About Mrs. Hurley (aka The Digital Bookworm)
Thank you for visiting my website! My name is Mrs. Christine Hurley, and I am the Library Media Specialist at Boonsboro Middle School in Boonsboro, Maryland. The 2020-21 school year is my 13th year as a Library Media Specialist, and my 17th year of teaching.
I graduated with Summa Cum Laude honors with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Early Childhood/Elementary Education, and then a Masters of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus on Educational Technology from Frostburg State University in Frostburg, Maryland.
Prior to teaching Media, I taught 4th grade and Kindergarten for Washington County Public Schools. After teaching for five years and earning my National Board Certified Teacher status, I decided to switch careers and pursue my Library Media certification. I completed the certification at Mansfield University through the School Library and Information Technology department in the Fall of 2010. I became an Apple Teacher in 2016 and am working on my Google Teacher certifications as well!
I was selected by Tech4Learning as an "Innovative Educator" for my use in integrating the Tech4Learning suite of software into my instruction. In February of 2013 I was chosen as the Maryland Society for Educational Technology’s 2013 Outstanding Educator for my use of technology in the classroom and beyond. I was honored to be nominated for Maryland State Librarian of the Year in 2017. I have had the privilege of being nominated for Washington County Teacher of the Year three times in my career, and I was named Teacher of the Year for WCPS for the 2020-21 school year!
Technology has always been my passion – it all started in 5th grade with the installation of an Apple IIGS computer lab at my very rural elementary school through a grant. After begging my parents to bring a computer to our home for years, they finally relented and purchased a state-of-the-art IBM clone with a floppy drive. It didn’t even come with Windows – I had to use DOS and taught myself BASIC… It was all downhill from there.
I come from a family of teachers – both of my parents have teaching degrees, though they never were able to teach as a career. I knew from early on that I wanted to be a teacher – I used to make worksheets and torture my baby brother with them on weekends and during summer months. After a period of brief delusion where I wanted to be a fashion designer (not a chance of THAT happening!), I came back to teaching as my career choice when I discovered the rush that all teachers experience when a kid “gets it.” I was hooked.
Teaching media is the perfect opportunity to blend my two biggest passions with my third passion – reading. I love to read. The Harry Potter series will always be my favorite series, and my favorite genre is dystopian future literature. Nothing excites me more than to see a kid be captivated by a great book – except to see them pass it on to another student.
What better job to have than to be charged with inspiring future generations to read, to write, to create, to problem-solve, to dream, to think outside the box, to be something more?
Teaching + Technology + Reading = one very happy me.
Mrs. Christine Hurley
Boonsboro Middle School
1 J-H Wade Drive
Boonsboro, Maryland 21713
301.766.8038
[email protected]
I graduated with Summa Cum Laude honors with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Early Childhood/Elementary Education, and then a Masters of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus on Educational Technology from Frostburg State University in Frostburg, Maryland.
Prior to teaching Media, I taught 4th grade and Kindergarten for Washington County Public Schools. After teaching for five years and earning my National Board Certified Teacher status, I decided to switch careers and pursue my Library Media certification. I completed the certification at Mansfield University through the School Library and Information Technology department in the Fall of 2010. I became an Apple Teacher in 2016 and am working on my Google Teacher certifications as well!
I was selected by Tech4Learning as an "Innovative Educator" for my use in integrating the Tech4Learning suite of software into my instruction. In February of 2013 I was chosen as the Maryland Society for Educational Technology’s 2013 Outstanding Educator for my use of technology in the classroom and beyond. I was honored to be nominated for Maryland State Librarian of the Year in 2017. I have had the privilege of being nominated for Washington County Teacher of the Year three times in my career, and I was named Teacher of the Year for WCPS for the 2020-21 school year!
Technology has always been my passion – it all started in 5th grade with the installation of an Apple IIGS computer lab at my very rural elementary school through a grant. After begging my parents to bring a computer to our home for years, they finally relented and purchased a state-of-the-art IBM clone with a floppy drive. It didn’t even come with Windows – I had to use DOS and taught myself BASIC… It was all downhill from there.
I come from a family of teachers – both of my parents have teaching degrees, though they never were able to teach as a career. I knew from early on that I wanted to be a teacher – I used to make worksheets and torture my baby brother with them on weekends and during summer months. After a period of brief delusion where I wanted to be a fashion designer (not a chance of THAT happening!), I came back to teaching as my career choice when I discovered the rush that all teachers experience when a kid “gets it.” I was hooked.
Teaching media is the perfect opportunity to blend my two biggest passions with my third passion – reading. I love to read. The Harry Potter series will always be my favorite series, and my favorite genre is dystopian future literature. Nothing excites me more than to see a kid be captivated by a great book – except to see them pass it on to another student.
What better job to have than to be charged with inspiring future generations to read, to write, to create, to problem-solve, to dream, to think outside the box, to be something more?
Teaching + Technology + Reading = one very happy me.
Mrs. Christine Hurley
Boonsboro Middle School
1 J-H Wade Drive
Boonsboro, Maryland 21713
301.766.8038
[email protected]
Authors and Illustrators whom I have had the pleasure of meeting through the Children's Literature Festival at FSU!
My Twitter "Tweeps" showing some love!
@hurlechr Hi Mrs. Hurley! I love your wonderfully creative media site. You are a true specialist in every sense of the word.
— Walter Rouzer (@rouzerbooks) April 30, 2013
Award Winners Abound at EKD!
Congratulations to our amazing student and staff award winners at Emma K. Doub.
Ms. Catherine Poling, Principal, won the 2013 ISTE "Making 'IT' Happen!" Award! This international award recognizes educators and leaders in the field of educational technology integration in K–12 schools.
Mrs. Hurley, Library Media Specialist, won the 2013 MSET Outstanding Educator Using Technology Award. This award goes to the educator from the state of Maryland for their outstanding use of innovative and effective practice of educational technology.
Emma Weikert and Hanna Weikert – 2013 MSET Multimedia Student Contest Grades 3-5 award winners. This award goes to students who demonstrate outstanding originality and proficiency in creating a multimedia project connected to the curriculum.
Congratulations to our award winners!
Ms. Catherine Poling, Principal, won the 2013 ISTE "Making 'IT' Happen!" Award! This international award recognizes educators and leaders in the field of educational technology integration in K–12 schools.
Mrs. Hurley, Library Media Specialist, won the 2013 MSET Outstanding Educator Using Technology Award. This award goes to the educator from the state of Maryland for their outstanding use of innovative and effective practice of educational technology.
Emma Weikert and Hanna Weikert – 2013 MSET Multimedia Student Contest Grades 3-5 award winners. This award goes to students who demonstrate outstanding originality and proficiency in creating a multimedia project connected to the curriculum.
Congratulations to our award winners!