The Region 7 Digital Learning department is proud to announce that we now have a full time certified librarian! Michelle Cooper joined the Digital Learning department in January; this will be her first year coordinating the Library Conference for Region 7, and it promises to be the best one yet!

Teacher librarian Michelle Cooper is a passionate educator and enthusiastic proponent of school libraries, technology integration, collaboration with educational professionals and helping young people succeed. As an educator with twenty years experience, she seeks opportunities to partner with teachers on projects that encourage increased student engagement and learning achievement.

Michelle is constantly striving to improve her educational practices and create innovative learning opportunities for students and colleagues. She is committed to sharing and modeling the importance of digital citizenship with students. She is a co-founder of #TXLchat on Twitter which provides a forum for Texas librarians (but not limited to Texas librarians) to create collaborative connections, share educational resources, and foster lifelong learning. Michelle is the 2016 TCEA Library Media Specialist of the Year, 2017 AASL Advocacy Ambassador Finalist, a Tech & Learning Leader of the Year, a Makey Makey Ambassador, a Common Sense Media Ambassador, 2016 TASL MVP Honorable Award for Excellence, 2016 TLA Branding Iron Award for Social Media for #TXLchat, and she serves on several committees for ALA, AASL and TLA. In addition, she is a Google for Education Certified Trainer providing professional development through local, state and national educational conferences.