Fostering curiosity and critical thinking on self-guided field trips

May 2, 2024

Kylie Neagle, the Education Coordinator at the Art Gallery of South Australia, discusses innovative approaches to self-guided field trips in art education. She emphasizes empowering teachers to foster curiosity and critical thinking instead of relying on traditional booklets. A standout tool mentioned is the Curiosity Cards, which enhance student engagement and encourage 'long looking' at artworks. Kylie also highlights the importance of community partnerships and the impact of interactive resources on enriching the gallery experience for underserved students.

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Episode notes

Intro

00:00 • 3min

Exploring Educational Initiatives at an Art Gallery

03:22 • 4min

Empowering Learning with Curiosity Cards

07:28 • 15min

Exploring 'Long Looking' in Art Education

22:31 • 8min

Empowering Student Choice Through Interactive Art Cards

30:07 • 2min

Connecting with the Art Gallery: Curiosity Cards and Engagement Resources

32:35 • 2min

Today, I'm excited to chat with Kylie Neagle about fostering curiosity and critical thinking on self-guided field trips for teachers and students.

Kylie Neagle is the Education Coordinator at the Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA) in Adelaide .

With a small team and limited resources, catering to diverse student needs can be challenging. Volunteer Gallery Guides, though invaluable, cannot always provide guided tours.

At the Art Gallery of South Australia in Adelaide (AGSA), this prompted a shift towards empowering teachers to lead self-guided tours, emphasising inquiry and engagement rather than content delivery. The aim is to discourage teachers from relying on booklets during gallery visits. When students solely focus on facts or information from wall texts, they miss out on the chance to discover artworks that genuinely pique their interest.

And this is where the Curiosity Cards come into play. These fantastic cards are a set of 52 tools designed to enhance art engagement among students. Perfect for self-guided gallery visits, they ease the pressure on teachers and empower students to articulate their thinking.

They promote 'long looking' and also foster critical thinking, creativity and confidence in discussing art, enriching the whole learning experience.

Episode Links:

Episode webpage + transcript: https://thinkingmuseum.com/2024/05/15/fostering-curiosity-on-self-guided-field-trips/

Curiosity Cards

https://www.agsa.sa.gov.au/education/resources-educators/resources-educators-themed/curiosity-cards/

Other AGSA Resources

https://www.agsa.sa.gov.au/education/resources-educators/

AGSA Education Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/agsa.education/

The Art Engager Links:

Join the Slow Looking Club Community

Support the show here https://www.buymeacoffee.com/clairebown

Download my free resources:

How to look at art (slowly)- 30+ different ways to look at art or objects in the museum

Slow Art Guide - six simple steps to guide you through the process of slow looking

Ultimate Thinking Routine List - 120 thinking routines in one place

If you have any suggestions, questions or feedback, get in touch with the show!