Over
the last six months, one of the projects of the American School of
Bombay has been a total renovation of the learning facilities to create
much needed space and to support 21st century learning and teaching
models. In addition to reworking the existing building, ASB built a
brand new Elementary School, with an emphasis on creating spaces to
encourage a collaborative learning environment. One of those spaces is
the iCommons (Information Commons). The virtual space for our iCommons
can be accessed directly at: http://icommons.asbindia.org/
The iCommons replaces the traditional concept of a library. We’ve transformed the centralized library into six interactive spaces, located on each floor, within our learning communities. ASB iCommons’ mission is to inspire and support its users towards creative and intellectual achievement while responsibly and ethically learning the value of information, its acquisition, and its usage. Each floor has an iCommons area housing a variety of information resources and tools - ebooks, playaways, audio books, printed books, and an iMac to create digital products. This collaborative space will support and engage students in their learning journey.
Our six iCommons house a wide collection of ebooks, print books and databases to support reading, multidisciplinary social and problem solving skills. Within these titles is a wide collection of ebooks that range from picture books, fiction, nonfiction, graphic novels, other language materials and teacher resources. The iCommons subscribe to a variety of periodicals, journals, magazines, and ebooks to support the needs of our students. The iCommons Handbook can be accessed for more information. Most of the electronic resources are available at any time from anywhere in the world.
In addition to effectively combining the traditional library space with classroom library collections into a collaborative space, our iCommons also provides additional space to the teachers and students for individual and small group work. This allows us to make a conceptual shift. Where the traditional library is usually considered a repository of information, where information is stored and accessed, the iCommons becomes a place where information can be used and analyzed to produce new content. We want our students to learn to be not only effective consumers and ethical users of information, but also fluent producers of information. Both our elementary iCommons and the MS/HS Library provide the space, resources, and culture to help our students become information fluent.
ASB’s Definition of Information Fluency
“Information fluency is an inquiry-based transformation process in which the learner ethically locates, understands, evaluates and synthesizes information – from a variety of sources and formats – into ideas, products, or processes with personal, academic, social or global significance.” (compiled from ALA, AASL, and NETS)
The iCommons replaces the traditional concept of a library. We’ve transformed the centralized library into six interactive spaces, located on each floor, within our learning communities. ASB iCommons’ mission is to inspire and support its users towards creative and intellectual achievement while responsibly and ethically learning the value of information, its acquisition, and its usage. Each floor has an iCommons area housing a variety of information resources and tools - ebooks, playaways, audio books, printed books, and an iMac to create digital products. This collaborative space will support and engage students in their learning journey.
Our six iCommons house a wide collection of ebooks, print books and databases to support reading, multidisciplinary social and problem solving skills. Within these titles is a wide collection of ebooks that range from picture books, fiction, nonfiction, graphic novels, other language materials and teacher resources. The iCommons subscribe to a variety of periodicals, journals, magazines, and ebooks to support the needs of our students. The iCommons Handbook can be accessed for more information. Most of the electronic resources are available at any time from anywhere in the world.
In addition to effectively combining the traditional library space with classroom library collections into a collaborative space, our iCommons also provides additional space to the teachers and students for individual and small group work. This allows us to make a conceptual shift. Where the traditional library is usually considered a repository of information, where information is stored and accessed, the iCommons becomes a place where information can be used and analyzed to produce new content. We want our students to learn to be not only effective consumers and ethical users of information, but also fluent producers of information. Both our elementary iCommons and the MS/HS Library provide the space, resources, and culture to help our students become information fluent.
ASB’s Definition of Information Fluency
“Information fluency is an inquiry-based transformation process in which the learner ethically locates, understands, evaluates and synthesizes information – from a variety of sources and formats – into ideas, products, or processes with personal, academic, social or global significance.” (compiled from ALA, AASL, and NETS)
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