Administration

Communications

C-SC teacher education students travel to St. Louis
Tuesday, February 10, 2009

CANTON, MO. – Culver-Stockton College juniors who have been admitted into the teacher education program will travel to St. Louis, Mo., this week to learn firsthand how museums can be brought into the classroom as teaching aids.

On Friday, February 13, and Saturday, February 14, students will visit the Missouri History Museum, St. Louis Science Center, and Art Museum. During Friday’s visit to the Missouri History Museum, students will take part in the Future Trek program, also known as Carver Careers. The Future Trek program is a careers-oriented activity that is now in its 12th year. The program focuses on math and science by examining the work of George Washington Carver. C-SC students will be paired with sixth graders from several St. Louis schools while they participate in four 20-minute workshops that will be led by science professionals and graduate students. After the sessions, the students will watch a short video, eat lunch, and then participate in a scavenger hunt in the George Washington Carver Gallery.

That afternoon, C-SC students will participate in an activity called “The Journey West,” which will explore the discovery and settling of the American West. They will also travel to the St. Louis Art Museum where they will explore American history through American art, furniture, and other artifacts throughout the museum.

“The arts generate lots of questions and help students focus on the creative process. Art lends itself to this kind of reflection. It's down to earth and kids could say why they liked it or didn't. In other words, being among the artwork elicits students' critical thinking,” said Terry Sherer, C-SC associate professor and Chair of the Education and Applied Arts Division.

“Trips to a museum are not just escapes from the routine of school. They should become integral explorations within the curriculum and heighten the natural impulses of curiosity, creativity, and joyfulness," added Sherer.

The students will also visit the St. Louis Science Center and take part in the interactive exhibits in the physical sciences before returning to campus on Saturday, February 14. The trip is part of the C-SC “Museums as Classrooms” program, sponsored by the dean and the Education Division.