Sharyn Merrigan taught middle school ELA and social studies for eight years before becoming a middle school teacher-librarian for an additional eight years. During that time, Sharyn also served as Middle Level Chair, Conference Chair, and President/Division Chair of the Washington Library Media Association. Since 2015, she has worked as an instructional technology specialist in the Olympia School District and continues to lead and support the teacher-librarian department.
Sharyn has taught in the Antioch Library Media Program as adjunct faculty since 2017.
BA, Sociology, Pomona College, Claremont, CA
M.Ed., Secondary Education, Western Washington University
LMS endorsement program, Antioch University, Seattle
Collaboration and coaching are an essential part of my current specialist position and the role of the teacher-librarian. I value my work with Antioch library students to identify learning goals for their own students and to find the intersections between instructional technology and subject-area content. Collaborating and co-teaching with teachers, librarians, and other instructional leaders to strengthen student learning is a passion of mine.
Technology provides many tools for improving learning and productivity, but educators can be seduced by shiny new apps that don’t achieve their goals. I work with students and teachers to begin with the end in mind and to seek both conventional and innovative ways to get there. Through applications, learning management systems, and reimagining classroom projects, we can approach student achievement in literacy and research from various angles. Creative literacy, research and technology programming are central to my work. Thoughtful, balanced use of instructional technology should empower and amplify student voice.
Common Sense Certified Educator, Google Certified Educator, levels 1 and 2, Schoology Ambassador
OSPI Digital Citizenship and Media Literacy Advisory Group Member
Developer/Trainer, WA State Lib. Teacher-Librarian Common Core Cadre
President/Division Chair, Washington Library Media Association (WLMA), 2014-15
Conference Chair, Washington Library Media Association, 2014
Trainer, Danielson Framework, Olympia School District