Resultados de la entrevista realizada a representantes de las mypes en la ciudad de Trujillo.

Hooper-Greenhill’s (1991) model of learning in the museum shows meanings and communication flowing both back and forth as described in Chapter Three. In the current study the meanings flowed within members of the community of practice, and additionally flowed from viewers to artwork and back. This necessitates community of practice members accepting authority for their own and the group’s learning. A democratic approach to knowledge was seen to underpin sessions. The gallery and classroom teachers facilitated, generally in a hands-off way, setting expectations of effective learning. Parents coached and managed students in their own way, within boundaries. The gallery and classroom teachers needed to communicate their expectations of parent support clearly. Parents had a responsibility, to some extent

taking on the mantle of the teacher. To do this they needed an understanding of their specific role during gallery education sessions, including supporting the protocol for these visits:

ESTHER: … I had to get up and shift a group away from the artworks, who were leaning on the artworks …

LESLEY: She … being an artist herself, she should know not to touch the artworks, or to take care of the surroundings.

ESTHER: But … artists often think you can touch the artworks, because they make artworks by touching them. They have a completely different view about artworks from gallery protocol …

Harnessing parents’ enthusiasm into productive learning support was dependent on their clear understanding of the requirements of their role on the gallery. This needed training:

ESTHER: … (It) has been really, really good for the kids’ drawing to have small groups with parents leading the kids’ eyes around the contour. But I need to describe extremely clearly to the parents so that it works. And it has been really effective and I’ve had wonderful contour drawings …

Figure Nine: Parent supporter in White Gold guiding students through the process of contour drawing. Credit: Lesley Kotua

When the parents understood their role, they were seen to be able to provide valuable support for the students, independently:

LESLEY: They were fully on task. There was no need for you or for me to intervene or support or even encourage them. Parents had completely taken over that role. We were there and we were ready, but we weren’t needed in any way at all. It was understood and they wanted to get on to it. The parents did a fantastic job.

However where adult supporters were unable to comprehend their job, the opportunity for effective learning could be lost, even to highly capable students:

LESLEY: … both those children have special learning abilities, but they definitely needed an adult who could lead them to much greater things than just that. I can’t believe that Joshua is just standing there, and I know his head would be absolutely full of exciting things, and that Grace couldn’t present, when she’s … really outgoing, can do anything on stage in front of people …

ESTHER: … the student teacher was not getting the kids to do the things that I’d asked them to do … I watched them looking at all sorts of other things. They were enjoying the exhibition … I don’t think the student teacher really understood the scaffolding process that was taking place. She probably just thought they were going down and ... wandering around and looking at whatever they felt like … so the kids weren’t able to fulfil their part of the lesson. … The general parent population of your school are used to what it entails ... and the student teacher … she is an artist as well, and so she’s familiar with The Suter. But obviously … not … with The Suter education programme, because she wasn’t really familiar with what the requirements were …

With adult supporters confident to participate and able to be involved in an appropriate manner, the class teacher and gallery teacher were free to orchestrate as necessary; responding to each other and to the situation, a fluid process where a range of meaning could be created within the community of practice:

LESLEY: I’m … pleased with the way that I was able to visit each group without the children being … aware that I was there … I was praising some works as I went around … (but) I’m merely a shadow to all of this. I’m relaxing like a bystander, not taking over and being the teacher. So, the children weren’t looking to me for guidance or behaviour or anything else. I was just unnecessary … it was the same at every group …

ESTHER: Able to take note of what’s going on.

LESLEY: Oh, yes. They … were completely independent. I know the parents were excellent as well.

To summarize: the community of practice demonstrated the characteristics of the intelligent novice in a number of ways. The gallery teacher and the classroom teacher acted together somewhat like the ‘executive functions’ of the brain, controlling the learning which takes place. The adults and students learnt together cooperatively in a way which reflects the concept of cognitive apprenticeship. Three particular aspects of this approach observed were scaffolding, modelling and cooperative learning. Particularly significant was the adults’ seeming enthusiasm for their own learning

during visits. In this community of practice all members seemed to see themselves as learners. With the two teachers as ‘executive controllers’ it was important that the adults who supported their students during visits understood and were able to fulfil their active role in the learning process. If this was working effectively concepts were developed together within the group.