New Semester, new course: Designing spaces for Learning

Just started delving into the outline and introduction of INF536 my new course for this semester.  It feels like INF530 has barely finished and now it’s already time to move on.

I’m moving on in more ways that one. At the end of last term I unexpectedly found a “look-see” at a school library after expressing vague interest in an opening turning into a job interview and then a job offer and then another interview at another school and another job offer and then the agonising choice between two excellent but very very different opportunities!  The tyranny of choice.  After a sleepless night and an early morning (like 4am early – another interesting TED talk by Rives – see below), and the input of my entire family a choice was made and I’m going to be leaving my great but part-time and low-paying apprenticeship type job for a real “the buck stops here” job as Teacher-Librarian.

https://embed-ssl.ted.com/talks/rives_on_4_a_m.html

Which makes me even more excited about this course, because I must admit my heart did sink just a tiny little bit when I saw the small space that will be my new “domain”. But then I am heartened by the idea that there is value to be found in constraint. And that the physical space is but one part of where learning takes place. And that I’m going to be learning and doing and learning so this will be a “just in time” course for me.