| Classroom Observation: Question 37: Did the teacher or
students offer an opinion on these loans? |
Conclusion: 14 teachers and students offered spontaneous opinions on
the loans. These included suggestions for improvement of the loans such as: the use of
laminated images of loans for individual work and more information on the artists who
created the prints.
There were also comments on the contribution of loans to learning. Teachers pointed out
that: the objects allow the students to do better 2-dimensional work; the prints help the
students with their own figurative compositions; and that, generally, the loans allow
disinterested students "a way in" to learning.
Summary of findings:
Out of 26 schools, 14 teachers and students offered opinions on the loans during the
observations. Opinions on the loans related to the following 6 areas:
- · The appropriateness of current objects and loan design: 3
1. Young children do not find skeletons, etc., gruesome.
2. Students respect for replicas is not the same as it is for real artefacts.
3. Smaller loan boxes and laminated images can be used well for individual
work.
- · Positive responses to specific artefacts: 3
4. Reception children loved the model of the lock.
5. Year 6 children were amazed by the size of the shells.
6. A Year 2 teacher thinks it is lovely when the children can try things on.
- · The contribution of loans to learning: 3
7. The models allow the students to do better 2 dimensional work.
8. The prints help the students with their own figurative compositions.
9. The loans allow disinterested students "a way in" to learning.
- · Suggestions for loan design improvement: 3
10. The artist's name/history could be attached to the original prints where possible.
11. Laminated labels should be put in the cases.
12. A display showing archaeological layering where students can slot in the appropriate
(perspex sandwiched) object could be created.
- · Hindrances to the use of artefacts in school: 1
13. Lack of experience, freedom and time makes teachers reluctant to use artefacts.
- · Loans used most: 1
14. The loans that were used most fitted into the schools programme of study.
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| Classroom Observation: Question 37: Individual Quotes |
Key: A "user" is a school that already uses the loan service. A
"non-user" is a school that does not currently use the loan service.
Statements reflecting ideas on the appropriateness of objects and loan box
designs: 3
1. School A: User: Primary
When I asked the teacher whether any of the children found the frog skeleton in any way
gruesome, she replied that nothing was gruesome to them. They are so open and interested
in everything.
2. School U: User: Secondary
The teacher said that they prefer to use the smaller loan boxes (perspex sandwiches) so
that the students can look closely and individually at them. The laminated sheets of
images that come with the loans are used a lot - as much as the loans themselves.
3. School X: Non-user: Secondary
When I asked one of the students about the difference it makes that an object is a
replica, they replied "Yeah. I wouldn't respect them."
School comments on positive pupil responses to specific artefacts: 3
4. School I: User: Primary
The teacher said, "We looked at the (Reading Abbey) tiles more than anything. We are
doing a local study so we linked them to looking at our local church tiles… They
loved the model of the lock. They spent a lot of time playing with it."
5. School N: Non-user: Primary
The teacher said, "The children were amazed when I took out the shells the first
time."
6. School K: User: Primary
The teacher said that it is really lovely when the children have things, as they have in
the past, that they can try on.
Teacher comments on the contribution the loans made to learning: 3
7. School J: User: Primary
The teacher said, "If they didn't have the models they (the students) would not have
been able to do this two dimensional activity".
8. School S: User: Secondary
The teacher said that dealing with the figure was very difficult for Y7 and that without
the prints it would have been much harder.
9. School W: Non-user: Secondary
The teacher compared the session with the artefacts to sessions dependent on reading:
"That's the most interested I've seen Mohammed in ages. He was asking questions. He
usually throws his pen on the floor!... Reading doesn't do it for them.
Suggestions for improvement by the Schools: 3
10. School Q: User: Secondary
The teacher did ask who the artist was in relation to the prints: "Who's the artist?
That's a problem. We need to know more about the artist."
11. School T: User: Secondary
The teacher said that it would be nice if the museum supplied laminated labels for the
objects as she has had to create 100's of these over the years (which she has kept). She
also said that if the museum sent a quiz sheet or a question sheet with the loans, the
tutors could use it as a homework exercise ensuring more students saw the loans. She
mentioned that the Head of History said that the WWII boxes had been one of the best loans
they have had.
12. School Y: Non-user: Secondary
Yes. The teacher said "I'll tell you what would be good for a display. Showing
archaeological levels where children can slot fakes in. Or a simple program on a CD ROM
that can be done in 15 minutes - something short and hands on."
Negative comments by the School about the use of artefacts in school: 1
13. School O: Non-user: Primary
The teacher said, "When the artefacts arrived, the staff was disappointed. With the
Egyptian artefacts, teachers said "We should have had these in the Autumn term when
we were doing the Egyptians!". They have very strict literacy and Numeracy plans.
It's not like it was a few years ago. There are less opportunities to 'Forget this - let's
look at the objects'. Another problem is that the young teachers were reluctant to use the
museum objects because of their lack of experience with museum artefacts."
Schools comment on the preferred loans or loan designs: 1
14. School P: Non-user: Primary
The skeleton and the Hinduism collection were used most as they fitted in to the school's
programme of study.
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