Theory and Research as the Foundational Elements of a Learning Commons

Whitney Fischer

ET

Reference:
Loertscher, D. V., & Koechlin, C. (2012). Theory and Research as the Foundational Elements of a Learning Commons. Teacher Librarian, 39(3), 48-51.


Summary:
This article posits that though school libraries are always changing and evolving, there will always be a place for teacher librarians.  Teacher librarians have the power to cultivate a friendly, inviting, and technologically advanced school library (budget permitting, of course) in the form of a learning commons.  The authors present five different articles to support their assertion that students and teachers alike benefit from the creation of these learning commons, as learning commons allow students to work collaboratively and use web 2.0 technology to work on the same documents or presentations simultaneously.  Lesson plans should incorporate tutorials on how to use the new tools available to students to keep confusion to a minimum.

Evaluation:
The idea that students should be given free reign to pursue their interests and use the tools available in the learning commons resonated with me because I agree that this self-directed approach to research with minimal restrictions on research tools and materials is an excellent way to keep students engaged with their projects.  I also appreciate the notion that teacher librarians should serve more as guides that are available to help students and point them in the right direction.