Thursday, June 19, 2014
Monday, June 16, 2014
Learning Commons: Defined
This
year’s seventh graders were baffled by the stack of cards I unearthed from the
back of my file cabinet--a stack of yellowed cards printed by a dot matrix
printer, with a hole through the bottom. I passed them out, and the students
guessed what they were for. The closest they got to guessing the purpose of the
remnants from an old card catalog was “cards for research…bibliography cards.”
They weren’t far off, but it would be nearly impossible for them to imagine the
long wooden drawer those came out of, or the long rod that held all the cards
in place. Those cards were from Sam Houston State’s library in 1984.
Libraries
are undergoing a huge change, into what is now referred to as the Learning
Commons Model. What exactly is a library commons? According to Paul Mihailidis,
it is “a dynamic media literacy learning hub, anchoring entire schools around
knowledge, expression, collaboration, and creation in both virtual and physical
spaces” (Mihailidis, 2012).
Referring to the space as a commons is intentional, making the
implication that it is less of a place of instruction and more a place of
discovery (Loertscher & Koechlin, 2014). What does a learning commons look
like, and how is it different from a traditional library?
 |
| Not your grandmother's library furniture! |
The
appearance of a learning commons involves a nod to the places that young people
tend to congregate with their friends—the mall, the coffee shop, or a friend’s
game room. What makes them comfortable? “Flexible furnishings encourage
students to sit together and chat…” (Hayes 2014). Soft furniture, instead of
hard chairs and formal computer desks provide a place that is welcoming, rather
than restricting.
Power
for individual charging stations like these rather than dangerous extension cords and wifi are no longer a luxury; in the
learning commons, they are a necessity. Students will be relying on BYOD (Bring
Your Own Device) or mobile devices on loan from the library, and those two
elements are necessary to make them effective. Expect to see cheap headsets for
sale, and loaners in a basket, as students rely on headphones as they create
and learn in the commons.
How
will the librarian’s role differ? According to Hayes, before, “the school
librarian was monarch of his or her domain, daring anyone to upset the quiet
order” (2014). In a learning commons, it will be the librarian’s role to
instead be a true teacher librarian, and provide support for the different
needs students comes with. Research direction, technology assistance, and
acting as a sounding board for new ideas will shape the tasks faced by the
librarian daily.
Inquiry
based learning will be the focus of the new library, feeding off a child’s
natural instinct to question and then seek answers to the questions. Watch
adults at dinner when someone has an idle question. “What year did that movie
come out?” Phones are whipped out, fingers flying, and a jubilant winner calls
out the answer. It is the same way with students in the learning commons. It
will look different and sound different, but in a good way.
Curious to learn more? Check out this slideshow with more details!
Or take look at this video, with even more information on the learning commons model!
References
Hayes, T. (2014).
Library to learning commons: A recipe for success. Canada Education. Retrieved from
http://www.cea-ace.ca/education-canada/article/library-learning-commons
Loertscher, D. V.,
& Koechlin, C. (2014). Climbing to excellence: Defining characteristics of
a successful learning commons. Knowledge
Quest, 42(4), E1-E10. Retrieved
from ala.org
Mihailidis, P., PhD.
(2012). Media literacy and learning commons in the digital age: Toward a
knowledge model for successful integration into the 21st century school
library. The Journal of Research on
Libraries and Young Adults, 2.
Retrieved from http://www.yalsa.ala.org
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