Early Learning

Journal of Museum Education 37:1 Thematic Issue

Sharon E Shaffer, Sharon E Shaffer, Sharon Shaffer

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN: 9781138404557
• eBook ISBN: 9781315429953
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Archaeology
• Index: Social Sciences

Sponsored by the Museum Education Roundtable, this is volume 37, Number 1 of the Journal of Museum Education (JME) Early Learning: A National Conversation, published in the spring of 2012. This edition includes articles on the integrating scaffolding experiences for the youngest visitors; a national conversation on early learning; from classroom to gallery; museums and community, the benefits of working together; uncovering visitor identity and bringing art through multi -sensory tours.

From the Guest Editor

Early Learning

A National Conversation

Sharon Shaffer

At a time when early learning is receiving national attention, we are also hearing reports of near-record low confidence in U.S. public schools.¹ So what does that mean for museums? As a society we have a responsibility to ensure that our youngest children are engaged in quality learning experiences; and museums, as important community institutions, will need to seek opportunities and contribute in new ways to this critical effort, on a local level at the very least and nationally where possible.

Armed with research about the significance of the early years and the increasing attention to early learning, educators are beginning to think seriously about strategic efforts toward developing enriched and educative experiences for our young children.² As members of the museum community, we have an important role to play in shaping the learning of this young generation, joining forces with educators and policy makers from across the community to meet early learning goals.

Within museums we need to assess the current state of affairs related to early learning, review the research and identify gaps, explore current practices noting strengths and weaknesses, share new ideas, and create a network of individuals dedicated to supporting the expanding audience of young children in museums. There is much work to be done, but there is evidence that early learning is valued and support is growing, leading to increased opportunities for children that broaden horizons, introduce new ideas, develop age-appropriate skills, and engage children's imagination and sense of wonder.

A recent commitment by the Smithsonian Institution recognizes the value of early learning through financial support of a planning grant that will bring together experts in early childhood education and researchers focused on museums and young children. Collectively this national advisory committee will answer key questions about what we know about this audience through research and practice, where the gaps are in our knowledge, and what we want to know. This information will be critical in planning the National Symposium on Early Learning in Museums and sets the stage for discussion and strategic thinking related to research. Plans also include establishing a national network of museum professionals with an interest in and passion for serving young children in museums. Ultimately, a publication dedicated to young children in museums is a planned outcome of the symposium to establish a future path for research, theory, and practice for serving our youngest museum goers.

The education of our children is a community affair, with efforts coming from traditional institutions such as schools as well as more informal community-based programs in museums, libraries, and other cultural institutions. To effectively educate our nations children, it will be important for us to work collaboratively within the community, but also within our inner circle of museum professionals. In the Fall 2010 Journal of Museum Education, Cynthia Robinson wrote of the need for museum educators to become involved in broader issues within their institutions. She suggested that success is linked to "collectivity," where educators work together and join in "collective discussions and actions, and a willingness to leave one's comfort zones to become involved in critical issues that affect museum education."³ As our profession addresses this burgeoning audience of young children, our success will be tied to our ability to come together to understand the developmental capacity and learning style of this audience in the context of museum spaces while also creating a vision that includes design of exhibits and a focus on families and programs for younger visitors.

This issue, Early Learning: A National Conversation, offers a platform for discussion about young children in museums and will hopefully serve as a catalyst for the development of early learning programs of excellence in museums. In "Trends in Museums," Marsha Semmel, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Director of Strategic Partnerships, defines the framework and opportunities present in today's world. She makes a case that early learning is the foundation for life-long learning and that this national conversation is taking place "... amid a broader context shaped by new research findings, thoughtful and strategic investment of ever scarcer funds, priorities around more alignment across different learning domains, the digital technologies, and the recognition of interconnections between formal and informal learning settings." Semmel encourages museums to overcome challenges and seize opportunities to participate in the conversation.

Researchers Barbara Wolf and Elee Wood from The Children's Museum of Indianapolis ground the issue with current research taking place primarily in children's museums, but describe lessons learned that apply to almost any museum experience. Their focus is on scaffolding learning through purposeful interactions between adult and child, a strategy that "... can inform adults and simultaneously help children stretch to new levels of understanding and achievement." The message is clear that possibilities for expanding learning exist with collaboration from curators, educators, and exhibit developers.

Research in children's museums informs our thinking and provides lessons that at times extend to the more traditional museum setting where exhibitions are not designed with the active learning style of young children in mind. But what is really happening in art, history, culture, and science museums when it comes to early learners? Without a national network currently in place, nor comprehensive data available outlining museum programs for early learners, Betsy Bowers approached the need to capture the moment in early learning programming through an informal on-line survey. The results, although interesting, are just the first step in understanding early learning practices in cultural institutions. The data suggests that while educators recognize the significance of early learning in museums there is a need to bring our collective knowledge to bear on future practice. The survey further indicates that the interest in early learning warrants "... a larger and more thorough evaluation of early childhood programming in museums."

