Public Education Philosophy

Words: 1415
Pages: 6

My philosophy of museums is first and foremost a philosophy of public education. Museums traditionally serve those members of the community that want to further their education past the limits of formal education, but it is becoming increasingly necessary to consider if there is room for museums, and public history in general, to play a more central role in education of all stripes. If we were to expand the role of museums in the modern world what might that change look like? Parts of the formal education system are changing to a more hands-on approach—much like what is typically used in STEM fields—but this is by no means a universal pattern, and many educational institutions are still lagging behind. With this change to more active participation, …show more content…
To a student of public history, this is not a novel concepts. That history has brought certain voices to the front and kept certain voices in the shadows becomes more relevant when discussing the ugly truths of history. When a statue is made that commemorates a general famous for the slaughter of Native Americans, there's a certain implicit message about how modern society values Native American voices. It is within this broader understanding of how public history can affect society’s perception of its constituents that the modern public historian must exist. Spaces that allow the viewpoints of various subgroups of oppressed minorities, allow museums and exhibits to play a part in the conversation about social change through the thoughtful presentation of their artifacts. By communicating with those students that are most interested in these conversations, we can expand the influence of modern education past the walls of the classroom and into spaces with learners of every …show more content…
For example, the Sacramento Zoo has implemented a program called ZooMobile that brings animals and animal experts out into schools to give a more hands-on zoological experience to students, but this is obviously not the only way to implements such a strategy. Given the desire to create memorable hands-on experiences, STEAM projects, like the ones that are already becoming popular in project based schools, are the next logical step in implementation. These programs are getting kids to become active innovators of knowledge instead of passive memorizers, and these are just the first steps to teaching more than just textbooks. These programs are becoming places where a student can really learn by doing, and this is the theoretical structure of the common core. Although common core is not perfect, it is one of the first steps in creating an educational experience that promotes creativity and an openness to new knowledge. When a student is solving a math problem, they are asked to show the multiple possible ways that the problem could be solved. The goal is to create a deeper level of learning. Learning that can adapt to solve novel problems using the tools and experiences that they have been ingrained in their behaviors. In education's modern form, museums can be the bridge where common core extends past its