We are in the Quad Cities area and thus have students from both
Illinois and Iowa.  We provide pre visit classroom activities as well
as post visit activities for the teachers to take back and use in the
classroom.  All are either a continuation of what has been done or a
series of questions/activities that teachers can use to assess what
students got from the trip.  We do not do these activities in the
museum, they are follow up for the classroom.

This has worked very successfully for us.  We do, of course, make sure
that every program is standards based and that those standards are
given to the teachers in writing as part of their confirmation packet.

If they need a "test", try sending it back with them.  It will seperate
the "test" from their experience during their museum visit.  In truth,
it will also be a true "test" of what they learned and not just what
they can remember for 2 hours so they can pass the test at the end.

Christina
Christina M. Myatt
Theatrical Programming Coordinator
Putnam Museum
1717 West 12th Street
Davenport IA 52804
563.324.1054 ext. 207 (phone)
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-----Original Message-----
From: Kristen Harbeson <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Fri, 13 Jun 2003 23:00:50 EDT
Subject: Museum education in a NCLB world

> Hello,
>
> Has anyone found themselves in a position where funders or school
> systems
> have requested, required or expected museum education programs to
> administer
> tests as a means of assessing the performance of the students during
> their program
> at the museum?   It strikes me that this is not good museum
> education, but
> under pressure from State Department of Educations and No Child Left
> Behind, I
> am being strong-armed into testing students as the leave a two hour
> education
> program at my museum.
>
> Has anyone else had similar experiences? Do you disagree with my
> impulse that
> testing is not what museums should be doing? Does anyone have any
> suggestions
> on how to keep museum education relevant without playing the testing
> game?
>
> Thanks,
> Kristen
>
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