A month ago, a donor offered to buy the Peoria PlayHouse Children’s Museum life-sized replicas of three dinosaur heads: Tyrannosaurus Rex, Allosaurus, and Velociraptor. This offer coincided with a decision to re-envision the display on our Sand Porch. The Sand Porch features a sand table with kinetic sand, which children love and play with for hours.Continue reading “Should we accept this gift?”
Category Archives: Museum Administration
When do we edit participation?
Last week, in honor of Bastille Day, we opened the PlayHouse Art Room to the public with a flag-making activity. We saw a range of flags created by kids and parents. As I share them, imagine some music playing, something vaguely patriotic but from an imaginary or unknown country. There were French-inspired flags: There were PlayHouseContinue reading “When do we edit participation?”
When does the risk of misunderstanding outweigh the value of an activity or program?
Franke L. Smith is an Education Coordinator at Hickory Hill, a Watson-Brown Foundation historic home, near Augusta, Georgia. At the American Alliance of Museums conference in May, Franke and I began a conversation about a program she offers, and whether and why it may be controversial. This program, “Cotton Pickin’ Field Trip,” teaches students about the history ofContinue reading “When does the risk of misunderstanding outweigh the value of an activity or program?”
Should museum professionals get into museums for free?
One of the great perks of working in the museum field is free entry into other museums. I recently went to Indianapolis, and visited three museums in two days. The cost of visiting these three museums, for just one person, was $51.50. But, being an “insider” in the museum world, I called a colleague before going to one museum, andContinue reading “Should museum professionals get into museums for free?”
How can museums foster empathy?
The other day my 11-year-old son told me, “Poor people are poor because they don’t try hard enough.” I hope that he said this just to provoke me into debate (like mother like son). But the truth is, I think that empathy is something that he – like many people – struggles with. Intellectual smarts,Continue reading “How can museums foster empathy?”
What is an ethical museum?
In early December, I wrote a post considering whether and how museums should respond to the grand jury verdicts in Ferguson, Missouri and Staten Island, New York. My response was, and remains, that before they can respond to moments of political crisis, museums must create intentionally ethical and self-critical ways of operating. A few weeks afterContinue reading “What is an ethical museum?”
Why are children’s museums museums?
In graduate school in the Museum Education Program at George Washington University (admittedly more years ago than I should admit to), the first semester was dedicated primarily to the idea of object-based learning. How does one teach with objects? How do you select objects for a tour investigating a larger theme? This course of study made sense,Continue reading “Why are children’s museums museums?”
Joint Statement from Museum Bloggers and Colleagues on Ferguson and related events
A few weeks ago, Gretchen Jennings reached out to a number of bloggers to discuss what we could do to address events in Ferguson, Cleveland, and Staten Island. These bloggers, including myself, decided to collaboratively draft a joint statement. Writing a collaborative statement with people you do not know is challenging. In the end, this document includesContinue reading “Joint Statement from Museum Bloggers and Colleagues on Ferguson and related events”
Should museums respond to the grand jury verdicts in Ferguson and New York City?
I am taking a break today from my ongoing exploration of field trips to explore a currently pressing issue. I will return to the subject of schools and museums on Thursday. Over the past ten days, I have been part of discussions – largely taking place on social media, which is worth contemplating in a separateContinue reading “Should museums respond to the grand jury verdicts in Ferguson and New York City?”
Museum Educators’ Unrealized Potential
This post, by Gretchen Jennings, is reblogged from Museum Commons. Thanks to Gretchen for allowing me to share this. The museum blogosphere in the past few weeks has been filled with postings related to the work of museum educators and the role of museums as educational institutions. Rebecca Herz has posted a number of articles andContinue reading “Museum Educators’ Unrealized Potential”
Museum Questions 