Something that really stuck out to me in this module was the article on Embracing Messy Learning. Learning is rarely neat or linear and messy learning is part of the process. The library as a classroom is a place where questions rarely have one right answer.
The classroom and by extension the library is a place to safely grapple with ideas. It is a container for struggle and creation–a living ecosystem of trial, error, and discovery. “If I don’t allow learning to be messy, I eliminate authentic experiences for students as thinkers and creators” (Block). In learning, messiness is not a flaw. The library as a classroom invites us to be curious, to ask more questions, and invite a fluid learning environment.
The library as a both a source of information and a hub of the creation of knowledge is a crucial aspect of the library as a classroom. “One of these intrinsic values is that of library as the ‘people’s university’ – an open education resource or commons – or center for lifelong learning” (Stephens). The library is a site of learning and holds space for learning to be the messy process that it is. The role of librarians continues to evolve and shift alongside the evolution of the library as a classroom.
I totally agree! The best learning happens when embrace the messy and give students space to learn what they are interested in, in the method that works best for them.
As Ms. Frizzle of the Magic School Bus says “Take Chances, Make Mistakes, and Get MESSY!!!”
I love that reference to Magic School Bus, I couldn’t have said it better myself!