Tools for Students

A foundational element of the Learning Commons is to build an entire community of literate young people who use that stepping stone to build successful careers. Rather than being a center that zeros in just on skill development, the Literacy Center of the Virtual Learning Commons takes a holistic view of the various literacies needed to thrive in the global community.

We begin with reading, writing, speaking and listening, but there are other areas to develop such as media literacy, technology literacy, plus the abilities to be creative in a socially connected world. By nurturing a positive atmosphere of both consumption, sharing, enjoyment, and mutual building, we are able to establish a place to construct and share our own creations. These creations can consist of writings from fiction to informational pieces, from poetry to creative dramatics, from music to discussions, and from individual to global enjoyment of the best. In addition, as we participate in such an environment, the skills to do so increase alongside targeted skill development in the school.

In this instance, technology is a means of consuming, sharing, creating, and discussion. We are entering an era where it becomes possible for everyone to read the same book simultaneously, write about it, discuss it, do mashups about it, build creative media around it, and even further elevate the experience by spinning off into our own writings.