What should the youth of the nation know and be able to do and what is their role in deciding that?

• National and State Standards
• The World of Self-Directed Learning Opportunities for Making, Designing, Creating, Inventing)
• Professional Learning in a School-Wide Learning Commons
• Knowledge Building Center Construction: Planning, Using, and Archiving
• Content Management Systems
• Experimental Learning Laboratory: the center for administrators and faculty to test out new ideas in concert with representatives from self-directed learners.
• District Strategic Plan (coming soon)
• Multiple forms of Assessment.
• The Master Schedule: Matching the needs of individuals, collaborative groupings and types of learning experiences (coming soon)

What are the characteristics and functions of a School-Wide Learning Commons in a brick and mortar space?

• The Physical Learning Commons has spaces for directed and self-directed learning; small and large group collaboration; local and global expertise and partners across the "Commons".
• Use this tool for the Physical Educational Specifications
• Multi-purpose furniture in a pleasant and comfortable environment.
• Collection and Connections to resources in all formats and available on any device 24/7.
• Technology that is both equitable and that actually boosts teaching and learning.
• The Staff of the School-wide Learning Commons, both professional and support.
• The Substitute Teacher: a new role in self-directed learning.

If you have a totally online school, you only need a Virtual Learning Commons.

If you have a mixture of face to face and online environments, then the physical learning commons is an essential element.

How can a Virtual Learning Commons meet the needs of today's learner in a quickly evolving, participatory society?

• Overview: What is a Virtual Learning Commons?
• The Center for Traditional and Cutting Edge Literacies
• The Living School Yearbook
• Knowledge Building Centers (co-taught units of instruction)
• The Virtual Makerspace
• The hub of information connections
• The Center of Self-Directed Learning
• The Center of Technology experimentation and use
• Professional Development Center
• Center of Service
• eLearning (synchronous, asynchronous, virtual snow days, virtual PD)