SND Learning Commons opens new possibilities for learning, Chardon, USA

Sisters of Notre Dame Learning Commons opens new possibilities for learning, Chardon, USA

by Mr. Joseph Waler, Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin School principal

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Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin School in Chardon,Ohio opened a new world of possibilities for 21st-century teaching and learning with the blessing of our new Sisters of Notre Dame Learning Commons on November 22, 2015.

Among the 200 people who joined in the afternoon celebration were many who made the $1.2 million project possible, including board members, major donors, the architectural and construction team, and more than 50 Sisters of Notre Dame, in whose honor the new facility is dedicated.  The blessing ceremony occurred on the Feast of Christ the King—the patronal feast day of the Chardon Province of our Sisters of Notre Dame.  Father Mark Hollis, spiritual director of Cleveland Diocesan Saint Mary Seminary, presided.  Father Hollis is a 1963 alumnus of Cathedral Latin School.

Students and teachers joined Media Specialist Mrs. Amy Myers to demonstrate the learning technology that creates the heartbeat of the 7,300-square-foot facility, which features an interactive distance video learning classroom and a broadcast /maker space complete with professional-grade video and audio equipment as well as 3D printers. The Learning Commons also includes three booths with smart TVs, drop-in computer stations for quick Internet access and printing, and nine 70-inch flat-screen TVs that enable students to connect their own devices for presentations, side-by-side comparison of content, and more.

Amid all of these collaborative and interactive opportunities, the Learning Commons carefully preserves quiet spaces for individual study. Two semi-private learning pods and numerous upholstered chairs and personal book tables give students inviting, comfortable places to read and work on their own.

“The Learning Commons provides an environment for acquiring skills needed in today’s world. Our students will learn how to use the latest technology, to master proper research techniques, and to become critical thinkers and problem-solvers,” Mrs. Myers explained.

Mrs. Myers prepared a slideshow of photos to chronicle the construction process of the Learning Commons. You can view the show, entitled “From Dust to Dazzling,” on the NDCL website.