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March 15, 2001
Return to Museum-School Connections in the Digital Age
Maximizing Your Museum Visit
Whether you're heading out or logging on, visiting museums is a great way to make curriculum connections come to life. These tips from leading museum educators will help you get the most from your visit, real or virtual.
- Go on your own first. Investigating the resources of the institution you want to visit without your students will save you time and hassle when the real trip comes. If you're physically going to the site, meet with docents ahead of time to discuss your curriculum and how the visit fits with your learning goals. This allows the museum time to shape the visit to your needs, and highlight elements of the collection that might be missed otherwise.
- If you're making a virtual visit, it's still a good idea to log on first and get oriented. Which parts of the website are most germane to your topic? Will it take a long time to load due to graphics? Are there overly-distracting areas that should be avoided?
- Decide where in the learning sequence the visit will be most effective. If you're introducing a complex concept to students, and your local museum happens to have a vivid illustration of it, visiting early on in the unit can build readiness and enthusiasm for learning the new topic. Or perhaps the museum's objects require a foundation of knowledge. In such instances, visiting mid-unit or toward the end may reinforce learning and offer new avenues into a topic.
- Take advantage of off times. Local resources have their peak times when everyone wants to visit. April and May, for instance, finds the Baltimore Aquarium booked solid with 3,000 kids passing through on a typical Friday. You can have a more intimate experience, and get more time with staff members, if you're willing to visit when it's less crowded.
- Prepare your students ahead of time. Set clear expectations about behavior and learning goals, but allow for flexibility. Kids will be excited about being in a new environment, and their high spirits will need appropriate channels. While many teachers seek to focus this with worksheets, museum educators recommend combining time for wandering and reflection with time to come together and discuss, so that there is a balance of freedom and control. Another great way to do this is to have kids participate in planning the visit. -JS
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