The Museum Educator's Manual: Educators Share Successful Techniques

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AltaMira Press, 2009 - Business & Economics - 250 pages
The role of education in museums has increasingly become a major professional concern. Engaging, informative, and even entertaining programs can make an enormous difference in a museum's popularity, bringing in visitors of all ages, from the local community and beyond. The proliferation of recent publications on museum education and the promotion of workshops and training seminars for museum staff have reinforced the need for creativity, excellence, and accountability in museum educational programs. The Museum Educator's Manual addresses the role museum educators play in today's museums from an experience-based perspective. Seasoned museum educators author each chapter, emphasizing key programs along with case studies that provide successful examples, and demonstrate a practical foundation for the daily operations of a museum education department--no matter how small. The book covers volunteer management and training; exhibit design; program and event design and implementation; working with families, seniors, and teens; collaborating with schools and other institutions; and funding. With invaluable checklists, schedules, organizational charts, program examples, and other how-to documents included throughout, The Museum Educator's Manual is a "must have" book for any museum educator.

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About the author (2009)

Anna Johnson presents workshops on museum education and serves as a content expert for the Arizona Humanities Council in the Smithsonian's Museums on Main Street project. Kimberly A. Huber has been a volunteer, intern, educator, curator, consultant, administrator, and board member at a number of museums in Arizona, including Mesa Southwest Museum, the Heard Museum, and Deer Valley Rock Art Center. Nancy Cutler is a consultant in the field of museum education and interpretation and has worked on projects with the Gilbert Historical Museum, the Desert Botanical Garden, and the City of Phoenix.Melissa Bingmann is assistant professor of history at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis.Tim Groveis an education specialist and exhibition developer at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.