Joquetta Johnson SLJ Nomination

BALTIMORE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS S. Dallas Dance, Ph.D.  Superintendent  6901 Charles Street  Towson, MD  21204

Department of Digital Learning Fran Glick Supervisor

Office: 410-887-4036

May 22, 2014 To Whom It May Concern: It is my honor and pleasure to join the many voices that are contributing to Joquetta Johnson’s nomination as School Librarian of the Year. Joquetta represents the best of the best and it is my privilege to work with her in Baltimore County Public Schools.

Joquetta Lynn Johnson is an innovative high school library media specialist, Google Certified Teacher, national presenter, and educational technology leader. Her willingness to share her expertise with others and her knowledge of digital resources and educational technologies has earned her the title of “The Digital Diva.” With her enthusiastic spirit and innovative thinking, Joquetta strives to model and promote 21st century librarianship, leadership, and instruction that empowers ALL learners and contributes to the global learning community.

She serves as curriculum writer and Continuing Professional Development (CDP) instructor for the Department of Digital Learning. In these roles she has taught inservice courses on the topics of Universal Design for Learning (UDL Book Builder), Promethean and iPad technologies, social media, Safari Montage streaming media, and wikis.

Joquetta has been an education consultant for the International Society for Technology Education (ISTE). In this position, she served as a curriculum writer and assisted with the design and development of cutting-edge lessons included in an ISTE/Microsoft curriculum titled, Integrating ICT Skills into Teaching and Learning. Joquetta was the 2012 Chairperson for American Association of School Librarian (AASL) Banned Website Awareness Day. Under Joquetta’s leadership, the committee facilitated webinars, crowd source digital content, and used social media to raise awareness of the excessively restrictive blocking of legitimate, educational web applications and academically useful social networking tools in schools and school libraries.

Joquetta has presented at National Digital Learning Day, a celebration of teachers that shines a spotlight on successful instructional practices and effective use of technologies in the classroom.

In the summer of 2013 Joquetta was selected as a Library of Congress fellow, a highly competitive group of teachers who become experts at the use of primary sources for teaching and learning. In this five-day program for K-12 educators and Library of Congress education specialists facilitate sessions modeling strategies for using primary sources to engage students, build critical thinking skills, and construct knowledge.

Creating a Culture of Deliberate Excellence

Joquetta was selected to the 2014 PBS Learning Media Digital Innovators Program. This one year-long, free professional development program designed to foster and grow a community of highly engaged, tech-savvy K-12 educators who are effectively using digital media and technology in classrooms to further student engagement and achievement.

I have observed that Joquetta is constantly engaged in her own professional learning, reading, and research on 21st century teaching and learning, instructional technology, and school librarianship. She frequently shares her knowledge and insights about current trends, tools, resources and pedagogy with her colleagues. Her enthusiasm and passion make her a highly valued member of our professional learning community. She sets a high standard in her professional practice that has distinguished her among her local and national peers.

We are fortunate to have the “Digital Diva” in our community here in Baltimore County Public Schools. Joquetta’s visibility in the national school library conversation via social media, conference attendance, and professional learning networks demonstrates her commitment to the work and to sharing professional practice. Her innovative use of technology and digital media tools serve her students at Pikesville High School and demonstrate her status as a connected educator.

Joquetta’s students offer high praise for her energy, enthusiasm, and commitment to their success. They see her learning commons as a highly charged environment where the walls are nonexistent and they use technology to interact with content, each other, and their library media specialist.

Joquetta has my highest recommendation for this award. It is well deserved!

Sincerely,

Fran Glick Supervisor

Creating a Culture of Deliberate Excellence

Creating a Culture of Deliberate Excellence