University of Wisconsin Stout | Wisconsin's Polytechnic University

Mary Alice Anderson teaches Digital Classroom: Teaching with Primary Sources.

She received a Top Online Educator recognition from Walter McKenzie's Surf Aquarium.

She previously worked for Winona Area Public Schools, Winona, Minnesota as a Media Specialist. From 1985-2005 she worked at Winona Middle School and was an "early adopter" of technologies such as media center automation, online encyclopedias, the Internet and school web pages. She worked with her principal and teachers to develop a school media/technology program that was well known for its technology rich environment and high degree of technology integration throughout the curriculum. The program was the recipient of the National Gale DISCovering/Multimedia Schools Information Technology Award. Mary Alice and her principal also received state awards from the Minnesota Educational Media Organization (MEMO). She also chaired many of the district's technology staff development initiatives including an annual summer technology staff development academy for educators in Southeast Minnesota.

Most recently she was the District Lead Media Specialist. In that capacity she worked with teachers and media staff district-wide, planned and conducted technology workshops, worked with media staff and architects to plan three new media centers and collection improvement initiatives. She also worked with the District Communications Office to develop and coordinate the district website.

She writes the "Media Center" column for Internet @Schools. She also published articles in School Library Journal, LMC Connection, and other professional journals. Read Mary Alice's published articles on her website. Among her book publications are a chapter on staff development in the Educational Media Technology Yearbook 2000 (Libraries Unlimited) and Skills for Life: Information Literacy for Grades 7-12 (co-editor, Linworth 1999). She has contributed to several other publications such as Collaborating to Meet the Standards 7 - 12 (Toni Buzzeo, Editor. Linworth, 2002) and Whole School Library Handbook, (Blanche Woolls and David V. Loertscher, editors, ALA, 2005).

Mary Alice speaks and provides workshops at state and national conferences on topics related to primary sources, web 2.0 tools and other issues of interest to educators.

In 1999 Mary Alice was a Library of Congress American Memory Fellow. She and her partner developed a lesson about German immigration to the upper Midwest. In 2008 she was appointed to a Library of Congress Curriculum Review Panel. Mary Alice is a member of the World Book Publishing Editorial Advisory Board. She is also a member of the education committee for the Winona County Historical Society. She collaborated with the Society educator to develop a website about Winona's early history.

Mary Alice has also taught Integrating Technology in the Elementary Curriculum at Winona State University and has served on education advisory committees for the university.

Mary Alice has been an active member of MEMO for over 25 years and held many leadership positions including state vice President and Telecommunications chair. She also worked with teams that developed the Minnesota Standards for Effective Library Media Programs and criteria for the Census of Minnesota Media Programs.

Mary Alice received Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees in English from Winona State University. Her library and media supervisor licenses were earned at Winona State University and St. Cloud State University, also in Minnesota.

Mary Alice and her husband, Bob, have two Siamese cats, Nudder and Cody. They enjoy gardening, bike riding, exploring technology, entertaining, attending Winona State basketball games, and visiting with friends. Mary Alice also enjoys scrapbooking and is an avid Friend of Will, a volunteer group supporting the Great River Shakespeare Festival. Mary Alice compiles and edits the Friends of Will e-newsletter in addition to serving on the Friends steering and advancement committees and working at the Festival.

E-mail your comments or questions to Mary Alice @ andersonmary@uwstout.edu

Visit her blog, Random Thoughts: Change & Other Stuff