ERIC Number: EJ1335859
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022
Pages: 6
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0004-3125
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Available Date: N/A
Connecting Communities of Practice around Early Childhood Learning: Working toward Symbiotic Relationships in the Art Museum
Art Education, v75 n2 p27-32 2022
"Communities of practice" is a concept employed by Etienne and Beverly Wenger-Trayner (2015) to refer to "groups of people who share a… passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly" (p. 1). In the museum context, a community-of-practice model provides educators the opportunity to improve their teaching practice through collaboration--namely, the sharing of ideas, reflections, and strategies among colleagues. However, because art museums are typically not designed or built with children younger than 5 in mind and have been "the most reluctant type of museum to embrace childhood visitors" (Andre et al., 2017, p. 62), art-viewing and art-appreciation experiences in museums have traditionally been "an overlooked component" of early childhood education (Eckhoff, 2008, p. 471). This article examines e how museums and early childhood educators are distinct communities of practice that can converge around the shared interest of early childhood art education to deepen their expertise. It also examines how young children's experiences inform the work of communities of practice. Finally, the article examines how symbiotic communities of practice inform art museums' offerings for and interactions with children younger than 5 by complementing artmaking experiences in the home or childcare setting with art-viewing and art-appreciation experiences in the museum.
Descriptors: Communities of Practice, Early Childhood Education, Partnerships in Education, Museums, Arts Centers, Young Children
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A