It was uncomfortably hot in the lobby of Wilmette’s Central Elementary School on a recent Tuesday afternoon, but a wall-to-wall crowd of Central students, families, teachers and staff braved the heat and humidity in order to get their first look at the school’s new learning commons.
They joined Wilmette School District 39 board members, Superintendent Raymond Lechner and Principal Becky Littmann for a quick ribbon-cutting, then trooped upstairs to Central’s second floor to see how the k-4 school’s old library and some adjacent classrooms have been transformed into an air-conditioned home for scholastic creation.
Both Library media teacher Barbara Unger and Colby Lewis, one of the architects on the design team, were quick to point out that the blue ribbon of carpet winding through the commons echoed the landscape in a painting – a map of the Land of Make Believe – that hung for decades in the old library, and one that now greets visitors at the learning commons door.
Youngsters at the opening were quick to spot another piece of architectural whimsy – the round reading nooks built into various dividing walls throughout the commons, each one inviting young readers to sprawl with their books.
Students and older visitors also clustered in the open floor design “story studio” near the front entry, outfitted with curving sofa banquettes and a fireplace setting, as well as more than a few stuffed animals.
Beyond the whimsy lies an expectation on the part of Littmann and staff members that the learning commons will encourage students to learn and exhibit the four Cs – heirs to the three Rs that emphasize creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and communication.
The $1.06 million project is the culmination of three years of research, first by the district’s community review committee and then by Central educators themselves. The project is also the continuation of a single room learning commons pilot project financed in part by the district’s educational foundation. Over the long term, District 39 officials say they want to create learning commons in all their schools, but Central’s is the first.
Littmann’s welcome emphasized the community effort that helped bring the commons to fruition; that included an ambitious $100,000 fundraising effort launched last February by the school’s PTA to pay for furniture and other learning commons materials not included in the district’s budget. Former PTA president Robin Cook said Sept. 1 that the organization surpassed that goal, “so we were able to do everything we wanted to.”
The new space provides easy access to books and other traditional library offerings. It also has areas designed for group learning and presentations, as well as an area – nicknamed the genius bar – where students can use iPads, laptops and other wireless devices.
A room lined with interior windows, known as “the maker space,” is provisioned with games and materials that students of any age can tinker with or use to build items. Close by, the northwest corner of the commons boasts a production studio, complete with green screen capabilities, that will allow students to use sound and video in projects.
“Our old tech lab had lots of computers in rows,” Lauren Kolod, Central’s technology teacher, said as she walked through the commons. “But now that our tech is much more mobile, this is the kind of space we need. It’s much more conducive to creative learning.”
In addition to the dedicated-purpose spaces are general areas where students can work one on one or in small groups with their teachers, or have quiet time to study and read by themselves.
Nine-year-old Casey Fenner took time from leading dad Geoff through each room in the commons to talk about what he liked best in it.
“I kind of like the chairs,” the third grade student said, gesturing to the bright orange upholstery on the wide chair in which he was curled up. “Oh, and I kind of like the green screen studio, too.”
Geoff Fenner said he was impressed with the creativity of the new space’s design, but even more impressed with how much students liked it: “The kids have been incredibly excited about this. It’s amazing.”
“This is what a school library should be,” Lechner said. “This is creativity and learning in action.”
Twitter: @pioneer_kathy
