User:Ashley Smolinski

B.S. in Elementary Education, CMU, 2006 M.S. in Information Studies, SUNY University at Albany, anticipated 2014 Graduate Assistant, Instruction Design Graduate Assistant, ITS-Faculty Technology Resources

Bio: My professional life began as third grade teacher after graduating from Central Michigan University. While teaching over a period of five years I developed a strong interest in technology and integrated technology into my classroom instruction when I noticed how engaged my students became when we learned ‘outside of the book’. With support from my superintendent I was able to join a technology cohort within our school in an effort to integrate technology and lead other teachers through the challenges and successes of our experiences. My classroom instruction included using iPods to write digital stories and poetry, blogging through our classroom website for communication with parents and students, and incorporating multiple apps and websites into our lessons to promote skill development and interest in science, language arts, and math.

In 2011, I relocated from Michigan to New York and after a small amount of substitute teaching, decided to apply for a position as a library clerk in a small public library in Oneonta. This position led me to explore the field of library science, which allowed me to combine my favorite interests: literacy, technology, and education into one fantastic career. I chose to pursue a masters degree in Information Studies at the University of Albany and anticipate graduating in May of 2014. After earning this degree, I plan to teach information literacy within an academic library setting.