The New Learning Commons: Where Learners Win!

Loertscher, D., Koechlin, C., & Zwaan, S. (2008). The new learning commons: Where learners win! Salt Lake City: Hi Willow Research and Publishing.

In The new learning commons: Where learners win!, the authors offer a fresh perspective on creating the physical and virtual learning commons. The book helps us to reimagine the school library/media center and the computer lab as a learning commons that is physically flexible and also virtually accessible 24/7/365. The chapter "Knowledge Building and the Learning Commons" addresses inquiry, teaching, learning, and other academic-related pursuits in the learning commons. It provides examples of how the learning commons can become a space to work on collaboration and integrated curriculum.

The chapter "Learning Literacies and the Learning Commons" describes the major literacies and how the learning commons can become "Literacy central." It also gives examples of ways that the learning commons can support literacy instruction throughout the curriculum, in collaboration with many different members of the school community.

"Technology and the Learning Commons" clarifies the crucial distinction between administrative and instructional computing, and then goes on to describe the role of the learning commons in the technology world of the school. Technology in the learning commons should be up-to-date and reliable. This was hard for me to read (although I know it is true) because we are so far from this reality at my school and the library in particular. It's a work in progress, and I am gathering information in the course of this class and the 285 class I am taking with de Groot to begin a discussion about BYOD (bring your own device) in the classrooms or learning commons. I know that it will be controversial but I feel that the time has come when students should have access to what they need, and if school isn't providing it, then they should get to bring their devices. Now I just need to get wireless up in the library and keep the device use hush-hush.

In "Collaboration and the Learning Commons," the learning commons is described as a place where all combinations of people can come together and collaborate, on curriculum, projects, learning, school improvement, and many other topics. The virtual learning commons is another place where people can come together virtually from different geographic locations and time zones to collaborate and learn together.

In "Building the Learning Commons as a Client-Side Organization," the authors reinforce the importance of having the clients contribute actively to the site, because this will lead them to also utilizing it. The learning commons should empower the teachers and the learners. It also describes the role of each specialist at the school, and gives examples of what the school library and computer lab can become when they are transformed together into the learning commons.

In "Evidence Based Practice and the Learning Commons," the authors discuss the necessity of using a feedback loop to inform instruction. Students and teachers reflect on their teaching and learning processes in order to push themselves to do better. This feedback loop can happen in the context of an action research project, which is a highlight of the Experimental Learning Center.

In the final chapter, the authors give summaries of people and concepts that have made a significant impact in the field of education.

Each chapter emphasizes collaboration between teachers, students, teacher librarian(s), learning specialists, and other community members where appropriate. The book also describes a client-centered learning commons, and states that the learning commons will be more useful and utilized when the clients help to create the content.