Modeling Collaboration for Learning

Graphical Abstract

The Science Museum of Minnesota’s offers a well-developed model for implementing the Engineering is Elementary curriculum in Minnesota school districts for grades K–5, as well as a program for preservice teachers and teens called Linking Educators, Youth, and Learners in Computational Thinking.

Abstract

The Science Museum of Minnesota (SMM) leverages a professional educator team (“instructors”) comprised of about two dozen individuals who facilitate both formal and informal educational programming in the museum, in K–12 classrooms, and at community-based sites. The experienced instructors of SMM’s Lifelong Learning Group bring innovative programs to both students and their teachers. Recognizing that long-term experiences can have a profound impact on students and teachers, SMM works to develop multiyear relationships based on collaboration. This article focuses primarily on SMM’s well-developed model of implementing the Engineering is Elementary (EiE) curriculum in Minnesota school districts, but also uses a few examples from a new program called LinCT: Linking Educators, Youth, and Learners in Computational Thinking. After describing these two programs, we highlight lessons we have learned about effective professional development (PD) for both informal instructors and formal classroom teachers. Effective PD at SMM builds relationships grounded in strong communication, engages new models for collaborative learning rooted in actual classroom settings, and offers important considerations for informal educators’ own PD and preparation for work with classroom teachers and students. These new models for collaborative learning use knowledgeable museum instructors as master teachers who demonstrate instruction of the EiE curriculum in local classrooms or use museum-hosted summer camps as clinical teaching experiences for novice (and preservice) teachers. In both these models, informal and formal teachers learn through hands-on teaching work with students and colleagues.

Keywords:

• Informal Education

Author Contributions

Lauren Causey ([email protected]) is a senior evaluation and research associate at the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Shannon McManimon ([email protected]) is assistant professor in the Department of Educational Studies and Leadership at the State University of New York at New Paltz in New Paltz, New York, and works with the Department of Evaluation and Research at the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Emily Poster ([email protected]) is program developer for Engineering is Elementary at the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lauren Causey

Lauren Causey ([email protected]) is a senior evaluation and research associate at the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Shannon McManimon

Shannon McManimon ([email protected]) is assistant professor in the Department of Educational Studies and Leadership at the State University of New York at New Paltz in New Paltz, New York, and works with the Department of Evaluation and Research at the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Emily Poster

Emily Poster ([email protected]) is program developer for Engineering is Elementary at the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul, Minnesota.