ABSTRACT
The educator or facilitator is at the heart of high-quality museum programming. Today's museums are embracing young children and learning from best practice in the field of early childhood education as well as from children's museums. Training programs for educators and facilitators, who frequently are volunteers, are as diverse as the museums they serve. Most museum educators value professional development and see it as essential for creating a strong cadre of gallery facilitators. Current thinking in museums reflects a constructivist approach, which suggests that knowledge is constructed within the individual and is unique to each person. Knowledge of educational theory informs practice and leads to more appropriate and effective decisions in programming. Discovering hidden stories, appreciating stories of the past, or learning about stories of other cultures are natural outcomes of the work of museum professionals. The process of inquiry in a museum setting engages children, or for that matter any visitor, in investigation, questioning, examination, and exploration.
