"There Is Knowledge to Be Gained"

The conceptualizing of and structuring of a learning commons shifts both the thinking of what a library media center is as well as its learning imperative in the school. Rather than being defined in terms of collections and instructional activities that focus primarily on an information-centric para...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inSchool Library Media Activities Monthly Vol. 25; no. 10; pp. 55 - 58
Main Author Todd, Ross J
Format Journal Article Trade Publication Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Baltimore Libraries Unlimited 01.06.2009
Libraries Unlimited, Inc
Subjects
Active Learning
Change Strategies
Community
Core curriculum
Critical thinking
Education
Educational Environment
Learning
Learning Processes
Learning Strategies
Library Development
Library Role
Library Services
Linguistics
Media Specialists
School Libraries
Secondary school students
Secondary schools
Technological change
Thinking Skills
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Summary:The conceptualizing of and structuring of a learning commons shifts both the thinking of what a library media center is as well as its learning imperative in the school. Rather than being defined in terms of collections and instructional activities that focus primarily on an information-centric paradigm--the finding, accessing, and evaluating of information--the primary focus of a learning commons is on engaging learners in an active process of discovery, inquiry, and creativity, developing deep knowledge and understanding, and actively engaging in critical thinking and problem solving. This is a knowledge-centric paradigm for library media centers. This type of paradigm is outcome focused, where the growth of student knowledge, achievement, and success are central to the role of the library media center. Library media specialists are challenged to reconceptualize the library media center, not so much as a space where information is organized, provided, and accessed, but rather as the school's physical and virtual learning commons where inquiry, thinking, imagination, discovery, and creativity are central to students' information-to-knowledge journey and to their personal, social and cultural growth. In the context of the rich development of the technological and information environments for students, library media specialists must not lose sight of the core work of library media centers, which centers on transforming information to deep knowledge and deep understanding. This article presents the Productive Pedagogy framework which provides a useful set of questions for engaging the whole school in conversation about the direction the library media center is headed as well as the active contribution that it can make to the learning agenda of the school.
ISSN:0889-9371