Making use of Museums: An Alternative to the Usual English Class
Do you like museums? Which are your favorites? Museums have a long history starting with the first museum known to be in Alexandria, Egypt. The traditional role of museums was to collect and preserve artifacts; however, today the purpose extends much further. Museums can be used as a hub for education. And there are a lot of options when visiting a museum. There are museums for everything! Check out one example from Afar.com here: https://tinyurl.com/yd76ckfo
Archaeological and History Museums
When I worked in the United States, I worked with and in museums. In Florida, I worked as an archaeologist for the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum which protects, preserves and displays artifacts of the important archaeological sites on the Seminole Tribe of Florida’s six reservations. Creating learning activities for children in school or family groups helped me understand the importance of using the museum environment and a learning space. Now with the latest technology, we can use the museums online presence as a means of showcasing the museum’s exhibits.
Theme-Oriented Museums
I also worked for the museum of Motherhood in New York City. Here, artifacts and objects significant to the historic contributions of mothers has never been collected, organized, and preserved in one place. The museum offered a better understanding of birth practices through the ages, gives reason to pause and contemplate the advances of science and its impact on the human race. The museum also preserved a body of art, literature, music and film about women’s experiences of motherhood, will impact future generation’s perspectives on parenting.
Museums and English Classes
Now in Madrid, I use museums as a space to teach English using artifacts as visuals for vocabulary and practicing grammar and conversation. This is a fun alternative to the classic one-to-one classes at home or in a café. For a preview, take a look at my virtual tour of the National Museum of Archaeology (MAN): https://www.facebook.com/InglesconJulie/videos/1542119092550440/
If you are interested in taking a guided tour of the museum with me, please register here:
https://tinyurl.com/y88e6nkz
And lastly, if you are interested in taking an English class with me, please register at www.jlabate.com