Help me give my students flexible seating options in the library. These chairs will help us start to move from a traditional library to a 21st century Learning Commons that offers furnishings to suit a variety of needs.
“You cannot open a book without learning something" - Confucius
To create a learning environment in a 21st-Century Media Center that promotes collaboration, breakout opportunities, and flexible seating arrangements that support our diverse learning population.
A little bit about our school: Our junior-senior high school serves over 750 students in grades seven through twelve. We have a diverse group of students with a wide range of interests. Our library/media center serves as a hub to allow students the opportunity to independently, or with their classroom teacher, take ownership of their learning experience whether it is through doing research, collaborating on an assignment, creating something in our Makerspace, or simply enjoying a love of reading with a good book! Our space, therefore, needs to reflect the variety of ways students can use the library. Transforming our flexible seating arrangements offers us a unique opportunity to begin creating more breakout areas where learning can happen while in a more comfortable setting.
My Project
As my district embarks on moving towards a Universally Designed Learning model that incorporates multi-tiered systems of support, I want to make sure that our school library/media center is moving in that same direction. With research showing that more and more libraries are making the transition to a Learning Common model, I want to see our space reflect the changing needs of our students and teachers in a 21st-century learning environment.
The focus on flexible arrangements, technology integration, and collaboration in an inviting and comfortable environment, only works to strengthen the interest levels and engagement of the students, and staff, utilizing the space.
Flexible seating options are just one part of the overall design of a Learning Common which allows the space to be used for a variety of needs. Furniture can be easily moved around to allow for whole-class work, small group work, or many other possibilities. These chairs would be one step in making the transition from an outdated library to a vibrant space available to the entire school community.
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