Artifact 5
Name: Digital Curation with Wakelet to Boost Student Engagement & High Order Thinking
Course Number: LIS 568                      Course Title: Computer Applications in the                                                                                                     School Library Media Center
Course Instructor: Professor Allen      Assignment Title: Professional                                                                                                                                  Development Workshop
LIS Program Objectives Met: 1, 2, 3, & 4
Creating the professional development course Digital Curation with Wakelet to Boost Student Engagement and Higher-Order Thinking provided a meaningful opportunity to synthesize and apply what I’ve learned throughout my librarianship program. This experience exemplified how a theoretical foundation in Information Science can directly inform impactful instructional practice. As I guided teachers in using Wakelet to assemble digital content for student learning, I demonstrated an understanding of how information tools can support engagement, comprehension, and critical thinking.
The course was designed to be delivered asynchronously, but I recorded it as if I were presenting in person, which provided valuable practice in pacing, clarity, and audience engagement. This allowed me to simulate the feel of a live training, making the content more personal and accessible. Alongside this, I embedded asynchronous features, such as reflection pauses, flexible navigation, and optional extension activities, to allow teachers to progress through the content at their own pace and return to it as needed. A third modality was built into the collaborative planning components, encouraging participants to engage with lesson templates and discussion prompts that they could complete alongside colleagues or their school librarian. These three modalities, in-person-style delivery, asynchronous access, and embedded collaboration, worked together to model how professional development can be designed for both flexibility and depth. This blended approach helped ensure that the professional development could reach more educators and have a more lasting instructional impact.
This professional development emphasized the importance of collaboration between librarians and classroom teachers in enriching instruction and elevating student learning. By modeling ways librarians can support digital curation, resource selection, and instructional design, the session showcased the unique expertise librarians bring to the school community. This reinforced the librarian’s role not only as a resource provider but as a co-teacher, technology coach, and instructional leader.
The experience also enabled me to demonstrate key professional competencies, including leadership, communication, and reflective practice. I created a structured yet flexible learning experience that encouraged teachers to reflect on their current practices and explore new digital tools in ways aligned with curriculum goals. This project confirmed my commitment to the responsibilities of a librarian as a collaborator and positioned myself as a leader in the school community. This showcases how, as a librarian, I can lead, innovate, and support both students and staff.
This professional development course is a clear reflection of my growth as an information professional. It illustrates how I can translate theory into practice, support and lead educators, and uphold the core values of librarianship.