Knowledge Building Center


Purpose of this page: This page is dedicated to the major learning projects and initiatives going on in the Learning Commons as collaborative learning experiences between the Learning Commons staff, teachers, learners, and parents. The learning experiences featured here can be done in a variety of learning environments including knowledge building centers, Book2Cloud, Moodle projects, projects done in content management systems, technological learning spaces, or face to face projects with the organization done in digital space. The idea of this portal in the VLC is that two heads are better than one; meaning that collaborative planning, construction, execution, and assessment by classroom teachers and adult specialists (including outside experts) is superior to the efforts of a single and isolated teacher in the classroom or teacher librarian isolated in the library.

Current KBCs

In this column, learning experiences in the planning and execution phase might be featured including:* history units of study
  • fine arts projects
  • science activities
  • math projects

Projects include the mastery of topical content as well as embedded learning and how to learn skills. They emphasize adult mentoring rather than traditional directive assignments.

Another possibility is the arena of informal learning communities underway. This might include projects in after school programs, groups of students engaged in causes, music creation, service projects, or kids connected to global projects.

VLC Examples:

Personal Learning Environments

This column might be reserved for school-wide or classroom development of personal learning environments of students. A personal learning environment contains a personally constructed portal into the world of the Internet, a personal learning network and room of tools, and a portfolio, both public and private of the sills and evidence of personal and collaborative excellence.

Personal Learning Environments can be built with a wide variety of technologies but should follow the individual student as they relocate physically and develop sophistication across technologies. It is owned by the adult or student, not the school or classroom teacher, or administrator.

It includes my mastery of:
  • information and technology literacies
  • social and content creation literacies
  • areas for school
  • informal learning
  • family
  • friends
  • hobbies
  • personal interests
  • organizations/causes I am passionate about.
This column might have tutorials and examples of how to construct the PLE both for formal and information learning.

Students might demonstrate here the various
  • tools
  • apps
  • methods
  • techniques
used to construct their own PLE.

VLC Examples:

KBC Archives

This column might be reserved for past examples of successful collaborative learning experiences conducted by the LC staff and classroom teachers.

It becomes the archive of impact by the LC on teaching and learning in the school.

VLC Examples: