Monthly Archives: July 2014

Three weeks seemed like a long chunk of time to begin with, but by the third week it feels like it’s flown by – and just when I feel like I’m starting to get the hang of this place!  But it has been a terrific experience, and has just got me more motivated for these other avenues of education beyond the classroom!  This week was especially inspiring in that regard, as Chris O’Connor asked Courtney and I to participate in the RBCM’s Learning Department’s discussion of a recently released white paper on the future of museum education.  It had some thought-provoking articles that got my wheels a-turnin’ about how museums can play a part in helping to transform our school systems to better fit the needs of our students, especially in accrediting informal learning that happens beyond the classroom walls, and 9am-3pm hours.

http://www.aam-us.org/docs/default-source/center-for-the-future-of-museums/building-the-future-of-education-museums-and-the-learning-ecosystem.pdf?sfvrsn=2

The last Sunday of every month is Wonder Sunday at the RBCM, which allows families to take part in engaging explorations of the museum.  This month we were supposed to be exploring the marine invertebrates at Clover Point, but sadly there was a sewage spill the day before!  Instead, families were able to go behind the scenes and explore the RBCM’s Invertebrate Collection with Heidi Gartner, the Collections Manager (as Kids’ Club was able to do the week before!), and then come and do some redesigning of the Ocean Gallery with Courtney and I!  A large part of the Ocean Gallery hasn’t changed for over 30 years, and doesn’t get much attention – from kids or adults!  So we thought we could use some bright young minds to help us reimagine how else the RBCM might use the space.

The end of my time at the RBCM very bittersweet; although it brings me one step closer to finishing the B.Ed program and starting my career, it was hard to leave as I so enjoyed exploring the galleries, getting a deeper understanding of what informal learning can be and can offer, and how I was able to contribute to it in some small way.  I can certainly see myself returning to informal learning, or even curriculum development, after I’ve had some more time in the classroom, and I certainly hope to maintain a connection to the Learning Department at the RBCM!

This has been another full week!  This week I’ve been able to focus more on what kind of lesson plans and teacher guides I will be completing for the RBCM.  The RBCM is excited to focus on Ocean Literacy in its next year of educational programs and resources, so I will be creating some materials around that, as well as a focus on the Living Languages exhibition (which I’m really excited about!)

http://oceanliteracy.wp2.coexploration.org/

Courtney and I were also able to act as cultural ambassadors/glorified tour guides to a visiting French travel scout.  She has apparently been sent out to see what Canada has to offer, and report back to France!  She was particularly interested in the First Nations Gallery and Living Languages exhibit.   It was a great opportunity to see how someone from another culture and country took the exhibit in, and to realize how familiar with the exhibit I had become.  Her blog is below:

http://www.curieusevoyageuse.com/

One of the main parts of the week was helping out again with the weekly Kids’ Club and this week I was in charge of writing the blog, so please check it out!

http://royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/staffprofiles/2014/06/30/the-31st-of-32-views-marine-biodiversity/

On a side note, the BCTF held a rally across the street from the RBCM on the Legislature lawns during one of our work days.  It felt strange just being a bystander!  But got to have a look at them from the RBCM’s great view!