This article describes Children's Museum of Pittsburgh's multi-phase approach to developing professional development (PD) for its maker educators. Researchers engaged maker educator staff in research-practice partnerships at each stage of the process, with the intention of supporting maker educators in developing their practice. Grounded in…

In 2012, the Smithsonian Center for Learning and Digital Access (SCLDA) launched Smithsonian Quests, an online program for student self-directed learning that is recognized and rewarded with digital badges. This article examines the rationale, development, implementation, and outcomes of the Smithsonian Quests program, lessons learned along the…

Reminiscence programs that stimulate participants' memories through discussion are popular as both enrichment activity and clinical treatment for older adults. Museums in multiple countries are starting to offer reminiscence opportunities on-site and through outreach. This study is an investigation of the qualities of the participant experience in…

As part of a graduate course for supporting K-12 teachers' use of technology in teaching science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects, teachers worked in teams to create workshops for youth at a Boys & Girls Club site. Teachers used curriculum kits from the Engineering is Elementary project of the Museum of Science,…

This white paper presents a selection of model schools who all have, to some degree, fostered deeper learning. Schools were selected by internet search, or through references in "deeper learning" reports and documents. It should be noted that information in these reviews is based on information from school web-sites, in some cases the…

This article examines how the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) approaches conversations on race with young children and their families and teachers. Based on our current understanding of the development of racial identity and race in children between birth and age eight, NMAAHC has developed an Early Childhood…

Museum educators and instructors of English as a Second Language (ESOL) at a community college in New York reflect on their experiences facilitating a program designed to enrich the language, cultural, and visual literacy skills of adult immigrant students. The CALTA21 program brought together three stakeholders, immigrant ESOL students, language…

This article describes a Museum-in-Progress (MIP) project--a classroom museum model combining social, intellectual, and physical experiences that stimulate students' different learning styles and provide team-bonding opportunities. Student curators research, collect, categorize, create, exhibit, and interpret primary and secondary resources about…

Few digital tools are designed to support identity exploration around careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) that may help close existing representation gaps in STEM fields. The aim of this project is to inform the design of games that facilitate learning as identity change as defined by the Projective Reflection…

In late 2006, the Columbus Museum of Art education department adopted a new framework that established creativity as the lens for learning and visitor experiences. But what does creativity look like in a gallery experience? What are visitor attitudes toward creativity? This article explores how the drop-in visitor experience was reimagined at the…

The main aim of this study is to assess the spatial perception of historical world heritage buildings using wearable technologies in an educational framework. The proposal seeks to complement the real experience of visiting the Casa Batlló Museum, an emblematic space (1904-1906, Antonio Gaudí, Barcelona). The main innovative feature of the project…

The Maker Movement has taken the educational field by storm due to its perceived potential as a driver of creativity, excitement, and innovation (Honey & Kanter, [Honey, M., 2013]; Martinez & Stager, [Martin, L., 2013]). Making is promoted as advancing entrepreneurship, developing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)…

A recent community wide reading program offers a valuable opportunity for students and teachers to respond to literature by attending community wide events, creating art, and developing relationships with community members.

This article discusses how museum settings can provide opportunities for sensory and aesthetic encounters and learning. It draws on research into museum education programmes that included examinations of curatorial construction and display, observations of teaching and open-ended interviews with museum educators. The examples selected here focus…

This article describes a museum-based urban teacher-residency (UTR) program's approach to building subject-specific content knowledge and research experience in Earth Science teacher candidates. In the museum-based program, graduate-level science courses and research experiences are designed and implemented specifically for the UTR by active Earth…