Just a heads-up on summer plans for the Learning Studio. During the school year, we’re focused on serving students and faculty on campus but as those numbers drop off during the summer we’ll be working with a number of campus guests.
During each event, all Learning Studio spaces and equipment will be reserved for the use of the visitors in each program.
June 27 – July 1
Next Generation Learning Challenges Grant
Dr. Cynthia Powell and the Adams Center will be working with math and sciences faculty to scale her work with inquiry-based learning to other campuses. For more information on the grant, read the news release.
July 11-15 & July 18-22
K-12 Digital Learning Institutes
Dr. Billie McConnell and the College of Education & Human Services will host two groups of K-12 faculty in the month of July to develop skills for teaching and communicating with new mobile tools.
For More Information
Here are a couple videos offering details on these programs.
In the last week, I’ve run across several mentions of Learning Studios popping up around the country. Both Santa Monica College and the University of Virginia have opened innovative classroom spaces recently they call learning studios. The projects look a lot like the Core Classroom opened in the ACU library in 2009 and build on the “active learning classroom” model developed at MIT and North Carolina State, among others. The primary aim of these type classrooms is to move away from designing lecture halls or auditoriums where students gather to listen; these new spaces create pods that better serve discussion-based or team-based learning in a range of disciplines, from the humanities to science education. Though we’ve conceived the Learning Studio here at ACU to support informal collaboration and media production outside the classroom, we share a desire to explore learning in a digital world. Thanks to the committed faculty here at ACU who have taught in the Core Classroom over the last two years.
This year student filmmakers involved in FilmFest had the opportunity to work with DSLR cameras with HD video provided by Canon. The Learning Studio managed checkouts for a wide variety of camera bodies and lenses, including Canon’s popular 5D we discussed in a recent post.
Friday night at a premiere event at the historic Paramount theater winners were announced.
“Hazel & Jack,” directed by Lawson Soward and produced by Caitlin Bardford, took home awards for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Producer.
“Smile,” directed by Ben Weaver and produced by Nathan Vail, earned the People’s Choice Award and Best Original Composition.
“The Reunion,” directed by David McMichael and produced by Trevor Cochlin, won Best Independent Film.
The screening also included Best Picture for last semester’s 24-hour FilmFest, “Pages,” directed by Jordan Havens and produced by Ben Weaver.
Then on Saturday a panel of guest judges met with students to provide feedback on each film as well as share their experience in the entertainment industry. Thanks to the judges for taking time to join us and to Tom Craig and his student production team for putting on a remarkable event.
And thanks to Canon for providing equipment that challenged our students to produce a higher caliber of work this year.
For those who have asked for some snapshots of the facility, here are some photos Kyle Trafton took for us. Thanks again to Kyle and all the folks on Gus Espinoza’s team and in the Adams Center for getting us ready to open. .
Two pieces that went online this week in connection with the Learning Studio opening you might want to be aware of.
First, AT&T came to Abilene a couple months ago and interviewed faculty and a student to provide an overview of much of the energy on campus right now. The piece provides a nice glimpse of the value of mobile learning in “transforming the classroom.” Thanks to Dr. Dana Kennamer Hood and Dr. Bill Rankin for helping introduce potential in K-12 and Higher Ed.
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Watch video
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Then Grant Rampy and Scott Delony came by the other night for our student grand opening and shot some quick interviews with students. My favorite comment from the whole evening–that wasn’t on camera–was a young woman that came into the Media Lab and told a friend, “Isn’t this place cool? Just being here makes me feel smarter!” Here are a few other comments from students:
