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Professional Speaking

I am a frequent keynote speaker at library and teaching conferences.  In addition, I also offer workshops at conferences and regularly present inservice training sessions in districts and regions, as well..  Some of my popular keynotes and workshops are listed below.  Feel free to inquire about workshops based on your own needs and my areas of expertise.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Conference Speaking

"This session truly laid out what the foundations of collaboration [are] in order to understand the work between the teacher and the LMS as a team working towards the goal of student academic achievement. It also gave me the tools to rev up that conversation during our planning staff meetings.  This session was great in solidifying my understanding of collaboration between me and the teachers at school." ~ Attendee at 2009 AASL session "Data Driven Collaboration: The Key to Measurable Improvement in Student Learning and Achievement."

"I was so impressed with the way you managed to combine practical information, inspiration and personalized ideas at our Maine Association of School Libraries conference on Saturday. Based on previous experience I expected you to be a wonderful and entertaining speaker, but your performance at the MASL conference exceeded my expectations. I wish every school librarian in the state of Maine could have been there. You did a great job!" ~ Donna Chale, MASL Treasurer

“Thank you so much for the incredible job you did as our opening keynoter at our 32^nd Annual Michigan Association for Media in Education (MAME) Conference this year! You skillfully blended humor, hard times, straight facts and creative coping to leave us inspired and ready to dive into our daily challenges. I could not have asked for a more wonderful way to open the conference.” ~ Marsha Lambert, MAME President Elect

"I recently heard Toni Buzzeo speak at our statewide conference (VEMA - Virginia Educational Media Association) and she was awesome!  She was upbeat, lively, yet able to tell it like it is!  She gets the message across wonderfully and you come away knowing you have met someone who passionately believes in the power of being a librarian." ~ Cynthia L. Thompson, Jane H. Bryan Elementary School, Hampton, Virginia

“As a conference planner, I appreciated that you were flexible and willing to do a variety of presentations – keynotes, workshops and breakout sessions – and on a variety of topics with authority. (We got a lot of bang for the buck!) You are a true ‘professional’ – ready, dependable and unflappable – a true joy to work with.” ~ Doug Johnson, MEMO Past President, Minnesota

"I want to take a minute to recommend a fabulous conference presenter whom I have been fortunate enough to have at our NHLA/NHEMA joint conference each of the past three years. . . .Toni has always been extremely prepared; her handouts are so valuable that they are always scooped right up with extras spoken for as well.  Toni gauges her time well and always covers her whole presentation in the time allotted.  She varies her format to keep her audience interested and all of her evaluations, over the three years we have had her, have been excellent!" ~ Linda D. Sherouse, M.Ed, M.L.I.S., President, NHEMA, New Hampshire

"It was delightful to work with Toni. She was consistently professional, timely and personable in our correspondence. She was thoroughly prepared for her presentation.  According to our post-conference evaluations, participants found her workshop enlightening and enjoyable. Many remarked on her enthusiastic delivery style. They felt both her talk and her handouts provided them valuable, concrete, information." ~ Linda Crotta Brennan, Conference Chair, Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators New England.

Inservice and District Trainings

"While implementing the team-planned unit that she and her LMS partner, Tina Laramie, created in a two-day collaboration workshop, French teacher Laura Rouse said, "My students are really learning from this!  The kids will be applying this scaffolding when they write their Effective Communicator piece (a district writing program that every department uses) using the information they found online, and they are finding out so much more about the culture of the regions than I ever expected them to.  This is a great team lesson and we need to share the model." ~ Laura Rouse, French Teacher, Vernon-Verona-Sherrill (New York) High School

"Strategies of Toni Buzzeo's Collaboration Workshop helped us create a project that has been an integral part of my differentiated instruction in my US History classroom.  The project we designed not only appeals to the different learning strengths of my students, but also builds their sense of ownership to support their maturity as independent learners." ~ Ken Regner, Social Studies Teacher, Vernon-Verona-Sherrill (New York) High School

"Toni is a dynamic, energetic speaker and she left her audience wanting more. A six-hour workshop is a significant improvement over a 50-minute conference session, but the topic is such an important one and she has so much to offer, I think I can speak for all of us – We want her back!" ~ Beth Eades, Media Specialist, Tennessee Association of School Librarians

"I just wanted to thank you for all the wonderful information I brought back with me from the 4 days of data-driven collaboration training.  I could have easily sat through another 4 and still been interested.  You have a wonderful gift of making it seem more like a learning vacation than a workshop. ~ Doris Davis, Teacher, Valley Elementary School, Cameron Mills, New York

“Toni has been able to teach our librarians what true collaboration means. She has also given them tools and strategies for achieving goals with collaboration.  She has given them realistic expectations and has warned them about the difficulties and ‘roadblocks’ to achieving true collaboration. Most importantly, she helped them to realize that it was worth their efforts, that the positives far exceeded the negatives.” ~ W. David Jones, Supervisor of Library Media Services, Loudoun County Public Schools, Virginia

"Toni is a veritable treasure, both of information and insight, and as a person.  In a workshop for 60 school library media specialists, reading recovery teachers, and administrators, her years of experience coupled with her professional skills shone through.  She is easy to work with and an ideal presenter to teachers, librarians, administrators . . . Toni is an excellent speaker and writer, and the school library media specialists, teachers and I would love to have her back for more workshops!" ~ Cindy Rider, School Liaison Program Librarian, Vigo County Public Library, Terre Haute, Indiana

"Your presentation to the district faculty has re-energized our collaboration process throughout Clayton School District." ~ Dorothy Daves, LMS, Glenridge School, Clayton, Missouri

"This was one of the most useful, productive workshops I've attended. I have a product that is tremendously appropriate for my classroom." ~ Jay Tanzman, Grade 5 Teacher, Radez School, Cobleskill, New York

"I thought the two days were fantastic. We enjoyed Toni very much. She was easy to listen to, to follow. What she said was very worthwhile and I think you did a great job finding her. You know what I really liked? Toni'sopening, 'Write what you think the library media specialist/ teacher does'. That was an eye-opener to us all and a warm fuzzy, for me anyway." ~ Jill McGrath, Library Media Specialist, Radez School, Cobleskill, New York

Workshops for Writers
"I've been meaning to write and tell you how helpful the advice you gave at the workshop in Portsmouth last year about promoting our books has been for me.  Dave and I both got a lot out of it then, but now that we are getting closer to the release of a few of my books, and having a chance to put the plan into effect, I'm beginning to understand how much truly great advice you gave.  Thank you!!" ~ Lita Judge, attendee, Capturing the Market: Self-Promotion for Authors/Illustrators.

For Librarians and Teachers

KEYNOTES

FOR THE LOVE OF BOOKS: KEEPING STORY ALIVE IN AN AGE OF HIGH STAKES TESTING

The power of story is timeless and undeniable, even in an age of high stakes testing.  Award-winning children’s author, lifetime educator, and honored library media specialist Toni Buzzeo cares deeply about books in the lives of children and reminds her audience that it is the love of story that keeps children engaged in reading and coming back to the printed page every day of their lives.  With humor and passion, Toni will inspire listeners to hold sacred their duty as educators to keep story alive.

COLLABORATING FROM THE CENTER OF THE SCHOOL UNIVERSE

Imagine the school as a universe.  While there is a temptation to imagine that we’ve reached a time of collapse in that universe, as federal law drives our practice and measures our outcomes, perhaps our schools will, instead, expand and grow in positive ways, our students’ learning and achievement accelerating as they do.  To ensure this positive outcome, the essential response of the library media specialist is effective collaborative practice.  Author and library media specialist Toni Buzzeo will inspire you to collaborate from the center of your school universe!

LIBRARIES: SOIL FOR GROWTH AND UPDRAFTS FOR FLIGHT

Libraries provide both the soil for young minds to take root and grow and the rarified air in which imagination and new learning take winged flight.  In our roles as Literacy Leaders, Collaborating Teachers, and Keepers of the Information Castle, library media specialists serve our students as they take root and as they fly.  As a result, says award-winning author and library media specialist, a passion for reading, for information, for thinking and wondering deeply, await the child who enters the library doors.

FROM LIBRARIAN TO CHILDREN’S AUTHOR: A LIFE IN CHILDREN’S BOOKS

From lonely only child to Maine Library Media Specialist of the Year and Children’s Author, Toni Buzzeo’s life has been all about children’s books.  Come along on the journey as she shares her life story and the stories behind her stories!

THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY, THE LEARNING ADVENTURE, AND YOU

As a librarian, sometimes the best journey you take is between the covers of a book.  Prepare for a trip down Literary Memory Lane with two dogs, one cat, one principal, a host of teachers (some reluctant), more students than you can count, and your inveterate library program adventure guide, collaborating Library Media Specialist and Author, Toni Buzzeo.

COLLABORATING TO MEET STANDARDS: TEACHER/LIBRARIAN PARTNERSHIPS K-12

Toni focuses on practical suggestions for implementing collaboration from kindergarten through high school as well as reviewing the history and benefits of collaborative work. (2 hours to full day, or up to 2 days, with teacher/librarian teams)

OVERCOMING ROADBLOCKS TO COLLABORATION

Although obstacles litter the path, we benefit, our colleagues benefit, and above all, our students benefit from teacher/librarian collaboration. Gain practical ideas for over coming the roadblocks to collaborative practice. (1 hour to half day)

DATA-DRIVEN COLLABORATION

In this frenzied era of standardized testing, we possess volumes of data that provide insight into student gaps in understanding and skills. It’s time to join forces with our classroom colleagues as partners in shouldering responsibility for addressing these gaps through data-driven collaboration. When we invite students to practice deficit skills in the context of content-area and Twenty-First-Century-Standards learning, they gain valuable opportunities to internalize and synthesize that learning and measurably rev up their achievement. (1 hour to full day, or up to 2 days, with teacher/librarian teams)

COLLABORATING TO MEET STANDARDS: BEYOND THE BASICS TO ADVOCACY

You know what collaboration is, the levels of instructional partnership, and the benefits to all stakeholders.  But NOW WHAT?  How do you garner administrative support?  How do you tackle entrenched school culture?  How do you advocate for the growth of collaborative practice that will improve your library program and effect student achievement?  Author of four books and countless articles on collaboration, Toni Buzzeo will share her best thinking as you formulate your plan to advocate for change. (60-90 minutes)

BEYOND SHARING THE BOOK: USING PICTURE BOOKS AS MENTOR TEXTS TO ENGAGE STUDENTS IN EFFECTIVE READING AND WRITING

Join children’s author and Library Media Specialist Toni Buzzeo as she reveals how using her picture books as mentor texts can extend beyond simple sharing to actively engage your students in analysis of the traits of writing she employs.  You will learn to use her picture books, and those of other authors, to encourage effective student reading/writing techniques. (60-90 minutes)

GENERATING AND REFINING IDEAS: STRENGTHENING STUDENT WRITING BEFORE THEY BEGIN

Join children’s author Toni Buzzeo to explore the essential aspect of idea refinement in which a writer refines a skeletal idea, impression, or premise to create a piece that is suitable to the assignment and the audience in form, mood, or function. Look at the author’s own process and learn ways to adapt this process in the classroom. (60 minutes)

REV UP COLLABORATION, LITERACY, AND CRITICAL THINKING @ YOUR LIBRARY: AUTHOR STUDIES WIN THE RACE!

Has Federal legislation impacted your teachers’ participation in collaborative projects in your upper elementary or secondary school library?  Do you want to provide additional opportunities for your students to learn and practice critical thinking skills? Are you an active player in the central literacy push in your school?  Through collaborative author study projects, students can engage in exploration of favorite authors, explore critical response to their work, and discover connections between authors’ lives and work.  (60-90 minutes)

READERS’ THEATER, COLLABORATION, AND YOU, THE LIBRARY LITERACY PARTNER

Literacy is our mission, collaboration our mandate, and Reader’s Theater our vehicle to fun and excitement in the Library Media Center. Join in the learning as we engage in Reader’s Theater pieces and discuss the levels of instructional partnership, from cooperation to coordination to full collaboration, along with opportunities for each as students participate in Reader’s Theater. Extend and deepen student involvement with books and literacy and your own involvement with your teaching partners. (60-90 minutes)

Capturing the Market: Self-Promotion for Authors/Illustrators

Terrific Connections in Schools and Libraries (A Workshop for Writers and Illustrators) 
School visits can be meaningful, rewarding, and lucrative experiences. But they can also be frustrating and at their worst, a waste of precious writing or illustrating time. Join Author and School Library Media Specialist, Toni Buzzeo as she presents proven ways to initiate, prepare for, and execute successful author and illustrator visits.