In 2010 I published a book that outlines one way of teaching with works of art – a thematic, inquiry-based approach. Although my ostensible audience for this book was teachers, this book was developed from practice in the museum field, and is used by museum practitioners. Since then, although I still use this approach, IContinue reading “What is Dialogic Questioning? Interview with Sarah Pharaon”
Category Archives: Museum Education
What are effective practices in creating a Teacher Advisory Committee?
Image: Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston’s Teacher Advisory Group, 2022-23 A few weeks ago (in July 2023), a member of the museum-ed discussion list asked the group for recommendations of effective practices in Teacher Advisory Committees. This question provoked numerous responses from educators who also wanted to learn more, and a few responses from museums whoContinue reading “What are effective practices in creating a Teacher Advisory Committee?”
How do we plan and improve museum programs?
My last post, on the role of education research in planning museum programs, sparked debate in person and on LinkedIn about whether museums emphasize content knowledge or an understanding of pedagogy when hiring, training, and supporting museum education staff. For better or worse, it’s essential that museum educators know both. They need to understand the content they areContinue reading “How do we plan and improve museum programs?”
What do museum educators need to know about learning and impact in museums?
Recently, I have been thinking about the role of research in museum education work thanks to the podcast Sold a Story. This podcast shares the rise and fall of Reading Recovery, a popular reading program in elementary schools. Reading Recovery took schools by storm in the 1980s, but it is based on ideas that haveContinue reading “What do museum educators need to know about learning and impact in museums?”
What do museum educators need to know?
Over the past few months, numerous experiences have been driving me toward the question: What do museum educators need to know? First, in February I attended a MuseumExpert webinar during which Martin Storksdiek discussed an attempt by ASTC and NSF to identify “the skills, knowledge, values, and other capabilities that enable [an informal science educator]Continue reading “What do museum educators need to know?”
TOP FIVE IDEAS for leveraging digital platforms and thinking
This post is the first in a series of interviews with individuals who have ideas for how museum professionals might leverage this moment to think or work in new ways, or how we might do our work more efficiently and effectively. This post is from Nik Honeysett, CEO of BPOC, a San Diego-based, non-profit consultancyContinue reading “TOP FIVE IDEAS for leveraging digital platforms and thinking”
What do children learn by making? An interview with Edward Clapp
Edward Clapp is an author of Maker-Centered Learning: Empowering Young People to Shape Their Worlds. This book, and the research behind it, are an initiative of the Agency by Design project at the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Project Zero. One of the challenges in talking about “making” is how big our definition can grow.Continue reading “What do children learn by making? An interview with Edward Clapp”
What does it take to create a great education program?
As we plan for 2018 at the Peoria PlayHouse Children’s Museum, we have decided to reduce the number of programs we offer, holding workshops and home-school programs monthly instead of semi-monthly, and cultural festivals bi-monthly instead of monthly. The goal is to leave more time to ensure excellence of programs, and to build strong systemsContinue reading “What does it take to create a great education program?”
School Tours: What is the impact of offering a menu of tour topics?
This week’s guest post is by David Bowles, Gallery Educator at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles. In his role at the Getty, David conducts scholarly research in preparation for leading gallery conversations, lectures, tours, courses, and other programs, as well as supervising docent teaching in the galleries. Prior to this he led K-12 SchoolContinue reading “School Tours: What is the impact of offering a menu of tour topics?”
Can we expose an artist’s process through gallery activities?
This week’s post is by Gabriella Kula and Luned Palmer. Gabriella teaches school, family, adult and access groups at The Noguchi Museum, The Jewish Museum, and the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. Gabriella is also the director of Havurah, the JCC Manhattan’s experiential Jewish education program for young children. Luned freelances as a museum educator, facilitating all types of programsContinue reading “Can we expose an artist’s process through gallery activities?”
Museum Questions 