About Wolford’s Learning Commons
Earl and Lottie Wolford Elementary School Library/Learning Commons serves a student population of approximately 600 children from kindergarten to 5th grade. The Learning Commons also serves teacher and staff needs. Wolford’s Learning Commons (formally known as the Library Media Center) is centrally located within the school and is easily accessible to all classes and all children. The physical space functions as a central hub within the building serving as a key link in curriculum planning and resource sharing. The virtual portion of the Learning Commons is a new approach providing flexible and responsive resources to expand the learning experience, taking students and educators into virtual spaces beyond the walls of a school and school hours.
Our Learning Commons still believes that reading is an integral skill for learning, personal growth, and enjoyment. As a lifelong learning skill, how well a child can read and understand the written word in all formats determines accomplishment in school and in life.
To meet the changing world that our students live in, “Information and Technology” skills are also integral to today’s learners. Developing these skills will allow students to use technology as an important tool for learning. Our Learning Commons strives to enable students to gain the ability to search for and gather information independently and responsibly. The Learning Commons currently houses portable technology for check-out ; such as a student laptop cart for student use, 2 iPads carts classroom for usage, SMART response systems (handheld remotes used to submit individual responses) for teacher check-out, and numerous video cameras/digital cameras.
Our Learning Commons collection is developed to support the MISD’s curriculum, as well as the literacy needs of the students, and the professional needs of our teachers and staff. Our Learning Commons strives to maintain and build a collection which is balanced and embodies a wide range of subjects and interests, levels of difficulty and formats.
All children deserve unbiased access to literacy, information, and technology in an environment that contributes to learning. In addition, our Learning Commons encourages library lessons, research models to compliment classroom learning, opportunities for students to engage in private reading time and author/illustrator visits, literacy fairs, and book clubs throughout the year.
The Learning Commons provides physical and intellectual access to the resources and tools required for learning in a warm, stimulating environment. We encourage our students, teachers and community members to use the Learning Commons to its fullest potential in order to become critical thinkers and develop the learning skills needed in the 21st century.
If you would like further information about our campus Learning Commons, please contact Mrs. Hanna. If you are interested in what Mrs. Hanna is thinking about as far as technology and literature, you are welcomed to “follow” Mrs. Hanna on her professional Twitter account.