Museums and You: Distance Learning

Third-graders in New Jersey get inspired by how artists have captured the beauty and wonder of snow as they create their own six-pointed snowflakes. Seventh-graders in Canada refine their knowledge of metaphors and symbolism as they view and discuss American portraits. High school students in California investigate artworks that illustrate the concepts of personal freedom and the struggle for equality. And they all had these experiences by participating in videoconferencing programs with the Amon Carter Museum of American Art.

Distance learning broadcasts are live, two-way audio and video programs that bring museums and their collections directly to the classroom. Forget about one-sided presentations where students sit silently watching a television monitor. Today’s videoconferences use mobile units that allow close inspection of original artworks in their gallery contexts, use discussion to help students connect to the works and the world around them, facilitate conversations between students and artists and authors they wouldn’t otherwise meet, and teach hands-on art, science, and writing projects from hundreds (if not thousands!) of miles away. Plus, most programs are correlated to state and national teaching standards.

Do you live in a rural area without close proximity to an art museum, but want to introduce your students to original works of art? Search for art museums who offer programming. Do you frequently bring students on museum field trips? Consider scheduling a videoconference as a pre-visit to prepare students for their experience or as a post-visit to reinforce what they’ve learned.

From the Los Angeles County Museum of Art to Washington, D.C.’s Smithsonian American Art Museum to the Amon Carter in Texas, museums across the country and beyond want to bring their collections to you and your students—wherever you are. Want to get started? Begin by searching the Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration for content providers, and if you aren’t sure if you have videoconferencing capability, talk to your district’s technology specialist. Once you’ve opened the doors to distance learning, you’ll not only give your students an opportunity to connect art and technology, but you’ll also truly show them that there are no limits to their exploration of or access to masterpieces from around the world!

Distance Learning Program Manager Nancy Strickland leads a videoconference from the galleries of the Amon Carter Museum of American Art in Fort Worth, Texas

-Stacy Fuller