Facilities Floor Plan 1

Project 6 C: Facilities Floor Plan

MEDT 6461: Administration of School Media

University of West Georgia

Kimberly Ward

July 12, 2018

Facilities Floor Plan 2

I went and visited Mirror Lake Elementary school in Villa Rica, GA. Mirror Lake is

home to approximately 468 students Pre-K through 5th grade. Douglas County schools

have a media specialist to run the library and a media clerk for support. The media

center is located at the front of the building next to the office which is a central location

to the lower and upper grades. The school opened in 2002 and the library has not been

renovated in its sixteen years. The library is used mostly for book checkout and each

week pre-K to 2nd grade classes come for a story read aloud or lesson. However, the

upper grade teachers never bring their classes due to the lack of space. These students

individually come to checkout new books. After speaking with the current media

specialist, she disclosed several changes she would like to help teachers and students

meet the needs of the state curriculum standards, and to encourage them to see the

library as a valuable resource rather than just a place to check out books. She would

like to make the space more user friendly with movable bookshelves and furniture to

accommodate a more effective learning environment. Have a carpeted area for classes

to come and enjoy read aloud or lessons while still being able to use the Promethean

Board. Provide student independent reading and work areas. Change the fiction chapter

book section from being alphabetized by authors’ last name to being grouped by genre.

Also, she would like to make the library a place where students can engage,

collaborate, and create through the use of various materials and technology by creating

21st century learning spaces. This includes an area for media equipment for students to

use on projects and to start a student led morning news broadcast. Below are my

proposed changes to help her meet these needs.

 Fiction Chapter Reference Books Computers
Promethean

Computers

Fiction Chapter
Nonfiction Books Nonfiction Books
Facilities Floor Plan

Circulation Desk
Current Floor Plan

Media Center Office

Area
Read

Fiction Chapter
Nonfiction Books Nonfiction Books

Everyone Fiction Everyone Fiction Aloud/Lesson

Entrance

Everyone Fiction Everyone Fiction

Fiction Chapter
Teacher Book Room

Fiction Chapter Fiction Chapter Fiction Chapter

3

Storage Room
 Facilities Floor Plan 4

New Floor Plan

Media Center Office Entrance

Teacher
Book/Storage Room

Circulation Desk

Makerspace

Media Production
Room
Seasonal Display
Makerspace
Video Equip
& Green
Screen
Everyone Fiction
Everyone Fiction

Everyone Fiction

Computers
Work/Collaboration
Area
Computers

Nonfiction Books
Everyone Fiction
Fiction Chapter
Nonfiction Books
Fiction Chapter

Nonfiction Books
Reference Books
Fiction Chapter

Nonfiction Books
Reading Area
Independent

Fiction Chapter Fiction Chapter Nonfiction Books

Facilities Floor Plan 5

Goal #1 – Create Learning Areas

In the current floor plan, the first thing you notice are all the bookshelves lined up in

rows and along the walls. The media specialist said she has it this way to keep all areas

in the library visible. The books are still grouped by fiction and nonfiction, but they run

together. Without the provided labels, it would be hard to tell where one section stopped

and another section started.

In the revised floorplan, the bookshelves are used to break up the media center into

separate areas conducive for student collaboration and independent reading without

disturbing others while still leaving the media center open and visible.

Goal #2 – Independent Reading & Study Areas

With the current floorplan, there is only one area with tables and chairs that are used for

class lessons and story read alouds. When this area is in use, it leaves individual

students and other classes nowhere to go for independent reading, to work on

standards based projects, or conduct research.

The revised floorplan is broken into different sections providing multiple areas that

accommodate different types of student learning. The fiction chapter book and

nonfiction areas both have flexible seating. There are beanbags that can be moved near

the windows to take advantage of the natural light for independent reading. The tables

and chairs are convenient to students who are collaborating and conducting research

for standards based projects with either books or laptops.

Facilities Floor Plan 6

Goal #3 – Class Read Aloud/Teaching Area

The current floor plan does already have an area for whole class read alouds and

lessons with the use of a Promethean board. However, with the placement of the

vertically aligned bookshelves, computer tables, and library tables, everything is

cramped at the front of the library. Everyone has to sit at a table since there is not

enough space for a carpeted sitting area. Although technically there is enough room for

a whole class lesson, this leaves individual students visiting the library

unaccommodated to read independently or to work on classwork without being

disturbed.

In the revised floorplan, the computer tables, bookshelves, and library tables have been

moved to new areas of the library. This provides a large enough space for whole class

read alouds/teaching area on the rug with access to the Promethean board. This leaves

room for another class to come to the library with their teacher and use the grouped

library tables or other parts of the library if needed along with individual students looking

to conduct research, read independently, or work on a STEM project. The class read

aloud/teaching area is located near the everybody fiction section. This allows for easy

checkout for students in Pre-K through 2nd grade during or after a story or lesson. Once

the students have checked out their book, they can sit on the carpet or beanbags and

read. Having this area near the front of the library makes it easier for the media

specialist to keep an eye on younger students will still conducting whole group lessons.
Facilities Floor Plan 7

Goal #4 – Maker Space & Digital Media Area

In the current floor plan of the media center there is not a makerspace area or a place

for students to go to work on electronic projects except for the computer tables located

in the front of the room. They are hard to get to when whole class teaching is happening

and intimidated students won’t bother. However, this is a change the media specialist

wants to make this school year along with starting a morning news media team.

On the revised floor plan, I made an area dedicated to 21st century learning. There is a

makerspace area that has tables for projects. Two bookshelves, one for makerspace

items, such as, craft supplies, Ozobots, Legos, snap circuits, etc. and the other shelf for

books pertaining to STEM. The computer tables were relocated to this area not only for

coding purposes and electronic projects, but also for easy access to all students

needing to conduct research or look up books in the electronic catalog. The room to the

right used to be a storage room that is now turned into the media production room. It’s

equipped with the necessary equipment used for the morning news broadcast, school

video camera, and green screen. There are also tables and chairs provided for students

who are using laptops and the green screen to work on moviemaker projects.

Goal #5 – Organizing Fiction Chapter Books by Genre

Currently the way books are organized on the fiction chapter book shelves are by

author’s last name. This makes it hard for students to find the types of books they are

interested in reading without looking them up on the computer first. This is time

consuming and a lot of students will not take the time to do it.
Facilities Floor Plan 8

With the revised floor plan, the fiction chapter books are grouped by genre. The genres

are realistic fiction, historical fiction, science fiction, fantasy, mystery, humor, adventure,

animal, sports, and graphic novels. Each shelf and book is clearly labeled for easy

reference. Having books grouped by genre will make finding a book less frustrating and

encourage more independent reading.

Facilities Floor Plan 9

References

Woolls, B., & Coatney, S. (2018). The School Library Manager (6 ed.). Santa Barbara, CA:
th

Libraries Unlimited.