ThinkeringSpace is a system, made of both physical and virtual environments, that aims to promote creative and critical thinking skills for the 21st century. Celebrating the book, it presents opportunities for doing things together, sharing ideas and authoring in new ways. Focused on school-aged children in libraries, the project is part of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Digital Media and Learning Initiative.						What's New: as of 6/18/09 An article about the project is published in Visible Language, Volume 43.1. (Click here.) Project objectives are to: Envision a third place in libraries that engages kids in hands-on, heads-on, physical/virtual interplay and collaboration. Describe a modular and adaptive structural system that is independent of building architecture and supports various exploratory activities Frame an open source interface management system that is compatible with off-the-shelf technologies and allows developers to create new applications. Enable content to be derived from existing library programs, initiated by national organizations, developed by individual librarians or created by kids themselves.
Phases of Development, Last updated on September 24, 2009
Click for more 1 Framing the Project Project introduction and approach Fall 2006 - Spring 2007 ThinkeringSpaces are conceived as interactive, physical and virtual environments, situated in libraries, that encourage school age children to learn through self-directed discovery and social interaction. Principles and preliminary design criteria are highlighted.		Click for more 2 Understanding Libraries Study observations and insights Summer 2007 As community based institutions, libraries provide a variety of programs and services ranging from lending books to providing web access. As primary sites for situating ThinkeringSpace prototypes, understanding the needs and daily lives of librarians and staff as well as patrons is essential.		Click for more 3 Learning by Prototyping Development and installation Fall 2007 - Spring 2009 ThinkeringSpace affordances are based on principles of discovery and social interaction. Environments apply system principles of modularity and flexibility. Prototypes are built around an existing post-and-beam product system.		Click for more 4 Guiding Implementation Documentation and recommendations Spring & Summer 2009 Based on observations and insights, an implementation strategy is developed that includes an overall system description as a guide for further exploration and development.
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