By experimenting with different arrangements, students learn how to organize and prioritize information to help visitors understand the concept. Students also write and illustrate a MIP catalogue to document the exhibition and provide a reference source for future classes. By the time visitors exit, they have learned something about the concept, about museums, and about the depth of information and quality of work students can accomplish. With the skills they have learned, students and teachers can continue to create exhibitions based upon any curriculum goal. In creating this learning environment for the school and its community, students shift from receptors for knowledge to curators who are initiators of inquiry-based learning experiences.
Students become teachers.
MIP was conceived by Peg Koetsch, director of Education Matters. MIP was piloted in Seattle, Washington, and Madison, Wisconsin, when Ms. Koetsch was education coordinator for the Seattle Art Museum and the Madison Art Center. Ms. Koetsch has also designed and directed education programs for the Herbert F. Johnson Museum, Cornell University, in Ithaca, New York. Currently, Ms. Koetsch is developing a model for MIP to be implemented nation-wide.