Carolyn Kirio (1994 alumna) has garnered the 2015 Information Technology Pathfinder Award for Kapolei Middle School Library. This coveted award is presented by the American Association of School Librarians and sponsored by Follett. Carolyn also received a proclamation from Governor David Ige for her award.
The IT Pathfinder Award showcases the impact of strong school library programs and highlights the importance of the school library program in the educational community. It recognizes and honors school librarians demonstrating vision and leadership through the use of information technology to build lifelong learners. Carolyn will receive $1,000 and her library program will receive an additional $500. The award will be officially presented at the American Library Association’s Annual Conference in San Francisco in June.
In applying for this award, Carolyn described her innovative use of flipped classroom techniques to service her multi-track school that operates year-round with 1465 students in grades 6 through 8. According to Carolyn, flipped learning has allowed her to leverage different technology and distance learning pedagogy for “the development of meaningful information literacy instruction and the ability to offer lessons on demand.” She uses Google Classroom and the school’s website to create and share instruction. The digital tools that she uses include presentation software, Screencast, animation, and movie editing software. She is also expanding existing library resources to include more electronic/online access. To build integrated learning experiences, Carolyn works closely with the schoolʻs technology coordinators for infrastructure support and with teachers to nurture inquiry learning and raise student achievement.
Carolyn is currently working on her doctoral degree in Learning Design and Technology (formerly Educational Technology) in the UHM College of Education.
Carolyn and Governor Ige are flanked by Sandy Yamamoto, Violet Harada, Curtis Ho, and Michael-Brian Ogawa.