#isthisthemuseum
Over the weekend a few fun things happened. We went to the Great Frederick Fair; we went to a lecture by Ann M. Martin (she wrote all those Baby-Sitters Club Books of my youth); and I started using Instagram.
At the Fair we watched horse riding competitions, climbed on large farm equipment, checked out the cows, goats, sheep, chickens, rabbits, ducklings, and pigs, ate fair food, rode some silly rides, and admired beautiful quilts, cakes, and pictures. We explored with family - some who have been going to the Fair for many years, and some for whom it was a first visit. The girls heard stories about when their grandparents went to the Fair as children. We revisited the idea of adding goats to our family (seems a little crazy to me, but maybe we will!). It was a good day. So here's my question: Is the Fair a museum? Is it a place where learning happens outside of school?
A few of the things we learned:
- John Deere Combines are huge. I mean really big. Seeing the size (and price tag) of one made us wonder about the size of a field of wheat or corn and had us comparing large-scale farming to our tiny garden beds at home.
- Farm animals really are bought and sold at the Fair. We watched the rabbits being weighed before they would be auctioned off. And one young boy was resting on his cow - probably one of his last times with her before she was sold.
- A female peacock is actually called a peahen. Makes sense once you think about it....
- Nigerian Dwarf Goats are indeed adorable, make good pets, and some people believe that drinking goat milk from goats who have eaten poison ivy can reduce your reaction to poison ivy.
- (The girls also learned that while Mom was willing to consider getting goats, rabbits are NOT in our future.)
And we had an enjoyable experience with our family and friends. Sounds like a museum to me.
Back in Pittsburgh on Sunday, the Goose and I went to hear author Ann M. Martin talk about her books and her writing. In preparation for the talk, the Goose and I spent the summer reading books by Ann M. Martin as well the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle books by Beverly MacDonald since Martin has written an updated take on those books in the form of Missy Piggle-Wiggle. We have been looking forward to her talk all summer, and we invited several of our friends to join us. After the talk, we had our books signed by Martin and had a chance to talk with her for a minute. We were not as excited to see her as the librarian who was waiting just ahead of us in line - she brought her Baby-Sitters Club sleeping bag to show off.
Highlights:
- When Ann M. Martin shared that she is really a very shy person.
- Listening to Martin read from her latest book, Missy Piggle-Wiggle and the Whatever Cure, which we had just finished reading ourselves.
- Having the interviewer read the question that the Goose had written, and finding out that there will in-fact be more Missy Piggle-Wiggle books in the series.
Now, is THIS a museum? Is it a place where learning happens outside of school? Preparing for the talk felt more school-like. We went to the library, requested books by specific authors, and we had a deadline for getting our reading done. As we read, we considered what we would like to ask the author - both about the stories themselves but also about what it is like to be an author. We shared the experience with friends.
But is it a museum? In this instance, I'm not sure. I am sure that we engaged in learning and we were intrinsically motivated to do so. But I'm not sure if a lecture experience is fundamentally the same as a museum experience. This may be because once you choose to participate, the experience is not self-directed in the same way that museum experiences are. There is something unique in being able to decide how you navigate a space or experience, and being a captive audience member doesn't allow for that. Hum, interesting.
Going forward, I plan to keep asking #IsThisTheMuseum, and I'll share experiences on Instagram and Twitter with that hashtag. I would love for you to do the same!