I have been working for Douglas County Schools for 23 years in several capacities: Elementary Librarian, Support Librarian, Department Head for Cataloging and Processing for the District Library Media Center, and lastly as the Learning Environment Designer. Although it took me awhile, I think that I have found my place. I love to play with space to transform what is there into something that will support student learning. My "goose-bump" moments are when students come into a space that has been transformed, that they were previously very familiar with, and say "I love it", "it looks so much bigger, better", "I think that I can learn better in this room." But I must say that the best comment was from a Middle School student after a transformation was complete, "I can't believe that they put bar stools in the library!"
I started on this journey mostly by accident and with the support of my supervisor Linda Conway. One of our older elementary schools was getting new carpet and some minor building changes, but enough changes that an architect was involved in the project. The architect mentioned that the library layout was not very functional. For some reason I was asked if I could help with a new layout for the library. I drew up several floor plan ideas and the principal liked one of them, so a new library plan was born and so was a new career pathway for me. I worked on several libraries and then was asked to work on transforming a second grade classroom. Word got out and the next year I had more projects than I could juggle.
I spend a lot of my time working with vendors on getting the furniture that meets the needs of the students and teachers. I regularly work with students in classrooms that want to transform their classrooms. I find this very interesting, guiding them through what they want, how we can meet their goals with in budget, brainstorming "hacks", and making sure that we support all learning styles.
Of course, the first change needs to be in the instructional practice. We can change the room, buy new furniture or repurpose the same furniture, but if the learning does not change then it is new furniture in the same space. Students learn differently now - they use technology as a tool to help them accomplish a tasks. The old style of teacher lecture-student listen, is not how modern day learners learn. They want to try to figure it out themselves by trial and error. They are creative, thinkers, communicators, and collaborators, and educators need to support the new learning styles