework for Inclusive Literature (MFIL) (Pfundheller & Liesch, 2023). Join this session to learn results and recommendations for our field.

Speakers

Jacqueline Liesch

Dr. Jacqueline D. Liesch has taught students from ages 3 to 18-years old in Wisconsin, Ecuador, South Carolina, and Japan. Teaching students from around the world has enabled me to learn from their perspectives and experiences. Furthermore, by living, studying, volunteering, teaching... Read More →

Sunday March 9, 2025 12:30pm - 1:30pm CDT
Hilton Garden Room A

Beginner, Early childhood, Elementary, Middle School, High School, Higher Education

Company Advocacy, Culturally Responsive Instruction

1:45pm CDT

Digital Hygine - Educating Teachers, Students, and Famlies

Sunday March 9, 2025 1:45pm - 2:45pm CDT

BCC Collaborate A

Amidst Covid, child trafficking cases doubled via social media and unsupervised screen time. Gain confidence: learn warning signs, safeguard yourself, students, and staff. Master Data Privacy for personal and school use. Workshop covers vital areas: Human and Sex Trafficking red flags, App Permissions, Visual Privacy, and Social Engineering.

Speakers

Aggie Salter

ITS

Agnieszka Salter (@AggieSalterITS) is an Instructional Technology, PD Specialist, Instructional Coach Leader, and Innovation teacher at QP School in Madison, WI. Aggie is the Digital Promise Global's Coach Community Manager. She is one of the initial curriculum designers and teachers... Read More →

Sunday March 9, 2025 1:45pm - 2:45pm CDT
BCC Collaborate A

Beginner, Elementary, Middle School, High School, Higher Education

Company Advocacy, Community Partnerships, Data & Privacy

1:45pm CDT

IGNITE Your Career with AASL!

Sunday March 9, 2025 1:45pm - 2:45pm CDT

Hilton Garden Room A

IGNITE your school library career with the American Association of School Librarians! Take your career to the next level by networking with professionals in your field nationally and accessing resources to inform and expand your practice. Apply national teaching and program standards to your instruction and lean on the professionalism of the only national professional membership organization focused on school librarians and the school library community. Participants will understand what the AASL is and offers. Explore member benefits. Learn how to become a member.

Speakers

Kate Olson

AASL Affiliate for Wisconsin, WEMTA

Christine O'Regan is a library media teacher consultant for Kenosha Unified School District. She has worked as a school librarian for 20+ years in elementary, high school and district levels. She is also the AASL state affiliate for WEMTA. The best part of her career are the opportunities... Read More →

Sunday March 9, 2025 1:45pm - 2:45pm CDT
Hilton Garden Room A

Beginner, Early childhood, Elementary, Middle School, High School, Higher Education

Company Advocacy, Collaborative Leadership, Facilitating Professional Learning

1:45pm CDT

Reboot with Tech in Your Building

Sunday March 9, 2025 1:45pm - 2:45pm CDT

BCC Boardroom

In this Workshop you will be given a blueprint for building digital equity in your school. You will hear about successful technology use through a partnership with schools and Verizon. We will share our experiences in making the partnership work and how to grow the program with Student Tech Teams, and digital citizenship. This session will inspire responsible technology use in your schools.

Speakers

Sonja Pupovac

Verizon Innovative Learning Schools Coach, Milwaukee Public Schools

Amy Bauer Kulas

VILS Coach, Milwaukee Public Schools

Sunday March 9, 2025 1:45pm - 2:45pm CDT
BCC Boardroom

Beginner, Middle School

Company Advocacy, Equitable Digital Access, Instructional Partnerships

1:45pm CDT

Kindling Your Fires: Designing A Career Renaissance

Sunday March 9, 2025 1:45pm - 2:45pm CDT

Sheraton Wisconsin 6

Are you tired of feeling isolated, underappreciated, and unheard? Do you feel like your work experience is fine but wish it were amazing? We have been there, too! Join us for this interactive session, where we will share experiences, victories, and defeats and rally together to move into the programs and experiences that give us personal and professional joy.
Anticipate engaging in conversations around professional learning networks, self-actualization, career growth, self and program advocacy, connecting on current topics in library and educational leadership, and taking control of your Educator Effectiveness and performance reviews guided by your unique ambitions.

Speakers

Teresa Voss

Librarian, Verona Area School District

I believe that all students should see themselves and feel like the library, be it the physical space or the virtual, is their home. I serve as the high school and district librarian for the Verona Area School District. I have taught in all grade levels and internationally. These... Read More →

Val Edwards

Sunday March 9, 2025 1:45pm - 2:45pm CDT
Sheraton Wisconsin 6

Intermediate, Early childhood, Elementary, Middle School, High School, Higher Education

Company Advocacy, Collaborative Leadership, Personal-Professional Growth

3:00pm CDT

Megatrends, Accelerators, and Hurdles: The Future of Learning

Sunday March 9, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT

Sheraton Wisconsin 3

Designed for administrators and tech leaders, this session will focus on learning trends and predictions for the future. Are you stuck in the daily grind of completing tasks and attempting to cross things off of your endless “to do” list? Do you feel exhausted trying to put out fires and solve problems that others bring to you? Attend this session if you want to step away from the minutiae for a moment to focus on the biggest, global concepts for the future of learning. Explore megatrends that will influence the global community (and our staff and students) for the coming years. Discover common accelerators that can push your strategic, “big picture” work forward. Plan for common hurdles that are bound to get in the way. This session will provide an overview of megatrends, accelerators, and hurdles in order to spark thinking and to re-energize attendees. Participants will have time to share with each other so that we can elevate the success of all students.

