*Post Updated March 8, 2020*
So much has happened since the last blog post! I just want to take this time to toot my own horn and say that I received the tremendous honor of representing RGV librarians as one of the three finalists for the 2021 TCEA Library Media Specialist of the Year Award. While I didn't "win" I already know I am a winner! A HUGE congratulations to Tiffany Dudley for receiving the award and representing Texas librarians. A well-deserved recognition! 

Since my last blog post, I just have to say--THANK YOU to all of the amazing people in the field of librarianship and educational technology that trust in me to participate in so many cool activities! I had the COOLEST opportunity of presenting for Buncee as part of Buncee & Microsoft Teams Week-Malaysia! I presented at 3AM and it was totally worth it. I had a blast teaching, learning, connecting, and making educator friends from across the globe! Cue went international, ya'll! lol!

And if THAT wasn't enough Stephanie and I found out our ISTE proposal was accepted! We're going to ISTELive21! I'm so excited! This has been on our vision board since we met. I am so excited I get to share this amazing opportunity with my best friend. On behalf of both of us, we'd also like to thank all of the amazing attendees at this year's virtual TCEA conference who attended our session. 

Speaking of TCEA, I also presented for one of their lunch and learn segments! I had a great time showing how to use Streamyard. This is the platform we use to stream Tech It Over so it was fun to cover how to use this in an educational setting. 

I have to say, though...I'm not sure if it was all of the wonderful opportunities I had this semester that gave me the courage to do something wild, but I threw my name in the hat to run for TCEA Lib-Sig VP. Now, I'm not sure if it will happen, but...I'm proud of myself for trying. That's what it all boils down to really. Overcoming fears and doing what I was afraid to do. Regardless of the outcome. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful support system. I couldn't have survived this crazy pandemic year without you all. 

So, with that being said. Aim for the stars...hard work done genuinely and with grace pays off. 

xoxo, 
​Cue 

As many of us know, responding to hundreds of notifications in our learning management systems can be overwhelming. With Mote, you can cut the time in HALF! By installing the Chrome extension, you will gain access to an embedded player that allows you to record voice notes DIRECTLY into Google Classroom AND Google applications such as Slides and Docs. This has been such a tremendous and time-saving tool since I receive over 200 notifications from students. This includes questions, comments, etc. This has proven to be the most efficient tool for my virtual help desk. Now, I can connect with students verbally and they have more confidence in sharing their inquiries via voice messages since many of my students need those language supports in their native language. I can respond in English OR Spanish all with the simple click of a record button! Keep in mind that if students do not have the Chrome extension installed, it will ask them to click on a link that directs them to the voice note. If they have it installed, then the voice note will show as an embedded player on their end. All you have to do is press play! For more information on how you can get started, I highly recommend checking out the abundance of one-minute tutorials hosted on the Mote YouTube channel. It's a wonderful resource! OH! Don't forget that once you're an expert--apply to be a Mote Certified Educator! It's a wonderful community! 
Post updated *January 30, 2021*

With Thanksgiving around the corner, I wanted to share a little something with you all. First of all, this year has been far from what I imagined. Regardless of many obstacles we all have had to face these crucial months, the truth is we all succeeded. We did the best we could and continue to to the best we can to ensure the success of all our students. However, don't forget to take time for YOU. Set limits, take breaks, disconnect, and most importantly, remind yourself that you are doing the best you can.
Working from home has forced me to stay organized and you'd be surprised how creating a custom background for my desktop with an updated calendar helps me out tremendously. Plus, I keep all of my computer files nicely organized. If you feel like this would be beneficial for your workspace, feel free to download the background I'm using this month by clicking on the image to direct to you the download. I hope these help and while this month is extremely busy, if you need anything at all don't hesitate to reach out. Thankful for you, my wonderful PLN! 
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Oh! & if you want last year's November bookmarks you can find them here. 

Happy Halloween, ghosts and ghouls! I had such a fun time creating my Halloween photo card that I'm going to share this year and I wanted to share how I made my photo project possible with PicCollage and its cutout feature! Make sure to check out my latest tutorial on my YouTube channel and let me know what you think and/or create in the comments or by tagging me on social media @cuethelibrarian. Happy Halloween!