School in the Park is an innovative museum-based educational effort to engage students in their community during the school day. Since 1999 several hundred students have been educated each year in museums and the zoo in San Diego. This is more than a field trip, it is changing the way that education is provided. Challenging the Classroom Standard Through Museum-Based Education: School in the Park presents the experience of School in the Park from the perspective of different disciplines--oral language, reading, writing, social studies, math, science, and the arts--to determine how students are learning content within museums and the zoo. It provides a number of examples, case studies, references, scenarios, and recommendations for teaching and learning outside of the traditional classroom. The perspectives of teachers, museum educators, and students are represented. Importantly, this book offers ideas that readers can use in their own communities, ranging from long-term partnering with cultural institutions to one-day trips, to ensure that students have authentic experiences with the curriculum. With the current increased focus on accountability and achievement, less attention and importance is given to community-based learning experiences. This book demonstrates the viability of merging formal and informal learning and using community venues as an extension of the classroom. All those interested in and charged with educating children will find this book useful in exploring powerful learning experiences that occur outside traditional classroom settings.

This book examines the experience of School in the Park from the perspective of different disciplines to determine how students are learning content within museums&the zoo.It provides a number of examples,case studies,references,scenarios&recommendations

Started by Dr. Seuss, finished by Jack Prelutsky, and illustrated by Lane Smith, Hooray for Diffendoofer Day! is a joyous ode to individuality starring unsinkable teacher Miss Bonkers and the quirky Diffendoofer School (which must prove it has taught its students how to think--or have them sent to dreary Flobbertown). Included is an introduction by Dr. Seuss's longtime editor explaining how the book came to be and reproductions of Dr. Seuss's original pencil sketches and hand-printed notes for the book—a true find for all Seuss collectors! Jack Prelutsky and Lane Smith pay homage to the Good Doctor in their own distinctive ways, the result of which is the union of three one-of-a-kind voices in a brand-new, completely original book that is greater than the sum of its parts. For all of us who will never forget our school days and that special teacher, here is a book to give and to get.

The Handbook of Research on Teaching Literacy Through the Communicative and Visual Arts, Volume II brings together state-of-the-art research and practice on the evolving view of literacy as encompassing not only reading, writing, speaking, and listening, but also the multiple ways through which learners gain access to knowledge and skills. It forefronts as central to literacy education the visual, communicative, and performative arts, and the extent to which all of the technologies that have vastly expanded the meanings and uses of literacy originate and evolve through the skills and interests of the young. A project of the International Reading Association, published and distributed by Routledge/Taylor & Francis. Visit http://www.reading.org for more information about Internationl Reading Associationbooks, membership, and other services.

Visits to museums have long been an important aspect of the education of young people and in recent years it has been increasingly recognised that education is core to the purpose of the museum. Not only do they introduce students to the many and varied forms of our material culture, they also introduce them to social, historical and scientific encounters that are difficult to find elsewhere. The second edition of this popular book takes account of the ongoing changes in both museums and education to provide a comprehensive introduction for student teachers, practising teachers and other educators to all that is required to make good educational use of museums. It explores what a museum is, their value in primary and secondary education and why they require special teaching skills. It then goes on to look at the practicalities of planning, preparing and conducting a visit, including risk assessment. Next, it introduces the basic skills involved in working with the resources that are required to make the best educational use of museums, including online and digital resources. Finally, the author considers ways of following-up work done outside the classroom, including some of the longer term strategies that teachers should consider.

Supporting teachers in building partnerships with families and the broader community This comprehensive text helps prepare pre-service and in-service teachers to build and sustain family, school, and community partnerships that are vital to student success. Focusing on grades preK–8, and with a particular emphasis on diverse families and learners, this book helps teachers to overcome barriers, create action plans, and sustain partnerships over time. Key Features Chapters provide a contemporary, culturally relevant approach that guides teachers to devise strategies that celebrate cultural, linguistic, and academic diversity. Case studies present multiple perspectives from teachers, students, and community members. Readers are asked to reflect upon the cases, analyze real-life situations, and apply chapter content to each case. "Notes from the Classroom" include personal observations and strategies from teachers that enhance the reader′s experience. "How To" sections show how to develop an action plan or seek outside funding. Planning sheets are included to provide the sequence of specific steps. Student Study Site Free resources will help you prepare for class and exams! Open-access study materials include chapter-specific interactive self-quizzes, vocabulary e-flashcards, recommended Web sites, and "Learning From SAGE Journal Articles." Visit the Student Study Site at www.sagepub.com/coxpetersen. Instructor Teaching Site Instructors have access to the following password-protected resources: a test bank with sortable questions, PowerPoint slides for each chapter, recommended Web sites, ample syllabi, and teaching tips.

Museums are institutions of both education and learning in service of society, that is, they are sites where educational experiences are designed and facilitated, and also places where visitors learn in broad and diverse ways. As such, the role of public education in museums today is highly important, if not at the centre of museum activity. As museums contemplate the growing significance of their educational roles and mandate within a changing society, so too they are increasingly in need of information about the audiences they serve and their own professional practice as they strive to achieve their educational missions in service to the communities in which they are embedded. Accordingly, this edited book focuses on informing, broadening and enhancing the pedagogy of museum education and the practices of museum educators. The chapters in this book report independent research studies conducted by the authors who have explored and investigated a variety of issues affecting museum education practice, contextualized across a range of institutions, including art galleries, natural and social history museums, anthropology museums, science centres, and gardens. These studies address a cross-section of contemporary issues confronting the field of museum education including studies of diverse audiences and their needs, the mediation of challenging topics, professional training, teaching and learning in informal settings, and reflective practice and praxis. Together these themes represent a set of topical issues germane to informing, broadening and enhancing educational practices in diverse museum settings, and will be of considerable interest to a broad spectrum of the museum and non-formal education fields.