In past Museum Studies classes, we have briefly talked about
the concept of museum schools. The research process for my thesis has brought
me to a much deeper understanding about the history of the museum school model,
as well as the finer details of the learning experiences this model provides.
I had always just assumed that museum schools have higher
rates of student engagement, because of the use of objects and interactive
methods in their lesson plans. However, I learned that “engagement” is a
difficult value to measure. But my research has introduced me to the idea of
metacognition and multiliteracies, which are reoccurring themes in the field of
museum schools. When students create their own exhibitions at the end of a unit
to show what they’ve learned, they are thinking about how best to present the
information to visitors, so they can learn too. Metacognition, or “thinking
about thinking,” is a higher-order thinking skill that has been successfully
integrated into several museum school curriculums.
Although I’ve also done research about the New York State
public schools and the Common Core standards, I still need to learn where
museum school strategies could potentially fit into that system. I think once I
talk with public school teachers during my observations and interviews, I’ll
have a better idea of the limitations and opportunities within the Common Core
curriculum.
This sounds like really fascinating research and you're right-- it does dovetail very nicely into topics covered in several of the MUSE courses. I'm just wondering why engagement is difficult to measure-- is it due to the subjective nature of the concept, or because there are different levels of engagment (physical, emotional, cognitive, etc.), some of which we cannot readily measure?
ReplyDeleteI think delving into the Common Core curriculum as it relates to museum schools is really interesting, I do not know anything about museum schools so I don't know if they are supposed to be compliant with those standards. I would love to see some examples of some of the exhibits that students put up!
ReplyDeleteElizabeth, I am really excited about your topic because at their core, museums are educational institutions! Consider looking at the Next Generation Standards, in addition to Common Core, in areas of ELA and Social Studies. Looking forward to an update!
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