In RISD, school librarians are known as LITEs, or Library and Information Technology Educators. All of the LITEs in RISD have classroom teaching experience and a master’s in library and information technology. April is School Library Month, and RISD will be highlighting some of the wonderfully talented LITEs across the district all month.
Angie Alford has been an educator for 17 years, the last four as the LITE at Spring Creek Elementary. Her favorite thing about being a LITE is getting to know every student on campus and watching them grow from Pre-K through sixth grade. Every child. Every day.
“I also really love teaching technology applications and watching the creative and amazing ways our students use them. This year I was able to teach our first graders to make green screen videos using iMovie. This proved to me that given the right tools and instruction, our students can showcase their learning in creative ways as they grow,” Alford said. “I am responsible for promoting the love of reading in our school, so I have developed our ROGO reading program and SCE Super Readers with the support of our amazing PTA.”
Alford aims to build excitement for reading in every student.
“I want to teach students how to wade through the ocean of information that we all find ourselves part of and how to determine trustworthy information sources,” she said. “I also want to support teachers by helping them teach the TEKS while bring our community together with library projects and programs, and to make the library the best place to be!”
Principal Karen Fields said that is the case at Spring Creek.
“Because of Angie, our library has become the heart of our school! She has created a place to read, learn, research, inquire, and create. Her joy for teaching and learning shines through in everything that she does for our students. She partners with our teachers to support and create grade level integrated curriculum projects and STEM projects such as using the green screen and coding.”
Alford was a 2018 STARS teacher when she was a fourth-grade language arts teacher, which makes her an invaluable resource for teachers, as well, according to Fields.
“Angie’s passion for teaching is grounded in a deep love and care for children that is at the core of everything that she does, not only in her library, but in the hours of planning that partner with the positive learning environment she creates for our students.”
