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Dolores Huerta High School Librarian Mary Margaret Perez

My Background:

1. Mary Margaret Perez
2. Age: 48
3. Mexican American
4. B.A. English Literature, M.L.S. Library Science
5. 18 years as an educator
6. Former high school English language arts teacher (11 years)
7. 7 Years in school librarianship
8. I'm a great cook and make many traditional Mexican recipes handed down through my family. I love to read romance novels; I also write in this genre. I am an information literacy specialist who is expert at using technology tools to find information and produce knowledge.

My Educational Philosophy reflects the five roles for school librarians:

1.    Leader.

2.    Instructional Partner.

3.    Information Specialist.

4.    Teacher

5.    Program Administrator.

View (full screen): "Making a Case for Coteaching: An Inservice for Classroom Teachers and Principals"  (Your inservice will have the name of your school librarian as the author.)

Librarians are leaders who work collaboratively with administrators and colleagues to achieve the goals and objectives of our school.

Collaboration is a 21st-century skill. As an educator, I collaborate with other adults in the learning community to offer students the best possible instruction in a safe and effective learning environment. In the process, we model this vital skill for students. In our school and library, knowledgeable professional educators demonstrate leadership and facilitate both physical and intellectual access to ideas and information in all formats.

Librarians are instructional partners.

Educators in our school create a framework for teaching students and learning with one another: exploring information, constructing knowledge, and creating the potential for wisdom. Classroom-library collaboration between and among educators provides the most effective learning opportunities for students and the most valuable professional development opportunities for educators. Collaboration ensures that educators will develop best practices that meet students' needs.

Librarians are information specialists.

Access to ideas and information at the point of need and during classroom-library collaborative instruction provides students and educators with opportunities to learn and to practice 21st-century skills in a 21st-century environment in which the collection resources and the instruction are seamlessly integrated into the classroom curricula.  In our school library program, students and teachers have opportunities to use information and technology tools to access, use, present ideas, and demonstrate learning outcomes. I work collaboratively with the administration and colleagues to provide professional development in this area.

Librarians are teachers.

The role of the teacher is to provide a framework that facilitates the student's self-directed learning. To be meaningful, learning experiences must be relevant and relate to the learner's real-world life experience. I work with colleagues to individualize and differentiate instruction and provide choices for learners.

Librarians are program administrators.

The library program, facilitated by a professional and effective school librarian, is positioned to be at the heart of the school's academic learning community. Along with you, I will develop and maintain a collection of print and electronic resources that supports and enhances the curriculum. I will initiate and work alongside colleagues and families to develop a comprehensive reading program, literacy learning events, and initiatives that give students opportunities for growth in all areas of the curriculum.

Works Consulted

American Association of School Librarians. Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Media Programs. Chicago: American Library Association, 2009.

American Association of School Librarians. Standards for the 21st-Century Learner. 7 December 2009. Web. <http://ala.org/aasl/standards>.

Banks, James A., ed. Multicultural Education, Transformative Knowledge, and Action: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives. New York: Teachers College Press, 1996.

Dewey, John. Democracy in Education: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Education. New York: Macmillan, 1916.

Freire, Paulo. The Politics of Education: Culture, Power, and Liberation. Hadley, MA: Bergin & Garvey, 1985.

Fullan, Michael. Change Forces: Probing the Depths of Educational Reform. New York: Falmer, 1993.

Harris, Judi. Virtual Architecture: Designing and Directing Curriculum-based Telecomputing. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education, 1998.

Hartzell, Gary. Building Influence for the School Librarian. Worthington, OH: Linworth, 1994.

Library Research Services. Impact Studies. Web. 7 December 2009. <http://www.lrs.org/impact.php>.

Nieto, Sonia. Affirming Diversity: The Sociopolitical Context of Multicultural Education. 2nd ed. New York: Longman, 1995.

Partnership for 21st Century Skills. Framework for 21st Century Learning. 7 December 2009. Web. <http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=254&Itemid=120>.

Vygotsky, Lev S. Mind in Sociey: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1978.

High School Librarian Mary Margaret Perez - Home

Dolores Huerta School Library Goals and Objectives 

High School Principal Mrs. Alvarez-Garcia

Evidence-based Practice: Research and Readings