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Developing Education Materials

The educational resources that I have been developing for the Wits Art Museum draw on learner-centred, activity-based teaching practices in which learning is understood as embodied, experiential and situated. This approach is underpinned by constructivist theories of teaching and learning which conceive of learners as active learning agents who construct their knowledge through making sense of their experiences in the world in and beyond the classroom. These methodologies enable learners to continuously interpret (and re-interpret) the world around them through their participation in interactive and engaging activities.  The education resources aredesigned as booklets in which participants write their responses to the artworks on exhibition. Thus the booklets are only ‘complete’ once the learners contribute to the text by inserting their opinions and recording their personal engagement in their books. This reinforces the interactive nature of the approach to teaching and learning adopted in these materials.

One Thousand Three Hundred and Eighty

One Thousand Three Hundred and Eighty

A reproduction of page three of the Negsingyawo-Migrant Journeys Education Resource.
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One Thousand Three Hundred and Eighty

One Thousand Three Hundred and Eighty

One Thousand Three Hundred and Eighty

Children of different ages were actively engaging with the Doing Hair: Art and Hair in Africa Education Resource during the Family Festival held in October 2014.
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Principles underpinning the design and content of education materials:

Learners must have opportunities for personal reflection, drawing, writing, and speaking.

The education resource is designed to be used in the museum, in conjunction with looking at a specific exhibition. It guides learners through working alone and in small groups in the exhibition space. The focus is on thinking about the context of the production and display of the artworks, and a reflection of one’s own subjectivity and context in relation to the work. Activities include:

  • Contextualising short introduction to the exhibition
  • Personal reflection – work alone = LOOK THINK DRAW
  • Work in groups – targeting specific artworks = LOOK THINK TALK WRITE
  • Points to stimulate group discussions = THINK TALK
  • Writing activity - work alone- personal reflection = THINK WRITE