Teach With INFOhio

INFOhio ICoach Spotlight: Dr. Jessica Dennison

Author // Sarah Mowery Friday, 18 March 2022

 

INFOhio, Ohio’s PreK-12 Digital Library, supports educators statewide by providing quality digital content, web tools, and professional development at no cost. Through our train-the-trainer INFOhio ICoach program, teacher leaders learn to integrate INFOhio’s digital content into instruction using our Learning Pathways training curriculum. Educators build capacity as teacher leaders by offering professional development opportunities for their own schools and districts on INFOhio tools and resources. INFOhio empowers Ohio educators to become teacher leaders by expanding their professional learning network through our ICoach train-the-trainer program.

Every quarter, INFOhio will be featuring the amazing work of INFOhio ICoaches across the state. Not only are INFOhio ICoaches trained to share INFOhio’s quality resources with their schools and districts, but they are also champions of equity. At INFOhio, we believe that every Ohio student deserves the opportunity to learn from high-quality, standards-aligned instructional materials to become a resilient, lifelong learner who contributes to society. In alignment with Ohio Department of Education’s Each Child, Our Future strategic plan, we support the core principles of equity, partnerships, and quality schools.

 

WHEN YOU HAVE 30 MINUTES OF FREE TIME, HOW DO YOU PASS THE TIME?
Thirty minutes of free time sometimes seems so hard to come by. I try to give myself at least this amount of time each day. Generally, you can find me in the middle of a run passing 30 minutes of free time. It is my self-care, helps me to decompress, and grounds me so I can be the best version of myself!

 

WHO INSPIRES YOU? WHY?
My daughter Ella-Grace inspires me every day! Her love for life, creative nature, and spunkiness help keep me focused on what is truly important! She has such love and empathy for everyone and when I need some positivity in my life she inspires me to have a positive outlook!

  

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT BEING AN INFOHIO ICOACH?
The thing I enjoy the most about being an ICoach is helping to support the teachers in my building with the INFOhio resources. As the Library Media Teacher at my school, I am already viewed as a resource for teachers, and the skills provided to me through ICoach training helped me to build my expertise so I can help others become knowledgeable about the great resources offered through INFOhio.

 

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE INFOHIO RESOURCE? WHY?
It is difficult to pick just one favorite INFOhio resource! My favorite one would probably be the Professional Development Collection. I am always looking for new instructional techniques to meet the needs of students when they come into the library and have found so many great resources in the Professional Development Collection that have helped me continue to grow my skills as an educator.

 

DESCRIBE YOUR "BIGGEST WIN" THAT DEMONSTRATES HOW YOUR ROLE AS AN INFOHIO ICOACH AND INTEGRATION OF INFOHIO RESOURCES SUPPORTS INSTRUCTION, STUDENT LEARNING, OR EQUITY WITHIN YOUR SCHOOL.
My biggest win has been pulling the eyes of my teachers to different resources that I highlight in my monthly newsletter. Each month I create a newsletter to share activities that have happened in my space and I also share an INFOhio resource each month. Teachers have scheduled time for their classes to come down and learn how to use Academic Search Premier for their research papers. Just letting teachers know what resources are out there has helped me to connect them to INFOhio.

  

Are you interested in learning more about becoming an INFOhio ICoach? Find INFOhio ICoaches in your area and discover more about the INFOhio ICoach train-the-trainer program on INFOhio’s site. In addition, we are always here to help, if you have questions, comments, or would like to be our next featured INFOhio ICoach please contact us at support.infohio.org.

About the Author

Posted by: Sarah Mowery

Sarah Mowery is a Professional Instructional Specialist with INFOhio. She has worked in education for 16 years as a school librarian and technology coach in elementary and middle school settings. While in these roles, she's been an integral part of the building leadership teams working as a curriculum connector and integrating web-based tools. She earned a BA in Sociology from Bowling Green State University and an MLS with a specialization in PK-12 schools from East Carolina University. Sarah was one of the original INFOhio ICoaches when the program first began in 2013 and has a passion for sharing how INFOhio resources can transform teaching and impact learning for students and educators across the state of Ohio. 

Sarah Mowery
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