More Interactive Learning

Letter from Lois Conley and Erika Neal
Blackworld History Museum, St. Louis

We just wanted to thank you for presenting "Cutting Edge Strategies for Museums."  The presenters and information were awesome, and sparked a variety of ideas that we can put into practice for our museum.  Below are just a few:

  1. An Educator Advisory Board.  We thought this was great, and makes sense also!  We would recruit educators from the following sectors:  retirees, city, county, public, private and home schoolers.  The goal of this group will be to facilitate learning experiences at the Museum by developing innovating programs that help classroom teachers meet State curriculum standards.
  2.  Teacher Appreciation Day.  "Apple of Our Eye," will be a quarterly teacher appreciation day that entails recognizing the exemplary work teachers do, a museum tour and sharing our programs and services with them.  We'll give attendees refreshments and a token of our appreciation to keep so that the Museum in their minds throughout the year.
  3. Making Museum exhibits more interactive.  We began to think of "quick and inexpensive" ways we might make our Museum experience more interactive for our guests below are some thoughts:
    1. A ship's log.  At the slaveship exhibit, before "boarding" visitors can sign their name on the   ships log, and after "unboarding" record what their experience was like.  This not only offer an opportunity for visitors to share their thoughts on the exhibit and how it affected them, but it will also be an opportunity for other visitors to reflect on those thoughts.
    2. Travel logs.  In the exhibits on William Wells Brown, York, and Clara Brown, travel logs and journals can be used to o ffer visitors an opportunity to share where they are from and information on important African Americans from their areas.  Again, it provides an opportunity to exchange stories and information among visitors from across the country, even around the world.
    3.  Protest Signs.  In the exhibits on Dr. Martin Luther King, Percy Green and Macler Shepard, visitors can create their own protest signs.  Complimented with information on the essence of freedom, justice and free speech, visitors will make their own signs of protest that they can take with them or contribute to a “community exhibit.
    4.  Quilt Squares.  In the slave cabin, guided by information on the meaning of Underground Railroad visitors can create their own quilt squares to take home or to add to a larger quilt to be displayed in the Museum.
    5. Mix Things Up!  In the exhibits on Dr. George Washington Carver and Madame C.J. Walker, visitors can "mix up" their own tonics and beauty products.  These projects would lend themselves well to collaborations with other institutions such as the St. Louis Science Center and universities.
    6. "Now That's Entertainment,"  In the Josephine Baker, Miles Davis and Clark Terry exhibits, visitors can let the spotlight shine on them as they take the stage and perform with instruments provided.  This can be done with something as simple as a keyboard and microphone with a stage painted as a backdrop.
  4. Bigger Ideas.  These would require more financial input, but would greatly enhance the Museum experience:
    1.  Station GRIOT:  Visitors can step into the roles of reporters of various historic events such as the Dred Scott Trial, Civil Rights protests, celebrity interviews,=2 0etc.  These reports could be made into podcasts and posted on the Museum's web site so that they have "legs" to the rest of the world.  This would make a great collaboration with media outlets on setting up the "station," and even local schools as another opportunity for students to learn/use information technology, and support language/writing skills.
    2. First person interpretations.  Another opportunity for collaboration with local theater groups to train students in the principles of acting and offer an opportunity for actors to practice their craft as first person interpreters in Museum exhibits.  The interpreters would function as docents in the museum exhibits:
      1. An enslaved woman might be in the slave cabin, explaining her life's experiences and her plans to escape on the Underground Railroad (the reason she’s making the squares) while making quilt squares with visitors.  This can be done with co nstruction paper or fabric.
      2. An African woman can be in the Walker exhibit braiding hair or a woman explaining her life as a Walker agent (most of whom are dead), a contemporary beautician or aesthetician.
      3. A musician sharing his experiences playing with Miles Davis or Clark Terry
      4. A Civil Rights protester sharing their experiences with Dr. King, Percy Green or Macler Shepard, why they engaged, and what it meant
      5. The children of Dred and Harriet Scott sharing information on their parents and how it affected them
      6. An African sharing information on Africa and its people prior to enslavem ent in the “New World”
      7. A Haitian sharing information on Haiti and its role in precipitating the Louisiana Purchase.
    3. The Great Debates. Student will learn the principles of debating, using debated topics in history (i.e. Slave vs. Free, Separate, but Equal, DuBois vs. Washington, etc.).  Students will learn historical context/information and debate the issues.  This would be another opportunity to collaborate with local schools and universities.
    4. The Griot's Children's Theater.  Children will learn history, storytelling, acting, playrighting, wardrobe and staging as they create their own plays based o n historical characters and events.  Shows will be presented to the public quarterly.  Another possibility, the script, wardrobe, etc. can be developed and visitors can present the pre-packaged plays.  This could be done with school groups and on Saturdays.

Thanks,

Lois and Erika