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Dear All, Just to add to these discussions, list members might might also be interested in exploring the GEM Foundation Course in Museum Learning. http://www.gem.org.uk/cpd/fc/fc.php Best wishes, Alex Alexandra Woodall PhD Researcher School of Museum Studies University of Leicester http://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/museumstudies/research-degrees/CurrentPhDStudents/AlexandraWoodall [log in to unmask] Twitter@alexwoodall On 21 Jul 2015, at 14:08, Anna Shortland <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Hello, > > To briefly chip in with my personal feeling and experience on this issue; I feel that it is an MA in Museum Studies…or better still, and more specifically, Heritage Education or Art Gallery Education, that is the better option. > The Museum Studies courses provide a solid understanding and awareness of the cultural sector and role of museums and galleries that you would never get from doing a PGCE –and this is really important! PGCE courses only focus on formal and either primary or secondary education –just one of the very many audiences you’d be likely to work with. In my current role as Informal Learning Officer, I don’t actually work directly with schools, not in a formal curriculum sense. Furthermore, for me a big part of my job is events management, an area that we did explore in the MA and gain practical experience in – not something I would have gained by doing a PGCE. > > From my personal experience of job hunting and working in the sector in England and Scotland –my MA in Art Gallery Education has definitely been a major plus point for getting interviews and employment. on a day to day basis I draw on the skills, knowledge and resources I explored during the MA all of the time. > > To the best of my knowledge, the majority of people I knew who were doing the MA in Art Gallery Education at Newcastle around the same time as myself, gained good employment in the sector. I have met more others in various roles since then too all over the country! > > I would thoroughly recommend it. > > Thanks > Anna > > > From: List for discussion of issues in museum education in the UK. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of sophie cabot > Sent: 21 July 2015 13:13 > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: Ways to get into a career in education > > Hi Eleanor > > I knew plenty of people would feel like this, and I'm sure it's perfectly possible to go down lots of other routes. > I also didn't by any means suggest that a Museum Studies MA - if that is Lexi's subject area - would hold anyone back, just that a PGCE would be an advantage. Of course in an ideal world a person in this position should have the chance to develop both specialisms, but I got the impression that Lexi had to make a choice. > > All I can provide is my own experience, which is that on at least three occasions I have explicitly been told by interviewers that the difference between me and another candidate was that I didn't have QTS, and I think this is especially a problem in local authority museums. As I said I don't think this is a good thing - in fact from a personal point of view I think better museums education is generally provided by people who are NOT school teachers, but that's the difference between an idea and what the jobs market wants! > > For what it's worth, after more than a decade in heritage engagement I'm now working in a University careers service, so I do have some small insight into graduate destinations. The actually majority of Museums MA don't even end up in the heritage sector, never mind in a career of their choice, but that is of course true of most graduate arts courses! > > best > > Sophie > > ........................................................... Sophie Cabot BA MPhil. > > Date: Tue, 21 Jul 2015 11:15:09 +0000 > From: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: Ways to get into a career in education > To: [log in to unmask] > > Dear Sophie > Just to add my perspective I must disagree with you on some points I am afraid. > I took an MA in Museums Studies and have never felt as though it held me back as opposed to a PGCE. > I would not advise going to teach in the classroom with a hidden agenda to get out of there as soon as you can! True, many teachers become excellent heritage educators, but the skills are different and I don’t think entirely necessary. A mixture of backgrounds always diversifies a workforce and you will find many people with different views on this. I can think of at least 5 or 6 friends of mine working in heritage learning who don’t have a PCGE and the same amount that do. > All the best > Eleanor > > Eleanor Payne - Education Officer > London School of Economics and Political Science - Library > 10 Portugal Street > London > WC2A 2HD > [log in to unmask] > 020 7107 5472 > > Education and Outreach at LSE Library - http://www.lse.ac.uk/library/usingTheLibrary/training/educationandoutreach/Home.aspx > > <image001.jpg> > > The Women’s Library @ LSE - http://www.lse.ac.uk/library/collections/featuredCollections/womensLibraryLSE.aspx > LSE Library - http://www.lse.ac.uk/library/home.aspx | LSE Digital Library - http://digital.library.lse.ac.uk/ > > > > > From: List for discussion of issues in museum education in the UK. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of sophie cabot > Sent: 21 July 2015 09:48 > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: Ways to get into a career in education > > Hi Lexi, > > It is my experience that most museums, whatever they say in the person spec, actually prefer Qualified Teacher Status for education posts when it comes down to it. I think it's because the HR staff - who are often Council but not Museum - recognise it more easily. I've certainly lost chances through not having it, even though I have other education qualifications and many years experience. It's probably best not to get me started on how shortsighted I think that is, but I do think it's a reality... > > That means I would say do a PGCE, and whilst doing it do as much museum learning volunteering as you can physically stand. (A subject specific masters is more of a 'treat' than a career move - if you want to do one of those as well wait until you've got a stable job, which will most probably be part time anyway, and do it then!) > There are huge numbers of former teachers in the market for these jobs though, so you'll have to find a USP to make yourself stand out - whilst you still qualify for students rates do all the training courses you can find and go to conferences for things like Learning outside the Classroom and GEM. You are starting in the right way doing the internship! > > Good luck > Sophie > ........................................................... > Sophie Cabot BA MPhil. > Date: Mon, 20 Jul 2015 18:45:57 +0100 > From: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Ways to get into a career in education > To: [log in to unmask] > Hey everyone! So I'm currently an undergrad student at Liverpool (going into my third year in September). My aim in life is to be an Education Officer in a museum or gallery, and I need help as to what to do when I graduate! > > Should I do a PGCE? Should I do a masters full-time? Should I do a masters part-time and try to get either a relevant part-time job or more voluntary work? > > Please help! Would love to hear from anyone about how they got into their job, and any tips anyone has. > > I have done lots of voluntary work already and I am currently doing an internship at the VGM in Liverpool - so I am trying my best to do all that I can to further my career! > > Any help at all would be brilliant, > > Best wishes, > Lexi > + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + GEM list: Contact the list owner for assistance at [log in to unmask] For information about joining, leaving and suspending mail (eg during a holiday) see the list website at https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=GEM + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + > + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + GEM list: Contact the list owner for assistance at [log in to unmask] For information about joining, leaving and suspending mail (eg during a holiday) see the list website at https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=GEM + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + > + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + GEM list: Contact the list owner for assistance at [log in to unmask] For information about joining, leaving and suspending mail (eg during a holiday) see the list website at https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=GEM + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + > + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + GEM list: Contact the list owner for assistance at [log in to unmask] For information about joining, leaving and suspending mail (eg during a holiday) see the list website at https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=GEM + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + > + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + GEM list: Contact the list owner for assistance at [log in to unmask] For information about joining, leaving and suspending mail (eg during a holiday) see the list website at https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=GEM + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + GEM list: Contact the list owner for assistance at [log in to unmask] For information about joining, leaving and suspending mail (eg during a holiday) see the list website at https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=GEM + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +