Education

For the Syllabus - Teaching with Objects

If you are looking for authentic learning experiences and a class outside your classroom, the three on-campus museum galleries (Mechanical Hall Gallery, Old College Gallery, and the Mineralogical Museum in Penny Hall) offer museum learning opportunities and activities using current exhibitions and works of art in the collections.

The museum staff is here to support courses in the field of Education and across disciplinary. The staff can lead an Education class to engage in object-based learning with artworks and help students to reinforce a conceptual framework or a historically significant event. For courses that train future teachers, the museums provide ways into what it is like to bring your K 12 class to the museum for a fun learning experience. Many in-gallery activities are also transferable to in-classroom activities with works of art in digital formats. Given the opportunity to participate in in-gallery activities, students will hone their communication skills and relate museum experiences to their understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion to better work with students and teachers from diverse backgrounds.

You can either request a museum session led by the museum staff or take your class to the museum spaces on your own. If you have teaching ideas but do not know how to turn them into a museum visit or want to learn more about what a museum session is like, the museum staff is there to help.

Do not hesitate to contact Ashley Rye-Kopec (arye@udel.edu), Curator of Education and Outreach, Museums.