Jodi has been a professional educator for more than 30 years and is currently Library Media Specialist for Perry Local Schools in northeast Ohio. She holds graduate degrees in Gifted and Talented Education and School Library and Information Science in addition to a BA in English/Secondary Education. Throughout her career as an educator, Jodi has received grants, fellowships and awards from major corporations and organizations such as NASA, Adobe, Palm Inc., Martha Holden Jennings Foundation, WVIZ Public Television, National Endowment for the Humanities, Cuyahoga Community College, and has achieved National Board Certification. She has been invited to give presentations on topics related to the use of technology in the classroom and the use of library media to foster increased literacy and library circulation. Jodi has planned and implemented Author Extravaganza events where high school students from across Ohio were able to interact with 14 invited young adult authors. She also hosted the NCBLA’s In Search of Wonder: Common Core and More, a workshop featuring distinguished children’s and young adult authors attended by hundreds of librarians, school administrators, teachers, and book lovers.
Jodi embraces technology in all forms to enhance teaching and learning. As ebooks and digital resources became more popular in education, Jodi was an early adopter of mixed-media approaches, providing books in both physical and digital form to students. Nicknamed the “Book Whisperer” by her students for her ability to give the perfect reading suggestion, she reads every new book before putting it on the shelf.
Jodi recommends Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (Simon & Schuster, 2012), written by Benjamin Alire Saenz. “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is a beautifully written book by Benjamin Alire Saenz. I love the writing and the realistic story of family, friendship and love. I recommend this book to students all the time and they are never disappointed!”