Early learning research and practice is not new to the community outside of museums, having gained a sense of primacy since the introduction of Head Start in President Johnson's War on Poverty. Understanding gleaned from years of early childhood research and practice offers tremendous potential to inform practices and provide insights for those working within the museum profession. Authors Pamela Krakowski, Rochelle Ibanez Wolberg, Allison Goff, and Melina Mallos look at the intersection of early childhood research, theory, and practice with potential programming within museum settings. Krakowski examines the role of play in learning and applies it to the world of museums in "Museum Superheroes: The Role of Play in Young Children's Lives" describing how young children connect to the art of Andy Warhol through imaginative play. For children it is the opportunity to explore what is important in their lives and make connections to the world that is ripe for learning regardless of place. Wolberg and Goff discuss thinking routines developed by researchers from Harvard's Project Zero and suggest that these strategies are effective methods of creating meaning and making thinking visible in both formal and informal learning environments. The authors posit that students benefit when teaching techniques cross boundaries between classrooms and museums. Mallos offers an international example of early childhood practice in an art museum setting. In a museum that embraces young audiences and contemporary art, there is a collaborative effort that brings together curators, artists, and children. The process begins with research that defines best practice for engaging young audiences in museums and includes collaborative planning that contributes to the design of gallery exhibits. The illustrations in all three articles bridge the world of young children and early learning with the galleries in museums, highlighting the potential for success.

Museums are more than repositories for objects, art, and natural specimens. They are uniquely positioned to unite community members during times of crisis or even in everyday experiences. Case studies of two museums illustrate the potential for building community relationships and the impact of an institution's actions. Kate Barron describes a museum's response to crisis following Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. The Ogden Museum of Southern Art sought out schools in the aftermath of the storm as a step to rebuilding a community and the lives of its citizens. Hers is a story of collaboration with neighborhood schools, bringing methods to the classroom and the museum that engage young children in exploring their world and understanding a sense of place. Allison Wickens offers a different story of community, one that emphasizes the value of being responsive to neighboring schools and community members to ensure that museum visits are relevant for young audiences. Wickens raises the question of mission in her article and suggests that there may be a time and place to reconsider, although carefully, the mission of the education department with an open-mind toward revision.

Each of these authors shares a story about early learning in museums, a message that we hope will serve as a catalyst for a new generation of meaningful and relevant programs for our nation's youngest museum-goers. As members of the museum profession we can make a difference.

Museums have the potential to make a significant contribution to the education of Americas children, but will need to gather information through research and practice from colleagues in museums as well as from early childhood practitioners and researchers outside of the museum world. This is an opportune moment for making a difference in the lives of children, one that we should all recognize and set as a serious priority.

About the Author

Sharon Shaffer, PhD, is the Founding Director for the Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center (SEEC), the Smithsonian Institution's model museum-based program for young children. She leads the lab school at the Smithsonian and consults with schools and museums nationally and internationally designing educational programs and applying museum-based methodology to learning experiences for students Pre-K-12. Dr. Shaffer is a graduate instructor for the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia where she teaches Social Foundations of American Education.

Notes

1. www.gallup.com/poll/148724/Near-Record-Low-Confidence-Public-Schools.aspx

2. Martin S. Dworkin, Dewey on Education, New York: Teachers College Press, 1959.

3. Cynthia Robinson and Tina R. Nolan, "Mission, Money, and Authority, Part II "Journal of Museum Education, 33.3 (Fall 2010), 214.

An Opportune Moment

Museums in the National Conversation on Early Learning

Marsha L. Semmel

Abstract The national conversation on early learning and its importance as a foundation of lifelong learning has reached a tipping point, with increased attention at the local, state, and federal level. The context for this conversation includes a growing corpus of respected research on early childhood development that points to a critical learning "pivot point" by age eight and an understanding that learning opportunities need to include the "whole child," encompassing cognitive, emotional, physical, and social dimensions. Current early learning policy and funding priorities emphasize a coordinated and strategic investment of resources, research-and evidenced-based practice, and an alignment across different institutional learning domains in order to achieve system-wide outcomes. Museums have the opportunity to build on their knowledge and experience to contribute meaningfully to this national effort. The author discusses several national, public/private efforts—including increased recognition of a cradle-to-grave learning "ecosystem"—that are informing the early learning conversation. How can museums be effective and recognized players in today's learning environment, and what are some challenges and opportunities specifically linked to early learning?

In this article, which explores national trends and programs that reflect a transformed understanding of the interconnections between formal and informal learning, I make three principal points:

1. There is increased national attention to the power of learning in out-of-school environments, including museums. Recent research on learning and the rapid deployment of new technologies are two key drivers of this recognition.
2. There is a concomitant and widespread acknowledgement of the significance of the early childhood years as definitive for future academic, social, and economic success.
3. Museums have enormous opportunities to play a more central role in this redefined learning landscape. Success, however, will depend on a number of factors, including using the community (not the institution) as the frame of reference. The potential for museums to gain greater recognition (and, hopefully, resources) in their role as centers for learning is yet to be recognized by civic officials, policy makers, and funders.

The Learning Revolution: Defining a Learning Ecosystem

John Falk and Lynn Dierking pioneered my understanding of museums and "free choice" learning. They drove home the fact that significant learning time, the majority of potential "free choice learning" time, even for scho...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Contents
• Title
• Copyright
• From the Editors-in-Chief
• From the Guest Editor
• What the Research Says
• Tools, Frameworks and Case Studies
• Book Review