About me
My name is Colleen Pinyan. I have been a School Library Media Coordinator for 13 years and currently serve the students at Northwest High School.I arrived at Northwest High School five weeks before the pandemic. Soon after schools shut down, I realized that the K-12 setting would drastically change with the transition to 1:1 learning. In hopes of being able to better meet my stakeholders' needs, I pursued the M.Ed. in Instructional Technology at UNCG. I was graduated in May. As I progressed through this program, I understood the importance of taking ownership of my own professional growth. I need to proactively seek alternative avenues to improve my librarianship. For example, this year, I presented at two library conferences. I also have participated in DPI's School Library Media Coordinator Collaborative Cohort, which allows me to explore issues involving integrating instructional technology with other high school librarians. Furthermore, I am a NCBOLD Ambassador. This program has given me the opportunity to plan professional development sessions and attend ISTE. I bring what I learned from these experiences back to the staff at Northwest High School. Last year, I led on-site Digital Learning Competencies professional development for 25 teachers. As a result of these sessions, many teachers have collaborated with me on units. When we meet, I rely on instructional design frameworks to plan the lesson. Students benefit when instructors develop lessons tied to their learning outcomes. On a personal note, I have been married 32 years to my husband Clint, and we are the proud parents to Elizabeth and Henry. Last year, we welcomed our daughter-in-law Mimi into the family. Our dog Oliver and cats Lexie and Wilson keep us on our toes now that our children have left the house. In my spare time, I love crafting and going to book events with my daughter. I also enjoy playing tennis. I am a huge sports junkie. Last summer, I traveled to Omaha to watch my beloved Demon Deacons play in the College World Series. When my son and I are not taking in games in person, I love watching games on tv. I received my BA from Wake Forest in 1989 and my JD from UNC in 1992. I practiced law for five years before taking a sabbatical to focus on my children. When my children entered school, I fell in love with helping children read and volunteering at their library. I decided to become a librarian, pursuing my MLS at East Carolina. Upon graduation, I became the school library media coordinator at my children's school, Brooks Global Studies.
