To target knowledgeable, talkative docents as an audience is an educational challenge. How do you teach the teacher? It you have given a tour for a group of educators, you know that they can be a tough audience. After attending the National Docent Symposium, the docents in North Carolina decided …
At one point in the movie “Life is Beautiful,” I began to believe I could speak Italian. I became unaware that I was reading subtitles. In fact, the action on the screen was so visually expressive, my dependence on the spoken and written text was negligible. This experience is often …
In the early 1990’s, field trip funds for the District of Columbia Public Schools decreased dramatically. That meant that students in the District of Columbia Public Schools were missing out on the bountiful resources available to enhance their education. In response, the department of teacher and school programs of the …
“The great man is he who does not lose his child’s heart.” (Mencius 327- 289 B.C.) When children tour your museum, how do you speak to their hearts and minds? Do you ask questions? Provide activities? Promote exploration? Invite discussion? Do you use the same touring strategies when teaching adults? …
During the past year, we adapted our Decent Council bylaws to relate to current practices, initiated new docent categories including Docent Emeritus (as we recently celebrated the Museum’s tenth anniversary), and for the first time asked docents to sign an annual agreement. AU of these changes were made following consultations …
The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation house museums have developed school programming designed to spark young children’s interest in history. At Hay House, for instance, youngsters learn about the basic house structure from familiar fairy tales and games. Older children are involved in an elaborate program that illustrates family life …
Docents and museum educators constantly strive to meet the specific needs of the many groups we tour. This is especially true when designing tours to reinforce particular areas of school curriculum. A well-planned museum visit can be a valuable extension of the classroom experience and can offer enrichment opportunities that …
How can you expect to hit a target if you don’t aim? The simple answer is that you can’t. The same is true when developing and implementing educational programs. You must do more than assume you know a targeted audience. “Targeting by assumption” is no different than guessing. And, while …