Librarians and the Washington Digital TeachKit: Partnerships in the Pandemic
by Mark Rey Throughout my career as a teacher librarian and district leader, I’ve reveled in professional collaboration. As I continue my 29th year as a teacher librarian / instructional coach / teacher of the year / administrator / now free range educator, my rich professional friendships and diverse PLN have made me a better educator. But collaboration in a pandemic is hard. Social distancing has translated into professional isolation. A virtual breakout room is simply not the same as popping into a colleague’s classroom or meeting in the break room to forage for snacks. For teacher librarians who once regularly connected with fellow educators to lead, teach, and support the work of the school, it’s increasingly difficult to sustain collaboration as classroom colleagues struggle with remote and hybrid learning. The very real challenges of student engagement, management, and effective instructional design using diverse digital tools and services are yet to be solved. Despit...