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Category Archives: Museum Education
Sandbox Heretic
Last week I reflected on “rule breaking” in early childhood. To prove I’m not all talk I wanted to share this story… “Keep the sand in the sandbox!” An adult voice called out. It was the rule, it had been … Continue reading
Posted in Early Childhood Education, Museum Education
Tagged creativity, everyday, preschool, rules, sand, teamwork, tough topics
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“Hands On” Art
The first child picked up the brush and dunked it in the paint. As the paint dripped off onto her hand she ran the brush back and forth spreading a thick coat all over her hand and arm. She was … Continue reading
Posted in Early Childhood Education, Museum Education
Tagged art, engaging, everyday, hands on, paint, planning, preschool, teachable moments
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Setting Expectations
“Setting expectations” is part of classroom management 101. What they mean is, getting the kids comfortable with the routines and with how they are supposed to behave at various points in the day. What I think is often left … Continue reading
Imposter Syndrome
It was my first article for a peer reviewed journal. I’d worked for months and it was down to the final round of edits. I opened the attachment from the editor and worked my way through the suggestions. Word change … Continue reading
Informal Education Makes an Impact
It is early, and I’m pushing the double stroller through the rain. The baby is babbling in her seat and my son is keeping up a stream of chatter, mostly for his own benefit. I can’t catch all the words, … Continue reading
More Then “Please Touch”
With an ocean-obsessed preschooler, we have been visiting a lot of aquariums. At our most recent stop, my husband turned to me and said “This one is really different! There are so many things you can touch.” He was right, … Continue reading
Pay vs. Passion vs. Professionalism
If you look back through my posts on this blog, you’ll see that it ricochets between discussions of museums and informal education and early childhood education and more formal classrooms. That is because my own research and practice ping-pongs in … Continue reading
Museums and Schools: Common Ground
I led a workshop last weekend called “Everyday Museums: Re-imagining Classroom and Community Spaces.” It is a fancy title, but basically what I try to do is get early childhood educators to think of their classrooms as museums. This isn’t … Continue reading
Who Is On Your Exhibit Team?
I recently asked a group of Museum Studies grad students a deceptively tricky question. “What is your #1 priority for an exhibit?” Not a whole museum, just a single exhibit. It could be big (connected ideas) or specific (enough benches)but … Continue reading
Posted in Museum Education
Tagged collaboration, exhibit design, graduate studies, planning, teachable moments, workshops
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5 Minute Object Lessons
“Object based learning” sounds like such a buzzword. Maybe it brings to mind a really complicated lesson with a lot of moving parts, or a super unique object that the child has never seen before. Sure, you could do it … Continue reading