Today I want to share a simple -yet amazing- idea designed by Tenessee Art Teacher, Ian Isom. Ian created an interactive passport in AOE’s Integrating Art History class as a way to encourage his students and their families to visit a local museum.
In Ian’s case, that museum was The Frist, and his design both challenges students and supports families in trying something new.
There are three reasons why you need to steal this idea immediately and create an interactive passport of your own.
(P.S. Ian gave us permission to publish his passport for the good of art teachers everywhere, so it isn’t really stealing.)
1. It’s a fantastic introduction to all museums have to offer.
There are many different activities for students to complete using the passport. For example, students can go online via a handy QR Code to preview artwork. They are also challenged to go to the physical museum and hunt for particular images. In addition, Ian’s design challenges students to participate in different museum activities and events. Students receive a stamp in his art room when the brochure is returned. The variety of activities appeals to many different types of learners and helps students explore all the ways they can experience a museum.
2. It provides support for apprehensive parents.
Art museums are not intimidating to art professionals, but they might be intimidating to parents. Ian’s bulleted list of ideas and information designed just for parents may be the deciding factor in scheduling a visit. Museums have changed a lot over the years, and it is important to give parents the tools they need to have a positive experience and come back for more. Sometimes we have to teach adults too!
3. It’s (almost) free!
Outside the cost of printing the passports and perhaps purchasing a cool stamp, this is an inexpensive idea. If you don’t have the funds to take your students to the local museum, this may be a way to encourage them to go on their own. If you do take a field trip, a passport could serve as an excellent follow-up activity where students take their family members and act as the docents!
Thanks so much to Ian for sharing this amazing idea with us! Be sure to click on the passport image above to download Ian’s example to use as inspiration while designing your own!
How do you connect with local museums and art centers?
Do you have any other innovative ideas to share?
Magazine articles and podcasts are opinions of professional education contributors and do not necessarily represent the position of the Art of Education University (AOEU) or its academic offerings. Contributors use terms in the way they are most often talked about in the scope of their educational experiences.
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