At the Core of the Comons

Mierop, Kerrie

ET

Harada, V. H. (2015). At the core of the commons: a personal reflection. Teacher Librarian 43(2), 8-11. Retrieved from
http://discover.sjlibrary.org:50080/ebsco-w-b/ehost/detail/detail?sid=a85e6ab2-172d-4a4d-861d-67baa80fd83a%40sessionmgr102&vid=0&hid=107&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h&AN=111875236

Summary

This article explores how creating a learning commons in a school, is not just about moving furniture and painting the walls. When the teacher-librarian is creating the learning commons environment, he/she need to think about the big picture and what they are trying to accomplish. The learning commons is above all else a meeting place that builds a community of learners and allows these learners to interact and learn collaboratively together. This learning environment creates a "playground" that employs the uTEC (using, tinkering, experimenting, and creating) method which allow students to be inquisitive and creative using other people's creations or their own. The example in this article, the Malama Honua project, shows all these aspects in work. This Hawaiian project started in 2014 and runs until 2017. The students are able to follow a long held tradition in Hawaii, a sailing across the oceans using both old and new technology. Students can virtual see the progress of the voyage, can follow map plans, both on paper and using stars to navigate, and see how we are globally connected and experience cultures and learn to respect these cultures, as well as their own.

Review

This article was written to explore how creating a learning commons can give students a chance to explore beyond the traditional way of learning, through books only. Instead of just books, students learn books can be a starting point, however, incorporating technology, videos, their own skills and ideas, and community members students can gain a world of experience that they could never get out of a traditional learning environment. As an individual learning how to create a learning commons in their library, this article is filled with ideas and an infectious vibe that makes the reader want to start working on their learning commons at their school immediately.