Maura Madigan

Maura Madigan

I went to the Spring Regional, so this was second experience with a VAASL conference and once again I was really impressed. It was difficult to choose among the selection of concurrent sessions. They all looked so interesting! I was able to attend sessions on both Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, adding to my professional toolkit as a teacher and future librarian.

The best sessions I attended were “How Google Work,” “Standards in Action,” “Making Space for a Makerspace,” and “Makerspaces in Elementary Libraries.” I’m a proponent of problem-based learning, so I found the makerspace sessions particularly interesting. Both sessions offered concrete ways to get started and management tips. Once I become I librarian I would love to have a makerspace in my library.

The key-note speaker, Paige Jaeger, was both entertaining and informative. She discussed the challenges we face with millennial students and how to overcome these. Friday evening I attended the author banquet with Neal Shusterman. I’ve read Unwind, so hearing his inspiration for this novel was a highlight. I bought a copy of his second book and had it signed for my daughter. The conference was great professional development. It was also a way to connect with librarians from all over Virginia and to share ideas.