Meet Elisabeth Funderburk, Teacher-Librarian

The Librarian is the heart of helping children grow. In an effort to hone my own skills and philosophy, I have studied the work of Katie Wood Ray, Ralph Fletcher, Barry Lane, Harvey and Goudvis, and others. These authors support using literature in real-world experiences to guide our learning. In being a reflective practitioner, I have not only used authors to support the study in my previous classrooms, but also in my own quest of learning with my students. I am therefore knowledgeable in specific texts that guide our standards for learning. It is within these studies that I found my passion for literacy and the connection between reading, writing, and responding.

Technology plays an active role in shaping who we are and how we perceive the world. The Library Information Specialist should keep up with technological advances and use that knowledge within the instructional program. This information should be used to connect with teachers and students and integrated into reading, writing, and responding with others throughout all content areas. Students and teachers should be able to appropriately evaluate, analyze, and use the information we find using technology. It is the service of the Library Information Specialist to help children and teachers connect with digital media to aid in their growth as critical thinkers and learners. They need to be able to find relevant information and viable sources as well as appropriate ways to express, communicate, and interact with the world through digital literacy.

It is the service of the Librarian to open the world of literacy for a child of any age and help to instill the confidence to search and find answers to questions and then apply that knowledge. One of my primary goals as a Library Information Specialist is to immerse students in literacy and to help them find connections between reading and writing. I want to help children develop their literacy skills as a means of exploring the world. I will provide an environment that will support, motivate and shape a child’s quest for knowledge.

Please feel free to contact me! I am here to help!

Elisabeth Funderburk

efunderburk@horrycountyschools.net