Principles for Deprivatizing Practice: Cultivating a Professional Learning Community for Museum Educators

• In Event: Innovation in Informal Learning Environments for Diverse Communities

Abstract

Musuems have a key role to play in the broader landscape of education, but ways to support professional learning of museum educators are underdeveloped in theory and in practice. This proposal describes the work of a regional network of museum educators, which can be conceptualized as a Professional Learning Community. Through a design-based research process, we recognized the need to depriviatize the practice of museum educators to cultivate an effective PLC across dispersed sites and museums. The project led to the development of four design principles for deprivatizing practice. We suggest that these principles may support deprivatization of practice and ongoing professional learning among museum educators.

Authors

• Tarah Connolly, University of Wisconsin - Madison
  Presenting Author

• Peter Samuelson Wardrip, University of Wisconsin - Madison
  Presenting Author