From: Dana Carlisle Kletchka, Ph.D.
The work of educators in art museums, like those in schools, is multifaceted, challenging, and, at times, exhilarating. Typical tasks include meetings with other staff members, planning opportunities for education and engagement with the permanent collection & special exhibitions, conducting formative and summative evaluation, writing and editing didactic and interpretive information, working with volunteer docents or paid gallery volunteers, and doing paperwork/responding to email/tying up loose ends ad infinitum.
One thing that a typical day does not include is time for professional development—the reading, writing, discussion, conference going and class-taking that comprise much professional development is more or less an addition to the work day rather than part of it. In particular, writing—as a form of praxis, of information sharing, or expanding our understandings of the work that we do—is most neglected. But it is arguably one of the best ways to improve our field.
This week, NAEA’s Museum Education Division is sponsoring a Peer2Peer Google Hangout titled How Do I Get Published? A Practical Guide for Museum Educators to Writing for and Submitting to Print and Online Publications. If you are interested in attending, make sure that your Google+ account is current, your computer has a camera, and that you have a quiet space for about an hour. (If you do not have these three things, the Hangout will be recorded and available for later viewing).
The hangout will be here at 1:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday, December 9.

Join the conversation about the role of publishing in museum education. We'll address the following and additional questions from viewers: Where can I publish? What are the steps to publish? How do I make time to publish?
Panelists:
Cynthia Robinson, Director, Museum Studies Program at
Tufts University; Editor in Chief of the Journal of Museum Education
Dana Carlisle Kletchka, Curator of Education at the Palmer Museum of Art at Penn State
Emily Holtrop, Director of Learning and Interpretation at the Cincinnati Art Museum; NAEA Museum Education Division President