Meet Our New Media Specialist at WHS for the Next Ten Years
by Eikaiva Boyer for Walkersville High School Lion’s Pride
“I thrive off the energy, enthusiasm, and the children’s intelligence; I’m just so excited to be here and be part of this large community that I feel here,” said Walkersville High’s new Media Specialist Cindy Doggett.
Doggett has this personality that is so welcoming and inviting that will truly be a great addition to the WHS library. Along with her personality, she has some other great additions coming into the library, “I want this library to be a hub of learning, a sanctuary where students can come read, relax, and chill,” she said. By doing so she plans to add a few things, “I want to be more mobile.”
Not only does she mean technology by swapping desktops with “on the go” technology like IPads and Chromebooks, but adding foldable tables that are on wheels, and replacing the heavy wooden chairs with stackable ones. “I want to be able to move the tables and chairs around easily, so if a group of students needs to spread out, they can. Or if they need to have a large table where they can all sit down and have a group session, they can. It’ll be a good flow for the students.”
Those are not the only things Doggett is adding. She also wants to add an area that’s dedicated to engineer/designing activities, using products like Makiy Makiy, Hexbugs, Little Bits, electronic circuits, and STEM-related activities. “You can even make a banana keyboard at these stations!”
This area can also attract special needs kids if they aren’t specifically looking for a book at the library, “I’m also planning to bring a huge box of Legos that I have so they can design and work on creating something, and if that doesn’t appeal to them, I’m always up for reading a good story!”
So where is all this passion coming from you might ask? “Even from when I was a little girl I always wanted to be a teacher.” “What I love about being a librarian is that I can be a teacher and be a librarian at the same time.” It is the best of both worlds!
Doggett also pursued her dreams by studying at the University of Maryland, College Park, receiving her undergraduate degree in Early Childhood Education, then attending McDaniel College for graduate school. Currently she is enrolled as a student in Hood College to learn even more, “I love learning new things every day,” she said.
Right off the bat she had a career opportunity, becoming a Media Specialist for an elementary school in Washington County. Over the next 12 years of teaching, she decided she did not like the public education in that area at the time, “It was harsh and wasn’t very student oriented.”
Overall, her experience led her to Walkersville High, which has to be the best outcome for our library because she will our Media Specialist for the next ten years.
By the next week of school starting August 29th, she will be accepting flex requests for the library. Make sure to come before 8am to secure your spot for flex in the library. The library during flex will hold 25 students, but Doggett noted that an increase in that number will happen soon.
In the near future Doggett will need a group of students’ help for a project she is stirring up. If you are interested in STEM-related projects/activity, talk to her at the library; this might just be your calling.
