Mandy Mack

B.S. in Marketing, UNC-Wilmingtion, 1997

MEd inEarly Childhood Education, Georgia State University,2004

Library Media Certification, Summer 2008

Ed. S. in Instructional Technology, University of Georgia, 2009

mandymk@uga.edu

 Autobiography

My name is Mandy Mack and I am a graduate student at the University of Georgia.  Currently, I am pursuing a Specialist of Education degree in Instructional Technology.  My previous profession is as a fourth grade teacher with the Rockdale County Public School System.  More recently, I have been hired as the new media specialist for Charles R. Drew Charter School in Atlanta, Georgia.  I enjoy using literature and technology in the classroom and media center. It is my belief that all children can learn and achieve success.

Teaching & Literacy Philosophy

Educators are essential in facilitating a supportive environment to mold students into developing into their personal best.  Given the opportunity, all children can learn and achieve their personal goals.  By catering to a variety of learning styles with differentiated instruction, all students can succeed.  

I believe that everyone has a desire to read; they just need to connect with a purpose for reading.  People choose to read for a variety of reasons, but I think the most prevalent are to gain information and be entertained.  The key is to link the reader to the type of informtion or entertainment they seek.  Once you are able to identify the desire of the reader, the emphasis is then shifted to understanding and comprehending the information.  That is where implicit and explicit instruction in decoding words with phonics, the identification of basic sight words, and comprehension strategies can lead to fluency and knowledge. 

There has been much discussion between the idea of teaching reading through whole language or phonics.  It is my opinion that there should be a balance between the two models.  A person who has been exposed to a variety of strategies to assist them in reading will be able to call upon an array of techniques and strategies if needed.  As a final thought, it is vital that reading be established early in one's life in order to motivate and support an experience of being a lifelong reader.

Professional Highlights

 *T-5 Georgia Certified in Early Childhood Education (P-5) and  Marketing Education (7-12), pursuing School Library Media Certification (P-12), & GACE 1 & 2 Media Specialist Assessments Passed 

*Training: New Teacher Academy at Columbia University  TESA, 4-MAT, Learning Focused Schools, Calendar Math, High Scope, Harcourt Curriculum, Georgia Professional Standards, and Backwards Design

*Leadership: Numeracy Trainer, Techonolgy/Media Committee, Book Fair Coordinator, Co-Founder of Cultural Arts Fesival, Grade Level Chair, Host Teacher for Student Teacher Internship, & Math Textbook Adoption Committee 

*Honors:  Disney's Teacher of the Year Nominee, PTA Teacher of the Month, Kappa Delta Pi, Phi Theta Kappa, & Pi Lambda Theta Honor Societies

Professional Websites & Links

 American Library Association

http://ala.org/

Librarian Links

http://home.gwi.net/brhs/lib.html

School Library Journal

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/

American Association of School Librarians

http://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aaslindex.cfm

 A WebQuest About School Library Websites

                       http://www.sdst.org/shs/library/evallib.html