In the past week I’ve just started teaching my Visible Thinking in the Museum Online course (VTMO) to a group of international educators excited to start confidently leading  discussions around art and objects. There’s always a buzz when we get going and an enthusiasm to learn as much as you can as quickly as possible. But I always try to slow down participants, so that they can take it one step at a time and build up their practice (and confidence) slowly. So this week’s episode is for all the new VTMO-ers and for anyone who has just started out using thinking routines to engage their audiences with art. Here are my top 13 tips for getting started!LINKSSupport the show https://buymeacoffee.com/clairebown

Today I’m really excited to be introducing our first guest chat on the podcast - Samantha Boffin.Samantha is a voice actor, director and audio drama coach working with clients on voice technique, voiceover and communication.⁠Your voice is one of your biggest assets when it comes to storytelling, entertaining and engaging your audience. In this episode, you will discover how to look after it, use it and make the most of it with simple, fun and actionable techniques. Samantha shares some wonderful tips and techniques that we can all use to make the most of our voice and use it in the best way possible.We discuss:Why your voice is importantTips / techniques for optimising your voice before you start a session (e.g an art discussion or a guided tour or a classroom lesson for teachers!)How to use your voice to ENGAGE your audienceHow the voice can be a tool in your educator toolbox to keep your audience tuned in, curious and eager to participate.Sam is very generous with her advice and shares lots of gold here – so you might need to make notes! LinksFind Samantha's Masterclass 'Your voice: How to Look after it, use it and engage your audience' in my membership programmewww.samanthaboffin.co.ukLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-boffin/Instagram   https://www.instagram.com/samanthaboffin/Taking Creative podcast https://samanthaboffin.co.uk/talkingcreative/ 

Today I’m talking about the 6 core elements in my popular Visible Thinking in the Museum Online (VTMO) course - elements that you should also have in your educator repertoire to connect with your audience and engage them with art and objects. I'm sharing with you:How the course came about during the start of the pandemic in 2020How it was designed and whyThe 6 core elements of the course and why they're important to youWhat you will get out of VTMONext week,  I’m teaching VTMO for the final time in the Visible Thinking membership. We start on 20 September!LINKSSupport the show https://buymeacoffee.com/clairebownVisible Thinking in the Museum Online (VTMO) course - www.thinkingmuseum.com/vtmo

Would you love to learn how to design and lead engaging discussions around art and objects in just 4 days? On Monday through to Thursday next week, I’ll be sharing 4 principles that are key 🔑 for creating engagement and connection when you're designing and leading art discussions. ⁠In this BONUS podcast episode (a first for The Art Engager!) you’ll learn everything you need to know about what happens when you join the challenge, who it's for and how it will work. Join in the 4 day Art of Engagement Challenge next week to make concrete progress on your journey to designing and leading engaging discussions around art and objects. So, what are you waiting for? Take some steps today and join me for the challenge on Monday - sign up today via the link below!LINKJoin The Art of Engagement Challenge - SIGN UP HERE https://mailchi.mp/4fc80dab0b8a/artofengagement

Today I’m sharing some thoughts about how you can successfully design and lead engaging discussion-based programmes around art and objects. I’ll be talking briefly about the difference between different types of 'talking' in museum education - conversations, discussions and dialogue - before moving into 11 tips for success in creating conversations around art and objects.LinksSupport the Show - https://buymeacoffee.com/clairebownSign up for The Art of Engagement Challenge - https://mailchi.mp/4fc80dab0b8a/artofengagementEpisode 18 Common Fears Around Leading Discussion-Based Programmes ( and How to Deal with Them)https://thinkingmuseum.com/2021/09/01/common-fears-around-leading-discussion-based-programmes-and-how-to-deal-with-them/Episode 9 - Creating a Great Group Dynamic in the 'New Now' https://thinkingmuseum.com/2021/06/16/creating-a-great-group-dynamic-in-the-new-now/'Teaching in the Art Museum: Interpretation as Experience' - Rika Burnham and Elliot Kai-Kee

