Dynamic outreach instruction of library resources focused on student needs through the development of critical thinking skills.
"A shared goal among educators is to develop and support curious, life-long learners equipped with both practical knowledge and a conceptual framework that will allow them to comprehend and process information."
My instructional approach centers on creating active learning experiences where students meaningfully engage with information materials rather than passively receiving them. The central aim is dynamic outreach instruction of library resources, always focused on student needs and the development of critical thinking skills.
Effective information evaluation requires understanding three interconnected dimensions: access — knowing how and where to find information; relevance — assessing whether a source serves the actual information need; and authority — understanding who produced the information and why.
I advocate for collaborative involvement among students, faculty, and librarians to integrate library instruction within academic curricula. This collaborative spirit fosters open and free intellectual inquiry while enabling knowledge application across disciplines.
Librarians are uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between disciplinary knowledge and research practice. When embedded meaningfully within courses and departments, library instruction becomes not an interruption but an essential thread of the learning experience.
At the University of Washington and Mount Si High School, I incorporated diverse information sources — including Google, Wikipedia, encyclopedias, and reference databases — into hands-on exercises that teach information evaluation. Rather than dismissing tools students already use, I help them understand when each source is appropriate and how to assess its limitations.
This approach acknowledges the real information landscape students navigate. It builds transferable critical thinking skills rather than rote procedures that become obsolete as technologies change.
During my Master's of Library and Information Science studies at the University of Washington, I concentrated coursework on information instruction, reference services, and resource development for academic settings. I remain active in improving instruction by continually seeking feedback and exploring new approaches to deliver substantive, relevant library education across physical and digital environments.
Attention, Relevance, Confidence, Satisfaction — motivational design framework applied to tutorial development.
Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation — systematic approach to building instructional content.
Explore the tutorials and outreach work that embody this teaching philosophy.