Unlearning

It’s a mistake to follow traditions because the status quo is familiar. We’re better off questioning whether past norms are serving us well in the present and guiding us toward a better future. Today is an invitation to let go of knowledge, opinions, practices, and norms that are not serving us well, and to anchor in reflection and reimagination.

White page with heading text "what do we* need to unlearn *museums and museum workers; three large boxes with questions written above each. The first "what does unlearning mean to you?, the second "What are the steps that go into unlearning?"

worksheet

a framework for approaching unlearning and rethinking

considering the multitude of dimensions where unlearning and rethinking may occur at an individual- organizational- and industry- level

what tools are needed to transform

this worksheet offers prompts to guide our rethinking, checking in, and conceiving new ways of working

pie chart titled things people stay instead of rethinking. The pie chart is divided into four segments with corresponding lables on the right side. The largest segment, 2/3 of the pie represents "that's the way we've always done it"

workshop slides

to guide reflection and discussion

elements of unlearning and rethinking, common obstacles

this workshop slide set can be used and, it too, reimagined to situate conversations and revisioning

Worksheet and Workshop developed by Sierra Van Ryck deGroot, Molly Engelman, Ruth Starr

Chart and work informed by Think Again: The Power of Knowing What We Don’t Know, Adam Grant, 2021