Today’s school libraries turned-media centers are not hushed environments for silent reading. Instead, they are a hub for information sharing, presentations, and project-based research used by individual students, teachers, full classes, and even community members who choose to meet there.
The reimagined Nock/Molin Media Center creates four class-sized areas using modular components that can be moved and reshaped to fit various group sizes, learning preferences, and activities, including but not limited to research whole- and small-group instruction, book clubs, tutoring, independent reading, author visits, summer reading, book fairs, and staff meetings. In minutes, agile furniture, including mobile book stacks can transform the media space into an intimate presentation or assembly space, appropriate for school district events such as PTO meetings, Open Houses, Parent Night events, or professional development. Additional areas include more cave-like space to support independent work and individual reading, plus a raised multi-purpose platform area for performances, author readings, guest speakers, and more.
Robust technology for both presentation and ongoing display of student work is a cornerstone of this project. The media commons includes new digital displays for instruction, presentations, skyping with authors, and displaying student work. Interactive whiteboards scattered throughout the space allow students and staff to plug-and-play, allowing teaching and learning to happen everywhere.
Educational Design Features
- Space that ignites student creativity, curiosity, discovery, and literacy through the use of innovative technology and high-impact, collaborative spatial design
- Flexible media space to support research, interaction, collaborative project-based learning, and community use
- Learning on display, including final products and works in progress
