The following blog was written by Mr. Chip Gobble. Mr. Gobble serves as the JCHS Media Specialist.
You have no doubt read in previous JCHS Blog entries about the many changes in our classrooms as a result of our district’s 1:1 initiative. However, you may not have heard about how the digitization of the classroom is necessitating a similar transition in the Media Center. The simple reality is we cannot expect students who thrive in a digital classroom to find much to be excited about in a traditional school library. With that in mind, we are working to align our facility and services with the evolving needs of our students and staff. The changes are showing up in two main areas, hosting and resources. We are shifting our focus from hosting entire classes to providing work space for individual students and small collaborative groups. At the same time, our available resources are migrating from print to digital formats.
If you visited the JCHS Media Center this school year, you probably noticed a major facelift in one area. Thanks to generous support from our Administration, RSS Media Services, and especially our PTA, Booster’s Club, and numerous community donors, we converted this area from a computer lab and large group meeting area to an individual/small group area with a flexible furniture arrangement. Christened the “Cougar Den”, this area now contains 4 tall “bistro” tables, 3 restaurant-style booths, 10 moveable “club chairs”, 2 collaboration tables with Apple TV, and computer desk seating for 9 students. The flexible arrangement reflects the changing nature of school library usage. The 1:1 laptop initiative eliminated the need for large computer labs for classwork and research. Research is more and more often conducted from the classroom on the students’ computers. The school library must repurpose its existing space to respond to this “new reality”. We must create spaces to match student needs and that invite them in . Our new arrangement is a first-step in responding to these evolving needs. We are already at work planning our next step.
The 1:1 initiative also caused us to reexamine how we deliver services and resources. Please make no mistake, we continue to offer a wide variety of current print resources, full-service research assistance, and Information Skills instruction. However, as student usage shifts online, so must our resources migrate to that online environment. In addition to our print books and periodicals, we offer access to a growing collection of ebooks and online magazines through NC WiseOwl, North Carolina Digital Library, Rowan Public Library, and our own purchases. Most students choose to conduct research using online resources. Most often this means familiar search engines like Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc. To meet this need, and to guide students toward resources containing more accurate and reliable information, we launched the JCHS Virtual Learning Commons (http://carsonmedia.weebly.com). This website offers students and staff a one-stop shop for research / technology resources and assistance. The research tools on the site will help students perform more efficient and productive online searches than the shotgun approach of most of their default search engines. The “Web Tools” page offers many web-based presentation alternatives to PowerPoint and Keynote. The site also allows students to request resource, research and technology help from our staff. All of these services are available any time from any location that students have internet connectivity. In this way, the school library is transforming from a physical location with limited hours to a virtual learning portal that is available to students 24/7/365. The JCHS Media Center will continue to evolve to meet the ever-changing information and creative needs of our students and staff. We are compelled to do so, because after all, we are only able to respond to the future we can presently see.
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