This week’s readings and discussion made me reflect on the transformation of my school library to a learning commons.  I was on the core committee at my school for this project and although we did not “formally” use the ADDIE model, it definitely is a model we unknowingly followed.  All phases in this structure represented a flexible guideline for the entire process of this transformation and provided us with a sound road map and clear vision.  When it comes to transforming a library, schools need to consider many factors from environment, learning spaces, pedagogy/school philosophy, clients (students and teachers) using the space, technology, and constraints.  For this discussion I will focus on the technology piece.  Prior to beginning this work, the Learning Commons Team had to arrange PD for teachers to discuss thoughts, ideas and concerns about this shift.  Many teachers were unfamiliar with new technologies we were considering such as LEGO Mindstorms and a new green screen.  We held “lunch and learn” sessions to share with each other the benefits of these new technologies and how they could be implemented in the classroom.  The other core components of our committee was a student representation group who also brought forward thoughts, ideas and concerns from the student body, Parent Council, and the school’s IT support person. Students visited an Innovative Learning Technology Center and explored all the technologies that were were considering prior to purchasing.  I felt this to be a thoughtful process and took an entire year before we began making any changes to our library.  In Nel, Dreyer and Carstens’s (2010) article, they suggest that designing a course in teams where many experts work together is a key characteristic of a successful course.  I transfer this statement over to this Learning Commons Project and completely agree that it took many experts from teachers to students and parents to make this shift a successful one.

After reading about the Agile model, I feel this model fits perfectly with how curriculum is delivered by individual teachers using the learning commons space.  Now that they have a space that includes various technologies to choose from and spaces conducive to individual learning needs, students can access the right tools they need for a more personalized learning approach, and teachers can plan with this in mind.

When reflecting on this process, I feel my school spent a lot of time considering various technologies and their affordances.  There may have been some purchases that not everyone was in agreement with as comfort levels varied; however, ensuring the right PD was in place to support teachers in using these technologies was planned for in hopes that teachers would embrace them. Considering the primary and secondary criteria to this situation, we were a collaborative team working together to ensure all the pieces fell into place.  We knew that we needed to break away from a “traditional” lab and library so learning for students was more fluid and project-based.  A common space soon became the school’s “hub” for learning and access to all technologies increased on a daily basis.

References:

Bates, T. (2014). Chapter 4: The ADDIE model; Chapter 8: Models for media selection. Teaching in a Digital Age. (online book)

Nel, C., Dreyer, C., & Carstens, W. A. M. (2010). Educational technologies: A classification and evaluation. Tydskrif vir letterkunde, 35(4), 238-258. (PDF)