As most anybody who has ever read this blog knows, I am working on my Master's degree at FSU. I am a member of a group called Project LEAD, which stands for Leaders Educated to make A Difference. Yes, we know there is no M in there, deal with it!!! From the Project LEAD website: (http://ci.fsu.edu/Project_LEAD/) "The programs include a 12-credit leadership certificate that can be taken within the master's degree, a post-master's leadership certificate, or a 30 credit specialist degree focusing on leadership." We have learned much since we started this program about what it means to be a leader, but one of the greatest things has been the examples of leadership we have been blessed to see. There is a group of Project LEAD fellows, and we owe an incredible amount to two leaders who brainstormed and created our fellowships. Dr. Eliza Dresang, who recently left FSU to become the Beverly Cleary Professor in Children and Youth Service at the University of Washington, is one of those professors. She has been on numerous award committees, including the Caldecott and Newbery, as well as too many others to mention. She has written an invaluable book called Radical Change about changes in youth and learning in a digital age, as well as numerous articles, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. Her curriculum vitae is 30 pages long!!!
Our other professor, Dr Nancy Everhart has been an amazing example of leadership as well. She has been a visiting professor at several universities, is the research editor of Knowledge Quest, is a member of the FAME Board of Directors, and has published two books and over 50 articles in library journals. Here is a partial list of her Honors, Medals, Awards and other Citations: International Association of School Librarians, Takeshi Murofushi Research Award, 2005; Judy Pitts Research Mentor Award, 2002; Pennsylvania School Librarians' Association, Professional Development Award, 1993; Association of Library and Information Science Education, Outstanding Dissertation Award, 1991. All that and she's younger than my mother!!! You can read all about her on the ALA Election website here: http://tinyurl.com/czlkoo. Oh, and by the way, Dr. E is the President-Elect of AASL, the American Association of School Librarians. She also makes a really good grilled cheese sandwich, and is the only person I've ever heard of who can find grits in London.
There's an old saying "Those who can, do and those who can't, teach." I hate that statement, and offer my classroom as a testing ground for anyone who thinks that teaching is for those who "can't do" something. Our professors are perfect examples of the ridiculousness of that statement. Both of then obviously can, but choose to teach. Dr. D and Dr. E have taught us much in the last 2 ½ years in class. However, they have taught us much more outside of class. They have taught us by example what it truly means to be a leader.
