On November 2nd, our class visited the Royal BC Museum where we had the opportunity to visit the "Becoming BC" portion of the museum. I have been to the museum several times  and love to visit every time there is a new exhibition but this helped me to see the museum in a whole new way. We began by going to a room in the back where we were introduced to our learning guide who explained the plan for the day and helped us to get into the right mindset as both a teacher and student. Our learning guide, as well as another museum staff, also explained the logistics and costs of taking a class on a trip to the museum. 

After our quick introduction to the day we took a very large service elevator up to century hall. We were then tasked with going through the museum and finding one thing we would buy, steal and burn. This activity mainly took place in old town and although I had been through the area many times, i was forced to looked very closely at each item to decide what i really liked and what I didn't. I never found something that I would burn but the item I would steal is the hanging light in the old town kitchen and the item that I would buy was the printing press. It was really interesting to hear what everyone had to say and I felt like I learnt a lot about my peers through this activity.

The next activity was to walk through the "becoming BC" area where we were asked to think about what we would add to this area. Our group decided that we would add smell-scapes to this area to enhance the experience of people in this area, and to help them to feel like they are really there in those places. While this is the main thing we wanted to add, our groups and others picked up on the fact that this area only tells primarily white, colonial history. Our guide told us that this area was created in the 1970s and at the time it was a place that reflected the histories that people were telling but that they are going through a process of change and reformation of this are to better reflect the people who actually made BC what it is today. The final main thing that we picked up is the fact that many of the coolest places in this exhibition are not accessible and that is something that needs to be addressed.

This is certainly a place that I will be bringing my students in the future. It is a fun and interactive way to learn about BC's history. It is pretty affordable to bring a class there at only $99 for a tour or free to just bring a school group. There is a lot that students can learn from seeing, hearing and touching parts of history and geography and not just reading about it.

"Educators have a broad knowledge base and understand the subject areas they teach."

"Educators understand the curricular, conceptual and methodological foundations of education and of the subject areas  they teach. Educators must be able to communicate effectively in English or French. Educators teach students to understand  relevant curricula in a Canadian, Aboriginal, and global context. Educators convey the values, beliefs and knowledge of our democratic society."

Teachers have a huge responsibility as they are teaching students and helping them in engage with the world around them. There is certainly a great deal that I still do not know about history and geography but I think that a museum is a great way for students and teachers to learn more about their subject area and interests. The museum, while not perfect in many ways, is very relevant to Canadian. Aboriginal and global issues and content that I will be responsible for teaching my students