Field trips and resource visitors available to the Natick, Massachusetts elementary schools

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit

Coming Up Taller

Coming Up Taller is a report filled with hope, a narrative about youth learning to paint, sing, write plays and poems, take photographs, make videos and play drums or violins. Here are stories of children who learn to dance, mount exhibitions, explore the history of their neighborhoods and write and print their own books. This report documents arts and humanities programs in communities across America that offer opportunities for children and youth to learn new skills, expand their horizons and develop a sense of self, well-being and belonging. Coming Up Taller is also an account of the men and women who share their skills as they help to shape the talents of children and youth and tap their hidden potentials. These dedicated individuals, often working long hours for little pay, are educators, social workers, playwrights, actors, poets, videographers, museum curators, dancers, musicians, muralists, scholars and librarians. The President's Committee believes strongly in the importance of including the arts and the disciplines of the humanities in the school curriculum. This study looks at what happens to young people when they are not in school and when they need adult supervision, safe places to go and activities that expand their skills and offer them hope. The individual programs described in this study take place in many locations, some unusual, in their communities. Children, artists and scholars come together at cultural centers, museums, libraries, performing arts centers and arts schools, to be sure. Arts and humanities programs also are based at public radio and television stations, parks and recreation centers, churches, public housing complexes, teen centers, settlement houses and Boys and Girls Clubs. In places unnoticed by mainstream media, acts of commitment and achievement are evident every da

PRIMARY AND PRESCHOOL TEACHER CANDIDATES' VIEWS ON MUSEUM EDUCATION

This study delves into the pivotal role of museums in shaping pedagogical strategies and advancing holistic learning experiences. Drawing upon primary and preschool education teacher candidates' perceptions, the research underscores a notable transformation in their views post-museum education exposure. Data indicates a marked elevation in cognitive capacities, aligning with previous literature, highlighting museums as dynamic spaces fostering inquiry-based cognition. Furthermore, post-exposure responses reveal an enriched understanding of diverse teaching methodologies, emphasizing museums as intersections of formal and informal education.  An intriguing correlation emerged between familiarity with museums and deepened cognitive engagement, suggesting the merit of integrating regular museum visits within academic curricula. The findings reaffirm the evolving perception of museums, transcending traditional historical repositories to vibrant arenas of active learning. This study illuminates the potential of museums as instrumental tools in reshaping contemporary educational paradigms, albeit with the need for sustained educator training and collaboration between institutions

Froebel Box : A Tool for Participatory and Creative Learning

Historically, Finnish early childhood education has been largely based on Friedrich Froebel's pedagogy. However, Froebelian pedagogy is no longer as well known in Finland as it once was. We at the Kindergarten Museum in Helsinki wanted to increase awareness of the Froebelian tradition. Together with artist Alexander Reichstein, we came up with the idea of enriching children’s play by making use of the idea of Froebel gifts. To this end, we invented a set of equipment called the Froebel box. The aim of our research project is to discover how children learn and interact through Froebel box activities. We use educational design research, which refers to a process in which we develop our pedagogical tool together with the teachers and children from our collaboration Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) centers. The data was collected from three Finnish ECEC centers and analyzed with qualitative content analysis of teacher’s interviews. According to our findings, Froebelian applications increase participative play and children’s interaction and learning in a holistic way. By playing with giant-sized blocks, children develop their social and motor skills and their mathematical and spatial understanding. Giant blocks are a way that children can express themselves with their bodies. Based on the interviews conducted, in the future we will concentrate on developing the participation of adults in the children’s play with the blocks, and on enriching the potential of the Froebel box as a pedagogical tool.  There are lots of possibilities for how the Froebel box could be developed as a tool for spatial reasoning that would take into account bodily interaction, the role of teachers in supporting play, and different ways of using spatial concepts for play

Storytelling in Art Museums

Storytelling, in the context of art museums, is a method of communicating the qualities and attributes of art through a story. It helps the visitor bring the work of art to life and understand something the eye cannot see, a compelling narrative. It is important for visitors to discuss art and share stories on tours and through virtual media. We learn and form our own meanings from stories. These interactions will help build more relationships within communities. It is the museum’s job to take visitors on a journey and introduce them to new objects and perspectives. This thesis addresses what storytelling is and how it is being used in museums today. It studies the essential components that lead to successful storytelling campaigns, including online initiatives. This thesis also describes how museums illustrate their mission through storytelling by showing how they bring communities together. This thesis examines the leading institutions in storytelling today: the Delaware Art Museum, Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History, the Asian Art Museum, and the Monmouth Museum. These institutions are highlighted to show the current developments of storytelling

Museum Pedagogy and Early Years Children: A Critique of Research, Policy and Practice

Museum Pedagogy and Early Years Children offers a critique of research, policy and practice on children’s status in museums, galleries and heritage sites. It is a critical synthesis of research and practice in the field of museum pedagogy for children that draws upon educational programmes and policy in the UK. It provides an overview of the development of museum education in the UK and the policy context within which museum pedagogy meets early childhood. The review of international research conducted over the past three decades identifies four main research strands of research that perceive children as ‘human becomings’, ‘meaning makers’, ‘active agents’ and most recently ‘the post human child’ within a spatial and material turn in research. This book advocates for a synergy between museum pedagogy and childhood studies, a critical reflection on the status of museum pedagogy within the professional terrain and the parameters that shape museum practices and argues for research that explores the museum experience as a holistic phenomenon

Utilization of community resources in the intermediate grades.

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit

Learning Science beyond the Classroom

Science education reform documents call for science to be taught in the manner that students learn best, by conducting hands-on, engaging investigations using simple everyday materials. Often overlooked in the redesign of science education, informal science learning environments such as science centers, museums, and zoos provide students with captivating science experiences that can be related closely to curricular objectives. In this article I examine a cross-section of craft knowledge and research-based literature on science learning beyond the classroom, describe informal science education programs, and discuss implications for enhanced science teaching. The article focuses on the importance of informal science learning experiences, in the context of a variety of out-of-school science environments, for children and for in-service and preservice teachers. Informal science education environments provide students with unique, engaging science learning opportunities and classroom teachers with a wealth of science teaching resources. A model for enhanced school/informal science education and for school-level policy change is proposed

To what extent are the elementary schools of Newington, Connecticut, utilizing the resources of the community

Thesis (M.A.)--Boston University, 1947. This item was digitized by the Internet Archive

Teaching reading through imaginative play situations in grades one and two

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit