As educators, we know you all are always looking for fantastic resources to benefit both you and your students in and outside the classroom. However, these resources can be hard to come by, especially if you don’t know where to look.
So, we are beginning a series on Educator Resources to highlight some of the materials and opportunities available to you and your students. This month, we will begin by talking about various online resources available through the Museum and accessible on our main web site.
1. Teaching Materials
Under the “Educators” tab of the main website, select “Teaching Resources” and then “Teaching Materials.” This portion of our website offers over thirty FREE downloadable “packets” of information, organized by theme, age level, or collection. Some examples include Silver in America, A Looking Journey (4th grade), and Arts of the Americas. These packets include introductory information, images of art objects, and classroom activities, along with bibliographies and printable materials.
This portion of our online offerings is currently in a period of transition. Through an Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) grant, to be discussed here later this month by Nicole, the materials are being revamped to better suit teacher needs. As we begin to add new and updated materials, the original materials and packets will still be online for your use.
2. Collections Online
Another fantastic resource to be found on the Museum web site are the Collections Online or Search Collections features. Several of our staff are working tirelessly to present the over 20,000 objects within the DMA collection to online audiences. Currently, over 6,300 works have been added to the online database and are searchable through the website. When viewing these objects online, users have access to images, basic object information, and notes from the curators. Objects can be sorted by collection area (i.e. African, Asian, etc.), artist, and object name. Users can also create a FREE eMuseum account to group and save images in customizable packets.
3. DMA TV
Finally from the main website, you can access DMA TV. This resource includes both videos and podcasts created by the Museum, ranging from interviews with curators and artists (i.e. this video interview with painter Luc Tuymans) to recordings of past lectures (i.e. Yale University Anthropology Professor, Michael D. Coe’s presentation: The True History of Chocolate).
We hope that you will take the time to explore the many wonderful online resources the DMA has to offer and find ways to incorporate them into your lesson preparation or classroom teaching. Don’t forget to check back in the coming months for posts about other educator resources, including online resources from other institutions, area adult learning opportunities, and local and national grants.
If you have any additional tips for your fellow educators, please leave a comment below!
Ashley Bruckbauer
McDermott Intern for Teaching Programs and Resources
