Learning through Books, Media and Technology

ARTICLES THIS ISSUE:

1995 Administrative Leadership Award for Library Media Services

1995 President's Award Winner

1995 Technology Award

Editorial: Highlighting the Arts

Seurat, Haiku, Computers, Murals...

Keywords for the Fine Arts

Library Bids on Bach's Lunches

Quilting Gifts for the Community

Using the Arts to Understand

"Do We Get to Come Back Tomorrow?"

Intersecting disciplines

Good Ideas! Updates

Good Ideas! Home Page

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1995 Technology Award

Betty Silva

Named by the Fairfield High School staff as "Teacher of the Year," Betty Silva now adds to her credits the honor of being the California School Library Association's first recipient of the Technology Award. Plaudits from teachers, students, and administrators emphasize not only Betty's technological expertise, but her ability to help integrate technology seamlessly into the curriculum and her commitment to student learning.

David Dau, a student, writes of how Betty "has had to help students overcome their computer fears and illiteracy and has taught them how to do their own research with the computers." Philip Borge, Social Science Department chair at Fairfield, asserts that "besides just providing the technology, Betty is integral to helping department members devise activities that use it!" Reed McLaughlin, principal, describes Betty as "dedicated to meeting students' needs for the twenty-first century." Neighboring librarians also attest to her leadership, with such comments as "relevance to the curriculum, not glitz [is] the deciding factor" in her selection of resources.

We recognized Betty and her school in 1992 in the Good Ideas! issue that featured collaborative teaching and learning. Since then, she has become a networking expert, produces a three-times-a-week television program, welcomes visiting teachers who want to see how educational technology can work, and presents workshops on related topics to encourage them.

Betty's library media center has the necessary tools for the technological leadership she provides. Not long ago, Fairfield High School's media center had five computers; now it has at least 23, allowing access to nearly 30 separate programs. In addition, the center features an LCD panel, scanner, laser disk players, CD-ROM, video editing and sound equipment, microfiche reader-printers, cassette recorders, and calculators. Visit Fairfield; you'll be impressed!

• Fairfield High School (Grades 9-12; enrollment 2,500)
  205 East Atlantic, Fairfield 94533; (707) 422-8672
  Reed McLaughlin, Principal
  Betty Silva, Library Media Teacher
  Fairfield/Suisun Unified School District