Connellsville Area Middle School has completed the 3-1/2-month transformation of their school's media center, turning it into "an interactive, project-based learning space that puts collaborative learning at the forefront." Eric Morris of the Herald-Standard writes:
District interim Superintendent David McDonald said the renovation was the final project in a district-wide initiative to update school media centers.
“What we’re trying to provide are engaging learning spaces that are also rooted in literacy,” said McDonald. “It attracts kids. They want to go there. They want to collaborate.”
School media specialist Gina Irwin calls the new media center an expansion of the traditional classroom, a resource where teachers can bring their classes to work collaboratively on projects, and where students can focus on creativity.
“Not every student learns from reading from books. Here they get to do things differently and express their learning in different ways,” said Irwin, who runs the space on a daily basis. “They get to be more at the center of their learning. It gets to put them in the driver’s seat.”
This is the fifth SMALLab to be installed in the Connellsville Area School District as part of a nationwide maker movement that provides students with unique learning spaces and environments.