Using Museums as an Educational Resource

Visits to museums have long been recognised as an important aspect of the education of young people. Graeme K. Talboys offers a comprehensive introduction for students, practising teachers and other educators to all that is required to make good educational use of museums. He shares his wealth of experience as a teacher and a museum educator offering practical advice about how to plan, prepare, carry out and follow-up school visits to museums.

Graeme K. Talboys has a degree in philosophy and education as well as a teaching qualification. He has considerable experience as a teacher, community education worker, and museum education officer.

Contents: Introduction; Part I First Principles: What is a museum?; Why take pupils to museums?; Why special skills are necessary to use museums for teaching. Part II Preparatory Strategies: Aspects of a visit; Planning a visit - general; Planning a visit - risk assessment and management; Preparing for a visit - the teacher; Preparing for a visit - the pupils; The visit. Part III Using the Resource: Working on or with a site; Working with a building; Working with objects; Working with pictorial material; Working with documentary material; Using a loan service; Using simulation; Using the written word; Using online and digital sources. Part IV Following-Through: Follow-up; Longer term strategies; Bibliography; Index.