How Do Teachers and Students Use Museum Web Sites?

1. How Do Teachers and Students Use Museum Web Sites? Data gathered from working with teachers all over the country, both on museum projects and a national digital art library pilot in K-12 schools Kris Wetterlund, Sandbox Studios

2. How Do Teachers and Students Use Museum Web Sites? How do we define use? Kris Wetterlund, Sandbox Studios

3. How Do Teachers and Students Use Museum Web Sites? Most teachers browse the Internet, including museum sites, looking for resources, references or ideas Kris Wetterlund, Sandbox Studios

4. How Do Teachers and Students Use Museum Web Sites? Some teachers use online museum resources as a classroom teaching tool; the reasons some do not: • lack of equipment, both hardware and software Kris Wetterlund, Sandbox Studios

5. How Do Teachers and Students Use Museum Web Sites? Some teachers use online museum resources as a classroom teaching tool; the reasons some do not: • lack of equipment, both hardware and software • lack of technical expertise to implement online teaching strategies Kris Wetterlund, Sandbox Studios

6. How Do Teachers and Students Use Museum Web Sites? Some teachers use online museum resources as a classroom teaching tool; the reasons some do not: • lack of equipment, both hardware and software • lack of technical expertise to implement online teaching strategies • lack of technical support to implement online teaching strategies Kris Wetterlund, Sandbox Studios

7. How Do Teachers and Students Use Museum Web Sites? Some teachers use online museum resources as a classroom teaching tool; the reasons some do not: • lack of equipment, both hardware and software • lack of technical expertise to implement online teaching strategies • lack of technical support to implement online teaching strategies • lack of time to develop online teaching strategies Kris Wetterlund, Sandbox Studios

8. How Do Teachers and Students Use Museum Web Sites? Unpacking the “lack of time” barrier to using online museum resources: • Like everyone else, teachers will take the time to learn to use something they consider useful Kris Wetterlund, Sandbox Studios

9. How Do Teachers and Students Use Museum Web Sites? Unpacking the “lack of time” barrier to using online museum resources: • Teachers say they don’t have any time. What they really mean is that teaching is an enormously complex endeavor, and trying to figure out a meaningful space to slot museum materials into is as easy as putting a camel through the eye of a needle. Kris Wetterlund, Sandbox Studios

10. How Do Teachers and Students Use Museum Web Sites? Unpacking the “lack of time” barrier to using online museum resources: • Museums can help teachers create time to learn to use museum resources by offering teacher training courses and paying for substitute teachers Kris Wetterlund, Sandbox Studios

11. How Do Teachers and Students Use Museum Web Sites? Many museum resources are not used simply because teachers cannot find them: • Can’t find them on the Web • Can’t find them on your Web site Kris Wetterlund, Sandbox Studios

12. How Do Teachers and Students Use Museum Web Sites? Teachers never use lesson plans or other online activities as museum educators design them. Teachers almost always break these materials apart and select "pieces" that will serve their individual classroom goals. Kris Wetterlund, Sandbox Studios

13. How Do Teachers and Students Use Museum Web Sites? Teachers will put materials into the hands of students if they can. Teachers learning to implement museum materials Teachers handing off museum materials to their students time Kris Wetterlund, Sandbox Studios

14. How Do Teachers and Students Use Museum Web Sites? Teachers view museum Web sites as authoritative sources, different from Google image search or Wikipedia Kris Wetterlund, Sandbox Studios

15. How Do Teachers and Students Use Museum Web Sites? Museums think of constantly changing exhibitions and upgrading services to meet the needs of the repeat visitor and to tell the story of the museum over time. Teachers use the same resources over and over as new students who have never experienced their lessons enter their classrooms each semester or year. Kris Wetterlund, Sandbox Studios

16. How Do Teachers and Students Use Museum Web Sites? Also useful to think of WHY teachers use museum Web sites, because how is constantly changing Kris Wetterlund, Sandbox Studios

17. How Do Teachers and Students Use Museum Web Sites? Why teachers use the Internet: 1. To find low-cost or free materials 2. To connect the classroom to the larger world. 3. To help teachers manage time more efficiently. 4. To motivate students. 5. To give students opportunities to learn by doing. 6. To expand opportunities for "telementoring" 7. To help teachers communicate, share experience and ideas with other teachers. 8. To help bring the school and the community closer together. 9. To help teachers spread good news about what's happening in their classrooms. 10. To "rejuvenate" teachers' professional lives. Adapted from Serim, Ferdi, "NetLearning: Why Teachers Use the Internet” Kris Wetterlund, Sandbox Studios

18. How Do Teachers and Students Use Museum Web Sites? Web sites referenced: ArtsConnected: www.artsconnected.org Museum-Ed: www.museum-ed.org Walter’s Art Museum Integrating the Arts: Mummies, Manuscripts and Madonnas http://www.thewalters.org/education_art/education_educationalmedia.aspx Kris Wetterlund, Sandbox Studios