In 2017, inspiration from the performing arts catalyzed the transition to more guest-centered gallery teaching at The Dayton Art Institute. To initiate this shift we hired three performing artists to lead training sessions for teaching in the galleries to illustrate that interactive strategies...

Museum educators often focus on the diverse profiles and learning needs of museum visitors, but do not always consider the multidimensionality of their own gallery educator corps in the design of trainings and professional development. By embracing individualism and encouraging personal style in ...

In collaboration with historic sites in Washington, DC, that have shared commitments to place-based and experiential learning, Ford's Theatre teaches K-12 educators about Civil War history through engagements with places, artifacts, stories, and enduring conflicts that can be made relevant to...

The eight articles in this themed issue are divided equally between those that focus on internal professional development for museum staff and those that focus on external professional development programs for classroom teachers, including preservice teachers and academics. Collectively, they...

The 13 articles in this issue share how museum educators have experimented with new teaching techniques or transferred a tried-and-true teaching method to a new audience in order to inspire museum visitors to grapple with new ideas and information. Individual articles provide specific "how to"...

Museums are well-positioned to engage adults with autism and other developmental differences both as visitors and employees. This article recounts the Museum Access Consortium's process to design and implement the project Supporting Transitions: Cultural Connections for People with Autism with the...

It is through the collective work of museum educators that an organization grows its social capital in its local community and beyond its physical footprint. Given the significant contributions of museum educators to an institution's outcomes, we argue for a shift in mindset on investing in their...

The Bilingual Co-teaching program at the Blanton Museum of Art offers bilingual gallery experiences for K-12 students and supports the efforts of Austin Independent School District (AISD) to promote dual language learning in the classroom and beyond. Tours in both Spanish and English are...

In recent years, museum educators have urgently explored more dynamic ways to train gallery educators, paid or volunteer, that account for different types of learning styles and teaching practices. This article demonstrates how utilizing a flipped learning model, with online webinars as the basic...

Using the case study of an unstaffed, interactive making space at the Portland Museum of Art, this article explores the potential for museums to facilitate visitor to visitor learning without the in-person assistance of a gallery educator. It offers concrete steps to design activities,...