International Teacher Education Conference 2014 1

International Teacher Education Conference 2014
Principles of Museum Educational Programmes for Students. An Application
Example
Ganatsiou Paraskevi a*
a
Educator and Head of Educational Programmes for Secondary and High School Students in Corfu, PhD student, Ionian University,
Corfu – Greece
Abstract
Museum – educational science is an extremely interesting area, especially for the modern museum aspect.
Through its educational role, museum wishes to succeed in both, the communicational and enjoyable character.
In addition, museum is a place that attracts the modern school’s interest that seeks alternative ways of learning.
The museum educational programs are organized to prepare students for the cultural wealth of the world around
them. Using experiential learning these programs are designed to offer students a total interactive experience,
knowledge, moreover, self-knowledge, but also a deep connection with these cultural institutions. The students
may be the future museum audience. Specifically, a school museum visit are designed in order to connect the
lesson of Modern Literature (mainly for High School- C Grade) with the paintings of the National Gallery of
Athens - Corfu Brunch ( K. Korakiana ). The activities that we are propose, have variety in content and
degree of difficulty and some times start from paintings and other times from literary works that include to the
school curriculum. Are designed a series of worksheets to connect more effectively the theory and practice and
revealing, through the final evaluation of the program, the value of museum education for the museum visitor.
Keywords. Museum - educational programs, interactive experience, school visits, Modern Literature, School Curriculum, activities,
worksheets.
INTRODUCTION
One of the primary goals of any society is to realize the educational role to young people. The 20th century
was marked by particularly intense pedagogical considerations on the theoretical level. Education topics and
child psychology issues, were found at the scene, within and outside the academic community, but despite
discussions, the practical implementation of the agreed innovation was relatively poor because the society of the
last century was not so imperative ( Spathari - Begliti : 214). The modern face of changing world of Information
Society introduces us to a new era of overturns and requirements, some of which seek to be accomplished at
school. Beyond the productive wealth of a country, the school must have the role to prepare young people for the
cultural wealth. At this point fits the usefulness and appropriateness of the museum association with the school,
as an alternative place of learning and educational function. The field of Museum Education, first appeared as a
novelty, but then evolved into a necessity and finally understood area of interest ( Chatzinikolaou 2002: 101 ) .
Typically, Newsom and Silver, concerning the United States, said that all institutions in a country that is not
schools , and who are not paid to be schools, museums are the most appropriate to try to educate young people
(Black 2009 : 198). Already in 1946 Unesco founded the International Council of Museums (ICOM) made the
first attempt to define the concept of the museum. The educational role of a museum is closely interwoven with
the other functions of this cultural organization (study and entertainment). ICOM (International Council of
Museums) gave the predominant museum definition, in 1974, in Copenhagen, according to which museum is
called a permanent non-profit organization, open to the public, submissive in the service of society and of its
development which acquires, conserves, studies communicates and exhibits material evidence of man and his
environment in order to study, education and entertainment (Economou 2003:16). The latter definition of the
term “museum” in 2007 by ICOM, not only adds the parameter of preserving intangible cultural heritage of
humanity, outside of the material, but puts the educational purpose of the museum over the role of study and
entertainment (retrieved from http://icom.museum/definition.html , 15 January, 2014 ). Museum Education,
could be termed as the "public advocate ", the representation of human being in the educational process (
Nikonanou 2005 : 18).
E-mail address: pganatsiou@gmail.com
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