Newly Remodeled Collaborative Learning Spaces at Minnetonka High School

Summer is a time in schools when construction projects and renovations can take place. In the past I’ve written about some of our media center remodels as well as our Design for Learning initiative. This summer we have a few remodeling and construction projects underway in Minnetonka. 

One of the big renovation projects is at our high school. In analyzing the existing space and looking at needs we realized we had multiple locker rooms that were underutilized. Specifically, on the second floor of our high school near the gyms we had old varsity team locker rooms that weren’t really used much. Newer locker rooms had been built in the lower level of the building back in 1996 and were the main space in use. So the existing 7,000 square feet of old locker room space was available to be reclaimed for instructional purposes.

This remodeled space has been designed to be provide flexible options for classes to meet and groups to collaborate. Five new classrooms will be available as well as more restrooms. This remodel was done with existing resources to cover the costs and no new bond had to be issued. As you can see from the pictures above, things are shaping up nicely and looking more and more like the architects' renderings. This new space will be called "The Loft" and should be completed in time for the first day of school on Tuesday, September 4.

As part of the remodel, windows were added to the outside letting it a lot of natural light. Numerous flatscreen monitors will be mounted on the walls in many of the rooms for both large group presentations and smaller group meetings. There are walls of glass and other walls covered with whiteboards for writeable space. Some of our high school computer science classes will now be taught in this area. It will be exciting to see how this new space gets used in the coming school year!


Related posts:

• More Minnetonka Schools Media Center Remodels

• Design for Learning: MMW Media Center Update

• Media Center Redesign at Minnetonka Middle School West

• Sneak Peek at Two Minnetonka Public School Media Center Summer Remodeling Projects

• Video Game Design and Computer Coding at High School

Design for Learning Project Lead Nicole Snedden Wins ISTE Award

    

Congratulations to Nicole Snedden, Minnetonka's Design for Learning Project Leader, for winning this year's ISTE Learning Space PLN Outstanding Learning Space Designer Award. Besides being our Design for Learning Project Leader, Nicole is also our Innovation Coordinator. "Each year, ISTE honors individuals who are leading the way in accelerating the use of technology to solve tough problems in education and inspire innovation. These winners represent a who’s who in the edtech world." Nicole received her award yesterday at the ISTE Conference in Chicago.

Elementary Instructional Technology Coach Rachel Studnicka wrote the following about Nicole:

Nicole is a visionary leader that fosters a learning culture for modern learners in the digital age... Nicole wanted to empower students by giving them a voice in the design of their learning spaces to impact student engagement and learning... Nicole has transformed our district through her vision and grassroots initiative to better the student learning experience by providing learner-centered environments to meet the diverse needs of all learners... She has provided teachers with innovative professional development training and opportunities to work closely with experts in design such as Cannon Design, author of The Third Teacher... Nicole’s efforts and clear vision for modern education have brought positive change for students and teachers district wide with design thinking and Human Centered Design practice.

As stated on our website, Minnetonka's Design for Learning Committee “empowers Minnetonka students, staff and the community to transform teaching and learning through the design of the learning environment.” This team meets quarterly to:

• Engage in conversations regarding the design of spaces in the district both present and future.
• Offer staff development to teachers who are interested in learning about the design process.
• Support teachers through a grant process as they apply for funding to re-envision their current learning spaces.
• Provide research-based information to Minnetonka Teachers and Community as well as host a yearly event with guest speakers who specialize in learning spaces. 

We are so fortunate to have teacher leaders like Nicole in Minnetonka. More info about Design for Learning in Minnetonka and a photo gallery can be found here. You can read more about Minnetonka's Design for Learning process, see other projects and results, as well as learn more about Minnetonka Innovation in these related posts: 

• Design for Learning: MMW Media Center Update

• More Minnetonka Schools Media Center Remodels

• Student Led Innovation Through Human Centered Design

• Minnetonka Schools: Innovation is Now Our Strategic Plan

• Minnetonka Schools Innovation

• Systematic Innovation: The Top 4 of 40 Inventive Principles to Solve Problems

• The Mindset of Innovation: 5 Behaviors for Accelerating Breakthroughs

• Accelerating Changes Needed in Education

• Minnetonka Research: An In Depth, Highly Advanced High School Research Program

• Tonka Online High School Starting Year Five with 40+ Courses & 1200+ Students

• Why Teach Coding? Same Reasons to Teach Writing Even When Not All Students Will Be Writers

• Minnetonka Top 100+ Ideas for 1:1 Integration in 5th grade, English, Math, Science, Social Studies, and World Language

More Minnetonka Schools Media Center Remodels

Scenic Heights Media Center Photo by Melinda Barry

One of the latest media centers in Minnetonka Public Schools to get redone is Scenic Heights Elementary School. The space was first created over two decades ago was in need of updating. So beginning about two years ago, Media Specialist Melinda Barry met with staff, students, parents, district administrators and architects to plan for a makeover. Melinda used the Human Centered Design Process with each of these groups to problem solve the needs and dream about the possibilities. She wrote a grant for funding from four sources (the Minnetonka Foundation, District Innovation funds, Building Capital funds, and the school PTA).

