Not the first time I write about object stories here. Probably not the last either. Today I began packing for our new adventure and I found an old favorite, Significant Objects. Imagine buying a small bauble at a thrift store and then creating a story to go along with it. A story of its origin and … Continue reading Museum Monday: Object Stories – #BLOG365 Day 241
I have written a few times about using object stories in the classroom. Most recently in this blog post for ASCD Inservice. One of my favorite apps to do this with is Voicethread. There are plenty of apps (Chatterpix and Explain Everything), but I like Voicethread because it allows people to comment on the object … Continue reading Museum Monday: Object Stories – #BLOG365 Day 60
While at Neungamme Concentration Camp we heard an amazing story of the power of an object to tie individuals together and transcend cultures. One object held a narrative of the bravery in a time of incredible horror. Our guide shared the story of Fritz Bringmann, a prisoner in Neuengamme arrested for high treason. He was caught … Continue reading Museum Monday: The Power of Objects to Tell Stories – #BLOG365 Day 267 #TOPStudyTour @TOPTeachGermany
Tonight I had a flashback to my social studies teaching days, to the nights when I sat up in bed searching for the perfect object to hook my students for the next day’s lesson. Before I got the hang of it, it took me a lot of hunting online to find an object that would … Continue reading Museum Monday: Object-Based Engagement #BLOG365 Day 145 #sschat
I still have protest on my mind after this weekend. I also participated in a #sschat this evening. It got my gears turning again around the idea of teaching protest, this time on the object-based learning wheel. It also reminded me of one of my favorite museum blogs, O Say Can You See? Stories From … Continue reading Museum Monday: Protest Objects-#BLOG365 Day 135 #sschat
Packing up for a big move is an interesting process with a twelve-year-old. I have written a few times on this blog about our family’s collecting habits. We are antiquers and pickers. We love hunting for old objects and thinking about the stories behind them. That love for objects has been passed on to my … Continue reading Stuff – #BLOG365 Day 256
Two Mondays ago I was at Point Alpha on the Inner German border near Geisa. I knew from the moment I got there I had to blog about the interpretative strategies in the museum. The Point Alpha foundation was established to be a place of commemoration and learning in 2008. For years it was the … Continue reading Museum Monday: Point Alpha – Day 253 #BLOG365 #TOPStudyTour @TopTeachGermany
Yesterday I got to talking about my first year of teaching with a group of colleagues, relaying funny stories and challenging experiences. As I was sharing I realized I was mostly looking back on that year with fondness. It is pretty interesting that the most challenging year of my career is one I look back … Continue reading That First Year-#BLOG365 Day 172
I have spent the last 8 years collaborating with countless teachers and students on a museum-integrated approach to learning. It doesn’t take a complete overhaul of your curriculum or your school design to extend learning using museum education strategies. Start with collections Most museums are collecting institutions. Their mission is to collect, preserve, and … Continue reading Museum Monday: Quick Tips for Using Museum Resources for Teaching-#BLOG365 Day 154 #sschat
This weekend I have been thinking a lot about how we as educators are teaching the history of protest in the United States, from the Boston Tea Party to the Women’s March yesterday. Teaching in elementary schools for so long has taught me the value of visuals. Written primary sources are great, but they are … Continue reading Teaching Protest -#BLOG365 Day 134 #sschat #edchat
Jill Cross 