Cutting Edge Strategies for Museums
Independence, October 3-4, 2008
Sponsored by MHC in partnership with the Museum Education Roundtable of Kansas City
Focus: Dramatic improvements in visitors' experiences and success-oriented school relationships to meet state curriculum standards.
Presenters: We have invited innovative, national leaders from the Conner Prairie Living History Museum and the Virginia Association of Museums to provide instruction that will help you make immediate improvements in how your institution relates to visitors and schools. You don't have to be a living history museum to find inspiration from Conner Prairie! You don't have to imagine that Missouri is Virginia! This is a rare opportunity to address the leading needs of virtually every museum. Curriculum specialists from Kansas and Missouri are included in the conference sessions to apply general principles to specific state standards.
Registration: $30 per participant (free for the first two participants from member organizations in the Museum Educators Roundtable of Kansas City). The size of the facilities is limited, and registrations will be accepted on a first come, first served basis.
Conference Facilities: The National Frontier Trails Museum, the Bingham-Waggoner Estate, and the Chicago-Alton Depot are all an easy walk from each other.
Conference Schedule
Thursday, October 2: Reception at the Residence Inn (Independence) from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. for those in arriving early or in the vicinity.
Friday, October 3, 2008
8:30 am to 9:00 am: Check-in at the National Frontier Trails Museum
9:00 am to 9:30 am: Welcome, Introductions, Housekeeping
9:30 am to 10:30 am: Understanding School Culture and the Standards Movement
Presented by Heather Widener and Bill Obrochta, Virginia Association of Museums
10:30 am to 11:30 am: Opening Doors to Great Guest Experiences: Conner Prairie’s Philosophy and Approach
In this session, Aili McGill, Experience Manager, and Elizabeth Milikin, Team Leader, will describe the 8-year effort to substantially improve guest experiences at Conner Prairie by putting guests in the driver seat. They will present research evidence that Conner Prairie has collected over the past eight years, and offer participants the opportunity to comment on examples of the Opening Doors approach in practice.
11:30 am to 1:00 pm: LUNCH
Information about and directions to area restaurants will be provided.
1:00 pm to 2:00 pm: Working with Kansas Curriculum Standards
Presented by Lynn Vasquez, History-Government Program Consultant, Standards and Assessment Services, Kansas Department of Education
1:00 pm to 2:00 pm: Skills and Techniques
Aili McGill and Elizabeth Milikin will lead the group in generating a list of things that guests want from each of our sites. We will then brainstorm ways to meet those expectations, and will experiment with new or different interpretive techniques. This portion of the workshop will be highly interactive and packed with hands-on learning
and participatory fun, so all who attend should be prepared to be actively engaged at the task at hand!
2:00 pm to 2:30 pm: BREAK
2:30 pm to 3:30 pm: Lesson Planning for Museum Educators
Presented by Heather Widener and Bill Obrochta. Virginia Association of Museums
3:30 pm to 4:30 pm: Working with Missouri Curriculum Standards
Presented by Bill Gerling, Assistant Director/Social Studies Consultant, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
5:00 pm to 7:00 pm: Catered Dinner at Bingham-Waggoner Estate
Saturday, October 4, 2008
9:00 am to 9:30 am: Welcome, Announcements
9:30 am to 10:30 am: Getting Focused on Educational Programming (or, Planting the Seeds of Great Educational Programs)
Presented by Heather Widener and Bill Obrochta, Virginia Association of Museums
10:30 am to 11:30 am: Opening Doors at Your Museums: Putting Conner Prairie’s Approach into Practice
Aili McGill and Elizabeth Milikin will lead participants in activities that will help generate strategies for applying the Open Door philosophy at the participant’s museums. This session will be packed full of intense brainstorming, hands-on learning, and participatory fun, so all who attend should be prepared to be actively engaged at the task at hand!
11:30 am to 1:00 pm: LUNCH
1:00 pm to 2:00 pm: Skills and Techniques REPEAT
Aili McGill and Elizabeth Milikin will lead the group in generating a list of things that guests want from each of our sites. We will then brainstorm ways to meet those expectations, and will experiment with new or different interpretive techniques. This portion of the workshop will be highly interactive and packed with hands-on learning
and participatory fun, so all who attend should be prepared to be actively engaged at the task at hand!
1:00 pm to 2:00 pm: Instructional Techniques
Presented by Heather Widener and Bill Obrochta, Virginia Association of Museums
2:00 pm to 2:30 pm: BREAK
2:30 pm to 3:30 pm: Challenges
Aili McGill and Elizabeth Milikin will generate a list of challenges that each site faces in tying to implement the Opening Doors approach. We will brainstorm possible solutions to those challenges and use each other’s experiences to problem-solve and strategize for the future. This will be an intense and highly participatory session, so come prepared to engage!
3:30 pm to 4:00 pm Wrap-Up
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Opportunity to tour museums and historic sites in Kansas City and Independence. Check for additional information in your packets.
Conference Hotel : A block of rooms has been reserved at the Residence Inn, 3700 Arrowhead Avenue, Independence. The room rate if $89 plus taxes, and there is no additional charge for additional people in a room with a queen bed and sleeper sofa. Breakfast is included. Our Block ID is "WFMA."
Airport Connections: Super Shuttle (800-258-3826) or Quicksilver Airport (913-262-0905).
For further information: Contact Workshop Coordinator, Alisha M. Cole, at Arcadia Consulting, (816-931-0951) or arcadia1307 "at" mac "dot" com.
Conference Flyer and Registration Form - Word
Conference Flyer and Registration Form - PDF