SIGMS Annual business meeting

July 1, 2009
The meeting was called to order by Lisa Perez, SIGMS Chair, at 10:30 AM.

Lisa introduced Past-Chair Peggy Milam Creighton. Peggy highlighted the events and accomplishments of SIGMS during her two years as SIGMS chair. She thanked attendees for their support and enthusiasm and pledged to continue her activity in SIGMS in the coming years. Peggy also commended Communications Chair Deborah Stafford for her hard work and dedication over the past few years.

SIGMS officers were introduced. Each one highlighted the goals set forth for the coming two years. Lisa explained that with the growth of SIGMS, and with the increased involvement of SIGMS in ISTE, a larger board will be in place.

SIGMS Executive Committee Members

Lisa Perez - Chair
Chicago Public Schools Dept of Libraries
leperez1@cps.k12.il.us
773-553-6212
Skype: leperez333

Shelee King George - Vice Chair
The Puget Sound Center for Teaching, Learning, and Technology
skgeorge@psctlt.org
425-977-4741

Laurie Conzemius - Communications Chair
Pine Meadow Elementary School
conzemius@charter.net
320-656-3701 x4111

Brenda Anderson - Professional Development Chair
Montgomery County Public Schools
brendadanderson@gmail.com
301-279-3373

Doug Johnson - Member-at-Large
Mankato (MN) Public Schools
doug0077@gmail.com
507-387-7698 x473

Goals for 2009 - 2010
Provide the support that SIGMS members require to be information literacy experts and technology leaders in their schools and organizations.

Provide outstanding professional development and professional networking opportunities throughout the year.

Communicate with SIGMS members in their preferred platform

Provide ample volunteer and leadership opportunities for SIGMS members

Additional Discussion
A discussion of the possible collaborative opportunities available took place. Attendees were encouraged to register on the wiki, participate in staff development activities and volunteer in leadership roles.


July 2, 2008=====
The meeting was called to order at 10:30 by President Peggy Milam Creighton who introduced the theme of the meeting as "Maintaining Momentum"

SIGMS officers were introduced;

Peggy Milam Creighton - Chair
Lisa Perez - Chair Elect
Deborah Stafford - Communications Chair/Secretary

Overview of SIGMS

SIGMS is for anyone with an interested in school library media centers and the integration of technology in school library media centers.
Membership -- SIGMS members have a wide range from school level to professional development to vendors, numbering about 3500. Traditionally library media specialists are about 25% of the attendees at NECC.
Committees -- Professional Development, Communications

Goals for 2007/2008 and NECC 08

Increase visibility

The first ever SIGMS award. The award was sponsored by ISTE, Follett Software Company and Linworth publishing. There were two awards, one for an elementary school the second for a secondary school. In addition to recognizing the two winning teams, the award program generated interest in SIGMS. This award had the highest number of entries of any other ISTE awards. Plans are underway to announce the award application for NECC 2009. Attending the meeting were two of the winners, Kathy Sanders and Caywood Cornelius. Both will post information about their project on the ning site.
We are discussing the possibility of adding a middle school category but that will depend upon the willingness of the sponsors.
Proquest sponsored stickers for our members to wear during NECC. The bright colors did increase visibility.
The stickers read I’m in SIGMS R U

Cooperating in a NING group on the Necc08 ning site. Both SIGMS and SIIGTE hosted forum topics on standards. We hope that members from both SIGS will visit the site where we will post audio and video from the forums for follow updiscussion. __www.necc08.ning.com/group/21stcenturyskils__

For the second year, SIGMS sponsored;
21st Century playground -- this year it was sponsored by the Texas Library Association and chaired by MaryJo Humphries. Highlighted were school library media centers from the San Antonio area. By our best count we had 475 people drop by and we believe this number was even higher.

This year’s SIGMS forum focused on standards, looking at the NETS and the AASL 21st century learners. Panel members were Gail Dickinson from AASL, Annette Lamb from Eduscapes, Doug Johnson, and Joyce Valenza. In a brief survey of the forum participants, we had a range from school library media specialists, district coordinators, administrators and classroom teachers. We estimate about 300 attendees were at the forum.

The first ever SIGMS membership breakfast for which we thank our sponsors, Linworth Publishing and Proquest. Doug Johnson and Joyce Valenza both spoke on the importance of being visible in SIGMS.

Goals and plans for 2008/2009 and NECC09

Determine our future SIG level. Iste has reorganized the SIG structure with three levels of SIGS. We now must decide whether SIGMS will be a division level or forum level SIG. With division level comes more responsibilities as well as a larger budget. The main question concerns whether we can sustain our activates at that level. This will be discussed over the coming months.

Playground
Have this year’s award winners present their projects
Contact the Washington DC area librarians to sponsor similar to the Texas librarians, focus the playground on ongoing projects. Area librarians and library coordinators will be contact about the NECC09 playground.

Forum
Should we continue to have a forum and what possible topics? Some ideas generated;
Guest speaker someone to speak specifically on one topic
Focus on collaboration
Have 1 hour of speaker/presentation and 1 hour of participatory
Should the focus of the form be on school library media centers or on promoting SLMCs to other educators?
A forum committee will be formed to share the work of preparing for the annual forum

Increase membership as well as opportunities for SIGMS members to participate in ISTE and NECC09;
Work with ALA and AASL on political action for the SKILLS act
Work with local state library associations in addition to AASL
Create a “road show” and/or brochure to take to other state technology and library meetings
We have aWIKI and a webpage. Do we need a newsletter and a brochure?
Write for Leading and Learning
Collaborate with SIGADMIN
Round table group
Continue with the stickers
Create membership survey

What would you like to see at necc next year?
More participatory workshops
Workshops/playground/poster sessions highlighting the online databases provided by states to schools
Professional growth
Second life, Webinar,
(ISTE webinars cost about $130.00) members at the meeting expressed some interest in webinaris
Digital Video on the NING
Publications, print
Members are encouraged to write for Learning and Leading with Technology
Book Discussion
Some interest was expressed depending upon the book title
SIGMS Wiki
Ning
Listserv
Members at the meeting felt these were more useful for communication with preference expressed for the wiki as long as the content was useful.
Newsletter or pod cast
Very little interest in these two items, pod cast only for meaningful content as the need arises.
Encourage members to post pod cast of sessions at other conventions

During fall of 2008 these items will be discussed further via the wiki and the ning site. A membership survey will be prepared and sent to current SIGMS members. A committee will be formed to focus on a brochure about SIGMS. Another committee will be formed to look at the NECC09 forum.

The meeting was adjourned at 11:30 am.