This space was created by the Museum Education Roundtable to expand upon the most recent Journal of Museum Education (JME) issue, reflect on member events, and address timely issues that we face in the field of museum work. Read about how to write for our blog here.
Knowledge in Action ™
Making a (Museum Book) List, Checking It Twice
‘Tis the season for holiday shopping lists! And who doesn’t love to curl up in front of the fireplace with a good read around the holidays? Keeping these two things in mind, the Board of Directors at the Museum Education Roundtable have some recommendations for the museum-centric bookworms in your life. Perhaps one or two of the books on this … Read More
On Relevance
There it is again. That phrase. A small group of local teachers and media specialists are gathered at the Beckley Furnace industrial monument in Northwest CT, where we are discussing ways to engage area students in learning at the heritage site. As the conversation progresses one teacher offers: “We need to find a way to make this history relevant to … Read More
Future Forward: Towards a Racially Inclusive Museum
This year’s annual MER Forum held in Washington, DC at the Phillips Collection, was an interactive workshop led by new MER Board member and consulting curator and inclusion specialist, Porchia Moore. Future Forward: Towards a Racially Inclusive Museum was designed as a primer on race and museums, and forms the basis of her doctoral work at the University of South … Read More
Own Your Expertise…But Know Where it Comes From
When I worked as a museum educator, I defined myself as a facilitator who built bridges linking visitors with objects and ideas. As a facilitator, I translated the content expertise of curators and scholars into language and concepts appropriate to various audiences. My products were tour outlines, programs, labels, curricula, and exhibitions. Facilitation takes skill, but I never defined that … Read More
To Start Life Anew Again
My husband was diagnosed with cancer a few short months ago. Cancer. Even today, the word carries with it that horrible feeling of dread, the acknowledgement that, as humans, we are not invincible, the acceptance that our time here on this planet is precious, and the recognition that we all want to find meaning in our lives, however we each … Read More
Reflections from AAM 2016: Power, Influence, and Responsibility
Last year, attendees of the American Alliance of Museums’ Annual Meeting in Atlanta were pondering the theme of The Social Value of Museums the same weekend as the Baltimore Uprising, a series of city-wide protests in response to the police brutality that led to the death of Freddie Gray. During last year’s meeting I heard many of my fellow attendees … Read More
Mingle with MER at AAM
The American Alliance of Museums 2016 conference is almost here! This year thousands of museum professionals will head to Washington, DC over Memorial Day weekend to attend informative sessions and spend time with colleagues. We on the MER board hope that you can join us for some (or all!) of the exciting events we have planned. On Thursday May 26th, … Read More
On Being Heard
“The Broad’s No. 1 objective from the beginning was to connect a wide audience with contemporary art. To do that effectively, we had to think about how you can be truly welcoming and engaging in new ways.” Joanne Heyler, Director, The Broad. “A New Kind of Museum Guard: Know-It-Alls in the Best Way,” New York Times (paywall), March 15, 2016 … Read More