Leading tours and educational programmes that are based on discussion, inquiry and interaction can be a scary business. Both for you and for your participants.And if you’re about to take your first steps, it might seem really daunting. However, do remember that any concerns you have are perfectly normal and you’re not alone (we’ve all been there and had to start somewhere). Take it one step at a time and with time, practice and guidance, it will get easier (I promise!).In this podcast episode, I’m going to summarise the most common fears and concerns about leading discussion-based programmes that I’ve heard over the last 20 years, along with suggestions for ways to overcome them.LINKSSupport the Show - https://buymeacoffee.com/clairebownVisible Thinking in the Museum Online (VTMO) - www.thinkingmuseum.com/vtmoThe Art Engager, Episode 12: Best Practices for Sharing Information - https://player.captivate.fm/episode/edd22a39-daa0-46f4-9444-5d6eb656164bThe Art Engager, Episode 4: The 5 Golden Rules for Asking Questions - https://player.captivate.fm/episode/8de302e0-94ce-4c79-8486-b0b92f83210d

Over the past year, I’ve attended some fantastic interactive online sessions and I’ve led hundreds of my own.⁠I’ve also attended some pretty dull one-way presentations and long lectures.No matter what type of session you are leading - be it a virtual tour, an online art discussion, an online class or course - you need to keep your session interactive to stop participants from tuning out. You need to find a variety of ways to engage people throughout the session. Online experiences that emphasise personalisation, active learning, interaction and engagement will be here to stay. If you haven't levelled up your skills yet, it's time you took some actionWhen it’s done right, online sessions are JUST as (and in some cases MORE) rewarding and engaging online. ⁠But how do you make it interactive and keep everyone fully engaged? Here are my 13 ways to get you started...LINKSSupport the Show! https://buymeacoffee.com/clairebownRecorded Masterclass: Zoom Confidence for Educators - https://thinkingmuseum.com/product/zoom-confidence-for-educators/Episodes 4 - The 5 Golden Rules for Asking Brilliant Questions - https://player.captivate.fm/episode/8de302e0-94ce-4c79-8486-b0b92f83210dEpisode 10 - 10 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Asking Questions https://player.captivate.fm/episode/be7953c3-9b54-4de4-9ed2-e793caef6851Episode 15 How to Use Artworks to Improve your Questioning Skills - https://player.captivate.fm/episode/8868cace-a070-4eef-806b-c12324b15246

Today I’m doing a deep dive on the most famous and well-known thinking routine of them all - See Think Wonder. I’m going to share with you how you can use this thinking routine in your art discussions and why it’s one of the best routines for getting started with Visible Thinking in the Museum - my method for engaging and connecting with audiences, art and ideas. It’s actually the first thinking routine that I teach when I do a training with teams of educators or guides in a museum and the first routine that I teach on my popular VTMO course. STW is a GREAT thinking routine to use when you are new to Visible Thinking and a really good one to use at the beginning of a guided tour or museum programme. But what is it, how can you use it and, importantly, what's so special about it? All will be revealed today in episode 16!LinksSupport the show The Ultimate Thinking Routine List Visible Thinking in the Museum Online (VTMO) Course

How can you improve your questioning skills without resorting to reading long lists of tips and techniques and do's and don'ts? What can you use to help you create, sort and evaluate better questions? The simple answer is: ART. I’ve been using artworks for years to help me to brainstorm, sort, re-word and improve my questions.Artworks (and objects) provide an engaging and focused way to work on your questioning skills. I’m not an ‘expert questioner’ by any means and have found that this is a skill that I have had to consistently work at to improve. But by using artworks, I really enjoy the process too. In today’s episode I’m going to share with you some practical ways you can use art as a tool to become a better questioner! NOTESSupport the Show: https://buymeacoffee.com/clairebownWikiart.org - https://www.wikiart.org/ How to Ask Brilliant Questions Masterclass https://thinkingmuseum.com/product/how-to-ask-brilliant-questions-that-get-results/

Today I’m sharing 5 simple slow looking ideas for the summer. In our fast-paced society, we scan, we skim and we scroll. We have forgotten what it’s like to really look at something.Slow looking is a wonderful alternative to life in the fast lane. The 5 activities I'll be sharing in this episode are simple, effective ways to slow down, improve your observational skills and focus and notice more details around you. You can use these slow looking activities throughout the summer - either on your own or with friends and family and children. All of the activities are designed to help you develop your ability to see - and in doing so, spark creativity, curiosity and improve focus.By the end of this episode you’ll have a range of great ideas to keep yourself and others engaged in slow looking in a range of different environments (outside and inside), some involve art and some do not. All are designed to help improve your observation skills and help you to slow down and relax.Which activity are you going to try? I’d love to hear how you get on with any of this activities, Please share your thoughts, photos, sketches and or notes via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter using the hashtag #summerslowlookingLINKSSupport the show https://www.buymeacoffee.com/clairebownThinking Museum website https://thinkingmuseum.com