Meet Mrs. Soberanis
Hi! My name is Jenny Soberanis. This is my 11th year at Hembree Springs Elementary and my fifth year as M.E.T.I. (Media Educational Technology Instructor). My job is to provide both students and teachers with support when it comes to different forms of media, technology, and literacy. A little bit about myself: I speak both English and Spanish and love being a part of the Hembree Springs community. I also LOVE books! I love being able to open up a good book and finding a cozy spot to read when I'm able to, but if I'm being realistic, my schedule doesn't allow for as much sitting and reading as I would like. I depend on Audible to get my fix of books. Another thing I LOVE is creating video montages for all sorts of occasions! I'm not a professional by any means, but it's something that brings me joy. Especially getting to watch the final product. Ms. Henry (Media Center Para) and I can always be reached via email if you have any questions: soberanis@fultonschools.org and henrys12@fultonschools.org
What do your kids do when they come to the Media Center?
Do you ever wonder what your kids do when they come to the Media Center besides reading and checking out books? While we place a huge emphasis on reading and striving to cultivate a love for literacy, that is not all we do. Media Centers now a days are a place where students can collaborate, think critically, be creative, and learn how to be effective communicators. Makerspaces have become a part of Media Centers all around, and Makerspaces are huge when it comes to covering the 4 Cs mentioned above. Through the process of making and creating, using a variety of tools and materials, students become active, engaged participants and take ownership of their learning. Your child will have the opportunity to participate in Makerspace type activities throughout the year. Novel engineering is something else your child will participate on occasion when they come to the Media Center. This is where students have to identify the problem in the story and then use the engineering process to brainstorm and design solutions. Once they've brainstormed, they get to use a variety of materials to build a prototype of the solution they designed. What better way to fully dive into a story and comprehend what is happening then by putting yourself in the character's position and helping him or her come up with a solution!
Digital Citizenship
Another area of focus in the Media Center is digital citizenship. Now more than ever, it's important to educate students on how to be safe and responsible when they are online. Fulton County asks METIs to teach digital citizenship lessons. We use the curriculum provided by Common Sense Media. If you've never heard of Common Sense Media, we encourage you to check it out. It's a great resource for parents and teachers when it comes to digital citizenship and vetting books, movies, video games, etc. You can read reviews and recommended ages for the things mentioned above. You can also find great articles, tips, and suggestions when it comes to screen time for kids.