The MusēOn is envisioned as a space to enrich the learning. It is an exhibition and active learning space on the Gávea campus of the Escola Americana do Rio de Janeiro. The mission of the MusēOn is to inspire curiosity.
The vision is to enrich the learning experience at EARJ through fun, design based educational methods. The MusēOn offers EARJ community members the opportunity to explore diverse topics through thought-provoking visual content, text, and artifacts.
MusēOn patrons will participate in minds-on/hands-on learning activities connected to a relevant theme. Curated content will change on a quarterly basis.
Learning activities in the MusēOn will operate on three basic principles of design thinking: Observation, Creation, and Presentation.
Through exposure to interesting content, students’ knowledge and imagination will be stimulated. They will be challenged to consider many possible solutions to human issues and engage in collaborative learning activities that foment curiosity, innovation, and solution-oriented thinking.
Design thinking is a mindset. It is an approach to creative problem solving that is not limited to design, but can be applied to any human challenge, issue, task, problem, or identified need.
By learning to think like a designer, EARJ students will be developing valuable competencies such as collaboration, communication, empathy, perseverance, critical thinking, creative confidence and more.
All kindergarten through 8th grade students from the Gavea campus visit the MusēOn regularly through the school year. At the MusēOn students are exposed to diverse ideas that they may not necessarily learn about in-depth in their regular classroom. Students will participate in design-based thinking activities connected to the overall theme. All learning activities are facilitated by the MusēOn curator.
The fundamental learning principles of the MusēOn are:
Observe objects or phenomena from multiple points of view and practice analytical skills.
Create connections, generate ideas and create designs.
Present the design through the art of storytelling.