Speakers

Elizabeth Freeman

Superintendent, Rocket Academy - Cedar Grove Belgium School District

Sunday March 9, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Sheraton Wisconsin 3

Beginner, Elementary, Middle School, High School, Higher Education

Company Advocacy, Collaborative Leadership

3:00pm CDT

Game-Based Learning with Google

Sunday March 9, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT

BCC Collaborate B

Get ready for an engaging session where learning and fun go hand in hand. Join Deb Norton as she shows you how to jazz up student engagement with amazing tools and apps from Google Workspaces. Picture this: game-based learning that'll make your students jump out of their seats with excitement, making learning a total blast. It's time to level up your Google Workspace skills and turn learning into a gaming adventure.

Speakers

Deb Norton

Technology Coach, Oshkosh North High School

Deb Norton is a former 5th grade classroom teacher, who now works at Oshkosh North high school where she is a Technology Integration Specialist and Tech Coach. She has her Master’s Degree in Educational Technology, is a Google Certified Trainer, and is the lead instructor of an... Read More →

Sunday March 9, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
BCC Collaborate B

Intermediate, Elementary, Middle School, High School

Company Advocacy, Community Partnerships, Students as Creators

1:00pm CDT

Creating a District Digital Safety Night

Monday March 10, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT

Sheraton Wisconsin 2

In this age of social media and in a world where technology is literally at every person's finger tips regardless of age, there is an increased need for awareness around what it means to be "safe" online. Parents and educators are the gatekeepers to this world of technology and it's imperative that our communities have these conversations. This session will discuss how to organize a digital safety night in your community, what materials to cover and who should be involved. We certainly don't have all the answers, but we know that asking the questions is important. Come see what we've done to get the conversation started in our district and bring whatever thoughts, comments and questions you have as well.

Speakers

Jami Goodman

Library Media/Instructional Technology Specialist, West De Pere Intermediate School

Jen Gossen

Library Media/Instructional Technology Specialist, West De Pere School District

Elementary school library media/instructional technology specialist in the School District of West De Pere.

Ashley Knapp

Library Media Instructional Technology Specialist, West De Pere High School

I am a high school Library Media/Instructional Specialist, and I also serve as the building's Talent Development Coordinator. Prior to this position, I was a high school and middle school English/Language Arts Teacher.

Nicci Verbeten

Library Media/Instructional Technology Specialist, West De Pere School District

Jen Wathke

LMS, West De Pere School District

Jen is a Library Media/Instructional Technology Specialist for the School District of West De Pere. She has presented at local, state, and national conferences on a variety of topics including Google Apps for Education, YouTube in the Classroom, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence... Read More →

Monday March 10, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
Sheraton Wisconsin 2

Beginner, Early childhood, Elementary, Middle School, High School

Company Advocacy, Collaborative Leadership, Community Partnerships

3:00pm CDT

I am not an attorney…but I can share some great information!

Monday March 10, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT

BCC Collaborate B

Last summer I became a Law for Librarians Trainer for the ALA Office of Intellectual Freedom. This opportunity allowed me to broaden my knowledge base in a wide variety of legal issues surrounding libraries. This session will allow participants to gain a foundational understanding of how the First Amendment, copyright, and privacy laws impact school libraries, as well as how the impact may differ for public libraries. We will explore how to identify the intersection of law and school board policies and create talking points to use with others in your district. Bring your questions and curiosity and leave with more confidence about how your work is supported by law.

Speakers

Monica Treptow

School Library Education Consultant, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

Monica Treptow started work as the School Library Media Education Consultant at the DPI in July of 2017. Monica's prior experience includes twelve years as a K-12 library media specialist and district leader. These positions included roles in leading development of information and... Read More →

Monday March 10, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
BCC Collaborate B

Beginner, Elementary, Middle School, High School, Higher Education

Company Advocacy, Collaborative Leadership, Library law

3:00pm CDT

Library Program Planning: Bringing Life to Your Library

Monday March 10, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT

Sheraton Wisconsin 2

Looking to revitalize your library programs and engage your middle or high school students? Join us for a collaborative session where together we'll dive into practical strategies and share ideas for planning and implementing exciting library initiatives. In this session, we will discuss programming ideas for events like National Library Week and monthly reading challenges. We will share ideas around how to create eye-catching and themed displays to spark student interest, and we will explore low-effort, high-impact activities for your library and makerspace through passive programming. This interactive session will provide you with fresh inspiration, practical tips, and the opportunity to connect with fellow librarians. Let's work together to transform your library into a vibrant hub of learning and creativity!