Scenic Heights Media Center photo by Melinda Barry

In the grant proposal, Melinda and the team wanted the space to be flexible with furniture that could easily be moved. They envisioned a variety of spaces within the Media Center for quiet work, reading, collaboration, and large group instruction and meetings. The old checkout desk was large and took up a considerable amount of floor space. Old workstations for desktop computers also used up a large amount of square footage. They wanted furniture that was comfortable and a variety of styles, heights, and types.

After two summers of work, the current media center space at Scenic Heights is looking great! As you can see from the photos, new furniture makes the space very colorful and inviting. A variety of furniture styles, from low cushions and stools to high top tables and chairs create a wide range of spaces and areas for students to work. A relocated, smaller checkout desk allowed for more square footage to be reclaimed. A large group teaching area was created that can flex depending upon the size of the group.

Excelsior Elementary Media Center

At Excelsior Elementary, another media center was remodeled over the past few months. All the carpet was taken out and walls cleared and repainted. A large HDTV was put up for teaching and large group meetings. Windows were replaced that matched the historic architectural style of the original school. Similar to Scenic Heights, the large checkout desk that took up a considerable amount of floor space was removed, relocated, and replaced with a smaller desk. Old workstations for desktop computers were also removed. Media Specialist Erin Carcamo and the staff and students at Excelsior Elementary have enjoyed using their newly remodeled space.

Clear Springs Elementary Media Center

The Media Center at Clear Springs Elementary also received some upgrades over the summer. Most noticeable is the new carpeting and paint. Many of the large desktop computer workstations were removed, freeing up floor space. Media Specialist Tiffany Miley created a number of smaller spaces for students within the media center to read, work, and meet in small groups. Some new portable whiteboards on wheels that can stand alone or be joined together in an accordion-like wall were purchased by The Minnetonka Foundation. These function as a divider of space in the media center as well as can be used in individual classrooms. The Foundation is planning to convert one side of these whiteboards into a Lego wall as part of the Minnetonka maker space initiative called The Hub.

Minnetonka Middle School East Media Center
photo by Andrea Hoffmann

At Minnetonka Middle School East, the media center has received a number of upgrades over the past two summers, similar to the remodeled Minnetonka Middle School West media center. This past summer the old six-foot high bookshelves were removed and replaced with four-foot high bookcases on casters, making the media center space feel more open as well as allowing for flexibility in arrangement. Media Specialist Jane Zins and the students and staff of MME are making great use of the space.

For more information, check out the Minnetonka Design for Learning Page as well as the blog of the Design for Learning Project Leader, Nicole Snedden.

Minnetonka Middle School East Media Center
photo by Andrea Hoffmann

Related Posts:

• Design for Learning: MMW Media Center Update
• Media Center Redesign at Minnetonka Middle School West
• Sneak Peek at Two Minnetonka Public School Media Center Summer Remodeling Projects
• Minnetonka Schools: Innovation is Now Our Strategic Plan
• The Hub: Minnetonka Makerspaces Launch

Design for Learning: MMW Media Center Update

Six months ago I wrote about the work underway on the remodeled Media Center at Minnetonka Middle School West. I posted some pictures during the summer and gave the background of the process. The project was done in two phases over the past two years. The final work was completed this fall and the students and teachers have enthusiastically made use of the space ever since. 

The video provides a great overview of the new space and includes interviews with students, teachers, and principal Dr. Paula Hoff. Design for Learning is an initiative process in Minnetonka that students and staff work through to reimagine learning spaces with flexible furniture, collaborative meeting areas, and technology presentation spaces. The mission statement of the Design for Learning Advisory Board is "To empower Minnetonka students, staff, and the community  to transform teaching and learning through the design of the learning environment." Every year the Advisory Board awards funding to innovative design projects at each school.  Funding for the MMW Media Center redesign was provided by the PTO and the District. Three other Minnetonka media centers have been remodeled through a similar process in past years. 

Each morning the Media Center is open an hour before school begins and students can get dropped off by their parents to work in the space. As the video shows, the space is also utilized for staff meetings before, during, and after school as well. Throughout the day students can come to work in the Media Center individually, in small groups, or teachers can bring their entire class to use the space. It's been amazing to see how the same space can be reused and feel entirely different after a redesign!

Related Posts:

• Media Center Redesign at Minnetonka Middle School West
• Sneak Peek at Two Minnetonka Public School Media Center Summer Remodeling Projects