2. 21st Century
Educational Architecture
20th C 21st C
School/habitat fixed place global place
Teacher one expert Expert teacher +
coaches, mentors,
peers, self
Knowledge finite unlimited
Curriculum limited by cost,
textbook-driven
open platforms,
research-driven
Literacies reading, writing & math + info, media, visual,
digital, global,
emotional, physical
Technology print is dominant;
interactive/static
multiple media;
adaptive, dynamic
3. Building Blocks
Ample electrical outlets & a robust network
Varied, high-quality, controllable lighting
Attention to acoustics
Furniture that supports collaboration
Technology that allows the library’s reach to
be extended beyond its four walls
A collection that is easy to navigate
Extensive collaboration with faculty
Staffing that supports multiple functions
4. Examples
Dana Hall School, Wellesley, MA
Salem State University, Salem, MA
Good Shepherd Episcopal, Dallas, TX
21. Library Classroom
After Evening
Study Hall
Note less-than-orderly
arrangement of chairs: when
students are given choices,
theirs don’t always match the
ones of adults.
52. Possible Components of a
Learning Commons
Library & Media
Tutoring Services
Tech Support
Maker Space
Writing Center
Multiple activities: research, reading,
collaborative group work, content
creation, videoconferencing, adult
support of students
53. Design Issues @ Salem State
Amount of glass (light, heat, energy)
Function & space sacrificed for aesthetics
Atrium
Staff workspace
Decisions made without consulting users
(Archives & electrical room example)
Learning Commons elements physically
separate from each other (unlike Pingree)
62. Resources
Dana Hall School’s 21st C Education LibGuide
Gray, Liz. Liz’s Library Space Shots.
Hull, Tracy. “The Path to the Information Commons.”
AISL Conference Presentation. April 2014.
Pingree School’s Learning in Commons Conference Slide
Show.
February 2014.
Valenza, Joyce Kasman. “SLJ’s Top Ten Tech Trends for
2013.” Dec. 13, 2013.
Notas del editor
In preparation for our first year as a 1-to-1 iPad school
This year we added two more chairs and four ottomans. Chair with repositionable tablet arm is $1500, ottoman is $575. Cup holder is $100 extra!
Sometimes it’s hard to see beyond what you already have.
The original plan—three learning walls.
You can see how the learning wall on the right (behind the teacher) would have been useless. And as one astute faculty member pointed out, the “V” behind the jointed learning walls is prime territory for collecting tossed items, with no way to remove them!
We tested out multiple chairs and this one was the clear winner. I was surprised—I almost didn’t bring in any tablet arm chairs based on my past experience with them—but I learned a lesson: furniture designs change! This one is comfortable, functional and removes the need for tables, especially in small spaces. Every teacher at Dana Hall wants these in the classroom now!
Instead of five (the MS was originally slated for two), we ended up with one. This was partly due to budget reductions but it ended up being a good thing. The library classroom is too small to accommodate them, even minus the flared ends. It was a new idea for the Whalen Berez Group, the company I worked with, and they knocked themselves out to get it right..
It took eight months to get to this finished product. First we did the programming—what what was this going to used for and by who? what features did it have to have?—followed by a preliminary drawing (what you saw a few minutes ago), followed by tweaks, a construction drawing, more tweaks, a mock-up, then the final product assembled on site. Main concerns were function, aesthetics and stability. It is heavier than we would like it to be, but even if someone does pull-ups from the top, this won’t tip. We tried it.
SPARQ = Solving Problems Asking Real-World Questions. 575 students is PK-8.