Yet Another Blog…Really?

This blog has been in the making for quite awhile, albeit subconsciously.  As a teacher-librarian/school library media specialist by trade, I am immersed in media every day, whether searching it for use in a classroom, or navigating it on my own.  Through reading and learning amidst all of this “stuff,” I basically felt compelled to begin to make sense of it all somehow, probably raising more questions than answering them. Why are state educational standards not necessarily reflective of authentic skills kids need to be considered 21st Century literate?  Why are school libraries & staff under fire when they are juxtaposed to be key entities in the current Info-Techno Literacy-Web 3.0 Revolution?  What’s so cool about gaming, and why should we care? Why is reality TV so fascinating and horrible at the same time?

The purpose of this blog is to explore and share problems, ideas, and connections among issues in education, learning today, and the larger world, moving from micro to macro and vice versa.  It will definitely not remain loyal to one genre, discipline, or profession, and will meander from personal narratives to positing potential solutions to the sharing of instructional and not-so-instructional resources and ideas.

Why curious squid? 

One summer, while surfing the Web looking for resources for a wiki (yes, circa 2010!), I came across an article about the Humboldt Squid (aka Giant Squid), whose insatiable curiosity often leads to its getting caught on a hook.  Despite curiosity being a hang-up for the squid, I can’t help but feel an affinity for its inquisitive nature.

Who is Teresa Diaz?

My current role is as a middle school teacher-librarian in San Antonio, Texas. My career began at Brown Summer High School, teaching kids in Providence, RI as part of the Masters in Teaching program at Brown University.   After moving to Houston to teach at Westbury HS (at the time a Coalition for Essential Schools School), I then taught at the Liberal Arts Academy in Johnston HS in Austin. Upon getting a Masters in Library and Information Science at UT-Austin, I returned to Johnston as its librarian.  The lure of New York resulted in a short stint at The Nightingale-Bamford School in Manhattan, and a subsequent return to San Antonio at Rogers MS, Saint Mary’s Hall, Eisenhower MS, and currently “Tex” Hill MS.

I also spend quite a lot of my own time rescuing, fostering, and adopting out dogs of all shapes and sizes, and am dog mom to five: Dorje, Pinky, Birdie Jo, Sangpo Red, and Sprocky.

My Twitter Name: @teresa_diaz

This is my personal blog and the opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of my school or the school district that employs me.

Header Image: “Squid” by PacificKlaus,  shared under a Creative Commons (BY-NC) license, found via a Photos for Class search.