This space was created by the Museum Education Roundtable to expand upon the most recent Journal of Museum Education (JME) issue, reflect on member events, and address timely issues that we face in the field of museum work. Read about how to write for our blog here.
Knowledge in Action ™
Notes from the Field: A Museum Educator at an Archaeology Conference
This April, I was thrilled to present at the Society for American Archaeology’s (SAA) annual conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Though I was an archaeologist in another life, it had been nearly a decade since I attended an archaeological conference and I had never presented at one. I’ve been to dozens of museum conferences and thought: “How different could it … Read More
4 x 4: Self-Care and Networking
Our “4 x 4” interview blog format aims to incorporate multiple perspectives on current topics in our field by inviting four thought leaders to answer four questions related to a chosen theme. This playful approach seeks to navigate pressing topics with the personal touch of a conversation. Our first theme features four approaches to “self-care.” Previous posts in the 4 x … Read More
JME in Action: How can museums become a home for newcomers?
Immigration is at the core of my personal and professional life. The journey that started when I left Uruguay as a young adult and moved first to Argentina and later in life to the USA is the lens through which I see the world and my place in it. After my last move to New York and with a family … Read More
MER’s 2nd Annual Excellence in Writing Awards
For the second year, the Museum Education Roundtable (MER) is presenting its annual Awards for Writing Excellence and Editorial Excellence for the Journal of Museum Education (JME). Funded cooperatively between MER and our publishers, Taylor & Francis, these prizes are awarded each year to one or more authors and editors in recognition of the high levels of scholarly dedication, original … Read More
Conversations about Equity
I had the privilege of attending the 2019 Museum Association of New York Annual Conference (MANY), Identity and Access, in Cooperstown, NY earlier this month. While I—like many museum professionals—love conferences, I was especially excited for MANY 2019, as it was my first time leading a session. On the second day, I led a lunch roundtable discussion called “DEIA Statements: … Read More
What Can We Do? Reflections on Access in Museum Education
How can we increase visitor access in our work as a museum educators? Often, when thinking about accessibility, I am overwhelmed by large, structural, and costly changes that I, an educator, am unable to change in the museum. Because switching out furniture, purchasing new equipment, or increasing budgets to make these accommodations is not within our current sphere of influence, … Read More
JME in Action: The Third Space, Cultural Hybridity and The Art Museum
The Journal of Museum Education’s issue On the Floor: Museum Teaching Techniques in the 21st Century includes the article “Empowering Identity Through Art: Bilingual Co-Teaching at the Blanton Museum of Art.” Here, one of the co-authors, Sabrina Mooroogen-Phillips, describes the “intimate task of unraveling our culture” with teachers. In the fall of 2018, The Blanton Museum of Art in Austin, … Read More
Six Things that Burning Man has to Teach Museum Education
“Once a year, tens of thousands of people gather in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert to create Black Rock City, a temporary metropolis dedicated to community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance. In this crucible of creativity, all are welcome.” … Read More