Speakers

Mindy Grant

Library Media Specialist

I am the Library Media Specialist of Central Heights Middle School in Sun Prairie, WI. I started my career as an English Language Arts teacher for 10 years and now have been living it up in the library for 8. I started my library career at a middle school in Madison Metropolitan School... Read More →

Erin Clark

Library Media Technology Specialist, Madison Metropolitan School District

I am the Library Media and Technology Specialist at La Follette High School in Madison. Prior to my current role, I was a middle school and 4th grade classroom teacher in Illinois and the Verona Area School District as well as a K-5 librarian in Verona. This diverse range of experience... Read More →

Monday March 10, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Sheraton Wisconsin 2

Beginner, Middle School, High School

Company Advocacy, Library Space, Literacy

8:15am CDT

Canva 101

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

Sheraton Wisconsin 4

What can't Canva do?! Over the past 5 years, Canva has become my go-to resource. In this session, you'll learn how to sign up for a free premium educator account, the ins and outs of creating resources with Canva, and how to use this tool with students. You'll leave creating one or more of the following: social media graphics, infographics (like for library reports), posters, flyers, presentations and videos.

Speakers

Danielle Brannan

Secondary Librarian, Greendale School District

This is my 15th year as a school librarian and my first year with my current district, Greendale Public Schools near Milwaukee. I work in the middle school and high school libraries, and I love it! Being a school librarian is my dream job.

Tuesday March 11, 2025 8:15am - 9:15am CDT
Sheraton Wisconsin 4

Beginner, Early childhood, Elementary, Middle School, High School, Higher Education

Company Advocacy, Facilitating Professional Learning, Students as Creators

10:45am CDT

Beyond the Bookshelf: Exploring Author Encounters

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

Sheraton Wisconsin 2

This session will lead educators through the process of selecting, preparing for, affording, and maximizing the impact of author visits in your school. Learn strategies for choosing authors that resonate with your students and curriculum, discover effective preparations to ensure a seamless visit, explore budget-friendly options, and uncover creative ways to engage both students and authors during their time at your school.

Speakers

Joe Diefenthaler

Library Media Specialist, Pulaski School District

I have taught in the Pulaski School District since 2000 before taking the role of the Library Media Specialist at Pulaski Community Middle School (PCMS) and Pulaski High School for the past 14 years. While keeping students in the forefront, I have helped to bring programs to PCMS... Read More →

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 →

Jen Wathke

LMS, West De Pere School District

Tuesday March 11, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am CDT
Sheraton Wisconsin 2

Beginner, Early childhood, Elementary, Middle School, High School

Company Advocacy, Community Partnerships, Literacy

10:45am CDT

Telling Your Library's Story

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

Sheraton Wisconsin 1

What was your journey to library work? How has the library helped you during a hard time? In this session we will learn how to collect and use library stories to tell The Library’s Story. We will spend time interviewing each other to generate stories right away and leave with prompts and strategies for gathering stories from patrons. We will also discuss how stories complement data and enhance presentations on the library’s offerings and accomplishments.

Speakers

Sarah Beth Nelson

Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Sarah Beth Nelson is an Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Information Studies. Before becoming a professor, Sarah Beth worked in public and school libraries. In addition to researching oral information, she studies the American reality (true, personal... Read More →

Tuesday March 11, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am CDT
Sheraton Wisconsin 1

Beginner, Early childhood, Elementary, Middle School, High School, Higher Education

Company Advocacy

10:45am CDT

Challenge Ready: PD, Policy, and Legal Preparation

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

BCC Collaborate C

With censorship attempts cresting at record levels, library teams maintain cohesion and communication through careful navigation and in depth understanding of relevant policy and law. In this session, participants will learn about strategies for preparing themselves and their school communities to address challenges. From updating and communicating policies to using case studies to discuss the legal aspects of parent requests and School Board involvement in collection development, attendees will have the opportunity to think deeply about the necessary steps to tailor a team-centered challenge preparedness action plan to meet the needs of their library and community.

Speakers

Maegan Heindel

Library Services Coordinator, Madison Metropolitan School District

Maegan Heindel is a school librarian, teacher, author, and Library Services Coordinator in Madison Metropolitan School District in Madison, WI. In her 19 years as an educator, she has been an ALA Emerging Leader, Wisconsin Learning4Life Coordinator, AASL Affiliate Assembly member... Read More →

Val Edwards

Dr. Tomas Lipinski

Dean and Professor, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee

I have worn many hats: lawyer, librarian, library school educator, now Dean of an iSchool where I still teach and write on legal issue affecting libraries and technology across society including copyright, licensing, Free Speech and privacy. Forthcoming e-books from ALA Editions... Read More →

Tuesday March 11, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am CDT
BCC Collaborate C

Intermediate, Early childhood, Elementary, Middle School, High School, Higher Education

Company Advocacy, Collaborative Leadership, Intellectual Freedom