Connecting with the K-12 Teaching and
Learning Community

June 15-21, 2002

Instructors

Scott Sayre, Minneapolis Institute of the Arts, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Kris Wetterlund, Educational Consultant, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Overview

This workshop will help museum educators define their institution’s current connections to K-12 teachers and students, and use those connections to develop a strategy for on-line museum resources that serve the needs of their own institutions and the K-12 teaching audience. Through individual and group process participants will work with a number of activities and case studies from The Minneapolis Institute of Arts. At the conclusion of the workshop participants will have developed a draft of formal education plans for on-line tools and resources which can be applied in their own museums.

Overall Learning Objective

Participants will study and evaluate a variety of strategies for using and/or creating online tools and resources to strengthen their relationships with the K-12 education community.

Audience

Museum education professionals with an interest in creating and sustaining online tools and resources for K-12 teachers and students.

Full Outline

Session One - Analyzing Your K-12 Audience
Introduction and workshop overview
Program and K-12 audience analysis of each participant's museum.
Learning Objective: Participants will analyze their museum's existing programs and resources for the K-12 audience.

Session Two - Case study: Teacher Materials
Case study: Teacher materials online, from objects in the collection to curriculum resources and everything in between.
Learning Objective: Participants will use a case study to develop strategies for repurposing existing materials and creating new online resources for teachers and students.

Session Three - Case Study: Teacher Training
Case Study: Teacher training to developing audiences for online resources.
Learning Objective: Participants will assess a variety of opportunities for developing audiences through teacher training.

Session Four - Work Session and Group Critique
Learning Objective: Participants will begin to draft a plan for online K-12 teacher and student materials and training, and receive feedback from their colleagues.

Session Five - Supporting Materials
Supporting materials such as listsevs and user's guides to sustain relationships with teachers.
Learning Objective: Participants will evaluate a variety of methods for sustaining relationships with their K-12 teaching and learning community.

Session Six - Work Session and Group Critique
Learning Objective: Participants will continue to draft a plan for online K-12 teacher and student materials and training, and receive feedback from their colleagues.

Session Seven - Teacher Advisory Boards
Learning Objective: Participants will examine the use of teacher advisory boards and plan for the use of teacher advisors in their own museums.

Session Eight - Work Session and Group Critique
Learning Objective: Participants will create a final draft of a plan for online K-12 teacher and materials and training, and receive feedback from their colleagues.