Museum School Documentary

Beyond The Classroom: The Open Minds Concept in Action

Check out this awesome short documentary on our Museum School program. This past school year has been our fifth year running the program! Thanks to Gillian Kydd for implementing the program here and for her continued support. Thanks also to teacher Ann Chow - she's brought a class every year since participating in the pilot program back in 2008.

Museum School is a week-long immersion program where a classroom comes to the Museum for hands-on interactive lessons that place emphasis on object-based learning, journal writing, drawing, and slow, meaningful contemplation. Museum School is modeled on the Open Minds program which began in Calgary 15 years ago.

The program gives teachers the opportunity to move their classrooms into the community and use the existing rich resources for their teaching. The foundation of learning comes through the process of slowing down and taking the time to really look at objects. The students are at the museum for five full days, so that gives them time to focus on, and take in, their surroundings. Writing and drawing are key strategies in the process of contemplation and deep learning. Open-ended visual and written expression allows students a way to express their ideas and to consolidate their learning experiences in their minds.

Big thanks to Ivy Miller, Gillian Kidd and the Marigold Foundation for making this video a reality.



For more information go to http://btcn.ca/ or contact the museum at 604-886-8232.