Edging Ahead…






         One Teacher-Librarian’s Journey from Print to Web…to Web2.0

February 28, 2009

Course 1 Final Thoughts: Moving Towards “Thinkering”?

Filed under: Certificate of EdTech & InfoLit, Certificate of Informaton Technology and Information Li — rubisr @ 9:01 pm
Tags: ,

It’s the end of the line for Course 1 at ISB. Lots more to think about, but Course 2 is looming.

My last post (and the readings that led to it: the 2009 Horizon Report (in particular the “Smart Object” section and Dianne Oblinger’s “Learning Spaces” (and specifically, her take on the “Learning Commons” got me “thinkering” – with the idea of documenting different kinds of learning activities already taking place in our Main Library – to see if there’s any  “thinkering” already taking place.

The results are, I think, interesting. Photos below were all taken between 9:00 am and 1:30 am on Friday, February 27th, 2008 in the Main Library. This covers one HS and two MS class periods along with HS Lunch.

Technical glitches have made this post a challenge, but a couple of items of note;

  • The images above show students working with at least5 kinds of technology, half of which have been provided by the school
  • Students above are working in at least four different languages. All, of course, conversed with me in English. One is browsing news in Mandarin. Two are developing a paper in Spanish. Several are browsing sites in either Thai or Korean. And one is sourcing a movie review in Thai which he will use as the basis for an assignment to write a movie review in Spanish.

I photographed all activities completely candidly (no setups or poses) and then asked individuals in all photos if I could use the shot in this post. I have tried to capture activities without readily identifiable individuals, although in some cases it was difficult to completely preserve facial anonymity.

I think the results strongly support the contention that we’re already on the road to a “Learning Commons” at ISB. The jury is still out on whethere we’re really “Thinkering”

February 24, 2009

“Thinkering Spaces”

Filed under: Certificate of EdTech & InfoLit, Certificate of Informaton Technology and Information Li — rubisr @ 11:03 pm
Tags: , ,

And now, finally, a full-on positive take on a concept relevant to the world today, focused on “just-in-time” learning – and tied in  ways to the growing focus on technology as a vehicle for boosting students’ metacognitive achievements.

It incorporates my view that libraries need to become “application centers” (not in the sense of being a place where “Applications (ie computer applications) are housed, but a place where ideas are gathered, mulled over, and then applied to real-world problems.

Got it!

The concept is to provide”Thinkering Spaces” in libraries and the idea is coming to a library near you – perhaps sooner than you can imagine. Perhaps even to ISB’s Main Library! In a recent School Head’s Blog Post, ISB Head Bill Gerritz proposed the need for an “Invention Center” at ISB. Coincidentally, our Main Library Review Committee is “edging” toward the idea of a newly developed Main Library as an “Information Learning Commons” rather than a traditional bricks ‘n mortar collection space.  Put these three concepts together and you’ve got an incredibly dynamic vision for the future of learning at ISB

Think “Minority Report”, where Tom Cruise stands at a Smart media wall and assembles all the bits he needs to draw conclusions which will allow him to not only solve, but to actually prevent a crime. Then think modular versions of Tom’s big wall set up in fully reconfigurable spots around a newly redesigned Main Library space. Think students, teachers, parents, and guests, all finding comfortable seating in appropriate spaces with specialized tools designed to let them turn their dreams into realities.

Got it!

Hosted by Edublogs.