Website provides strategies and suggestions for setting up and implementing an informational interview including example questions.
Resources
Discover more ways to support your professional learning goals.
This curated collection includes a sampling of articles, online courses, professional organizations, and other tools that ISL professionals from a wide range of roles and settings have found useful.
While exploring these resources, it may be helpful to focus on specific competencies you want to develop (see Framework and Self-Assessment), your own personal learning goals (see Learning Plan), and/or broader strategies for professional learning. The Key Terms page can offer additional insight into Pathways language.
Situating Reflective Practice in Experiential Learning: A Case Study of Educators’ Professional Learning through Tinkering at Home
Author(s): Thomas Murphy, Ciara and Martin, Lee
Article describes a professional learning experience for educators based on tinkering, and explores the value of experiential learning related to educators’ reflective practices and professional learning. Open access/free download.
Best Practices in Science Communication
Author(s): The American Society for Cell Biology®
Website from a professional association of scientists offers general science communication tips, resources, and references applicable to many learning situations.
Roots: Inquiry-Based Science Education (Volume 9, Number 2)
Special journal issue from Botanical Garden Conservation International focuses on successful inquiry-based science education approaches in botanical gardens and related informal learning environments. Open access/free download
The Museum Education Job Taxonomy: How Our Job Titles Affect Our Work and Our Value
Author(s): Ripley, Amanda Tobin and Hurley, Marjorie
Article documents and analyzes the range of titles within the museum education sector, the ways titles may be associated with opportunities for career advancement and compensation, and the need to critically reflect on the language used to describe museum education work. Open access/free download.
The ABCs of Science Communication
Author(s): Martin, Korei
Blog post offers strategies, resources, and principles for effective science communication in both classroom and out-of-classroom environments.
What is Coaching?
Author(s): Johnson, Alyce
Blog post based on MIT research describes role, purpose, approaches to and misconceptions about coaching.
Leading Through Reading: A Guide to Leading Productive, Powerful Book Club Discussions
Author(s): Ihli, Noelle
Blog post presents techniques and strategies for planning and facilitating productive and engaging book club discussions for teams or groups.
A Complete Guide to Informational Interviews (With Benefits)
Author(s): Heine, Amy
Blog post provides tips and suggestions for how to use an informational interview to learn more about career paths and growth opportunities, including sample questions for setting up and conducting an informational interview.
From “Let Me Show You Something Cool” to “What Do You Notice?” Preparing College Interns for Floor Facilitation in a Natural History Museum
Author(s): Gupta, Preeti, Perez, A., Martinez, N., Knutson, K., Crowley, K., and Chaffee, R.
Article shares principles and experiences of training young people to be effective facilitators. Open access/free download.
This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation under Award No. 2215274. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of NSF.