Campus Development

Campus Development >> Expand Your School, Expand Your Mind: GIFS’ New Library and Work Studio By Claire Anderson

The Partnership for 21st Century Learners offers the following description of today’s students: “Twenty-first century learners are always on, always connected. They are comfortable multitasking. They are multimedia oriented. Their world is Web-based. They want instant gratification. They are impatient, creative, expressive and social. They are risk-takers who thrive in less structured environments.” At Gyeongnam International Foreign School (GIFS), while we know that all of the above is true, we also know that some things stay the same and some things change with each generation of learners and we have to adapt or run the risk of losing important ground in our goal of providing the best for our students. We didn’t want to lose what was working well but we wanted to create a new space that satisfied a broader vision. This summer, in order to address the needs of today’s learners, GIFS took on a project of building a new multimedia library, as well as a work studio and four new classrooms.

Information literacy, reading engagement, and technology integration are important cornerstones to the .com generation. 21st Century Learners need an environment where they can formulate ideas and process information in ways that speak to them. As our students change, the learning models are also changing, and GIFS believes that the school library, as the heart of the school, should take the lead in reflecting those changes. Teachers are also using library space differently than they did in the past: collaborative and project-based learning are popular, as well as peer-to-peer tutoring and one-onone learning. Libraries, and other school spaces, have moved away

from being archives and lectures rooms, and have instead turned into learning commons. These are spaces that encourage participatory learning and allow for students to draw understanding from a variety of sources.

As enrollment has grown and the programs offered have evolved, GIFS found itself in need of more flexible and dynamic spaces for learning. The growth in the elementary school spurred the need for more elementary classrooms. In addition, the school’s original library and tech center, while charming in their own way, were looking their age and needed more interactive community spaces.

The Design Process

In addition to serving the learning needs of students, GIFS also wanted to hear the voices of teachers, parents, and staff that would use the space in other ways. The process of coming to a design that was both functional and fashionable needed to be a team effort. As a school that deeply believes in community and family, input from all stakeholders was an important step in pulling together the initial ideas for the new spaces.

With these concerns in mind, an administrative and teaching team set about brainstorming ideas for renovation. Soliciting ideas from parents, students, and teachers, the team put together a list of “musthaves” and a list of “would-love-to-haves.” Some of the “must-haves”

included: natural light, flexible working spaces, a plethora of shelving, many electrical outlets, a designated elementary and secondary space, a conference space, and a teacher resource space. The school librarian, along with other teachers with library and tech expertise, added their two cents by directing the renovation team to consider function as well as form. With the help of a professional interior designer, plans were drawn up and construction took place during the summer of 2016.

The Tiger Library and Work Studio

The new remodeled library was the biggest change for the 2016- 2017 school year. Utilizing a space once used as the school’s multipurpose room, the new library is composed of both elementary and secondary areas, a teacher resource center, a conference room, and a technology lab. The new library space can accommodate students during study hall, small group work, and students are especially excited to sit in the built-in study carrels. These carrels were added with the IB curriculum in mind, as juniors and seniors at GIFS need time to sit alone and do their own independent study. Even so, elementary students like them too! The librarian’s desk was designed with both elementary and secondary students in mind, and has a low counter and a high counter. It also has a built in book drop! Even small things can make a big difference in how well the space works!

With the newly enlarged space, we were able to dedicate an area solely for teacher resources and textbooks, which also prompted us to purge stacks of books at least a decade old. Teachers found some treasures during their search and were able to clearly see what we have on hand and holes we need to fill. In addition to the bright study spaces for students, the renovation included the addition of a conference room which can be used for staff meetings, professional development, PTO meetings, and student presentations. This new room can fit the entire GIFS staff for after school meetings, and has been upgraded with a podium, computer, and screen for any display. It also is a great place to get work done: natural light flows in the windows both from the outside and from the library, where teachers can watch their students hard at work.

Keeping in mind that 21st century learners are tech-savvy (or is it tech-dependent?), part of the design included a unique space called the Work Studio. This glass enclosed room, with built in shelving for student art, will be the future home to a piece of future specifically designed for collaborative learning and integrated tech. In the case of group projects in the secondary school, or small teams working on Student Council committees, this space will be an area where students can plug in their laptops, put their heads together, and pull up their work on the big screen.

The previous library space has been replaced by a new “Elementary Alley,” a set of four elementary classrooms with up-to-date technology and dedicated storage space.

GIFS will continue to grow and change with our student population. As an IB World school, the school staff and administration believe in embodying the IB Learner Profiles in their decisions. This remodel reflects many of these profiles, including Inquiry, Knowledge, RiskTaking, and Open-Mindedness. The belief is that through thoughtfully designed learning spaces, these traits can be modeled and passed down to our students, and out to the world.