When MOTL became MOTAL: MOTAL Turns Twenty

Dear Readers,

You are all invited to come help MOTAL celebrate its twentieth anniversary at Fullerton’s Hunt Library on September 29th. The fun will begin at 4:30. Bring TWENTIES ($$$). Now let us tell you how a charitable nonprofit that was incorporated in 2009 can turn twenty. How could that be?

Well, actually, MOTAL’s first incarnation as a nonprofit occurred in 2004. That year, MOTAL was named as a project of the California State University, Long Beach Foundation. Dr. Greta Nagel was named as the Project Director and donations to the museum’s early projects were sent through the foundation.

However, thoughts about a museum about education had begun to percolate in Greta Nagel’s mind a few years earlier, in 2002, while she was teaching about the history and philosophy of education at CSULB. There was so much that people—even experienced educators—did not know! And too many times, important decisions would be made without the help of historical and cultural frameworks. She was enchanted by the stories and thought that she should write a book about critical topics in education. It could be framed by the metaphor of a museum called the Museum of Teaching and Learning. It would be called MOTL for short.

The museum’s advisory committee agreed that, with nonprofit status, creating a website would be a good idea. But, as they soon learned, the hoped-for website domain MOTL was already taken. The first website designer suggested that inserting the letter A would help, and although some thought a lower-case letter O would be just like MoMA, the all-caps acronym stuck. M-O-T-A-L (rhymes with TOTAL).

Greta received “Scholarly and Creative” award funding for her conception of the museum and was granted a sabbatical leave to continue that study. She conducted observational research and gathered ideas within a wide variety of museums throughout the nation. Nagel conducted research and studies of feasibility, supported by seed funds from CSULB and Edison International, along with early contributions from over one hundred individuals.

Above: Cutout image of Horace Mann.

As part of the project, supportive and talented people were invited to participate in four different “Dream Teams” that convened in four cities. Additional groups of individuals participated in surveys and interviews, including groups in California and crowds who visited the MOTAL booth at the AARP convention in Las Vegas. As a result, Nagel began drafting a book-length manuscript to provide a vision of significant topics to be explored in an interactive museum.

At one point, though, CSULB colleagues encouraged Greta to put the book project aside. They said, “Why not start a REAL museum?” And so, long story short, with the help of those colleagues and staff members at the university, the first two MOTAL exhibits—about Horace Mann in 2006 and Maria Montessori in 2007— were conceived and created. Then, as time went by, hopes of attracting visitors beyond the university campus grew, The Museum of Teaching and Learning (MOTAL) applied to become an independent, charitable nonprofit. The official 501(c)(3) letter of incorporation bears the date: 2009. Perhaps, you might think, that means another twentieth anniversary could take place in 2029. But more than likely a 25th anniversary gala will take place.  

Now, in 2024, the museum is devoted to its mission of educating people about education by sharing exhibitions, artifacts, stories and articles, events, and podcasts. All reveal trustworthy information related to teaching and learning. MOTAL has grown, slowly but surely.

We know that:
Developing exhibits from start to finish is time-consuming.
Changing course during the pandemic meant adopting new tactics.
Being granted state funding escalated financial status and . . . obligations.

We continue to look forward knowing that exhibits are known for solid scholarship, creative approaches, and sound informal and interactive learning techniques. In addition, since 2004, MOTAL has engaged students as college interns and docents, offering hands-on learning opportunities and enjoying their helpful services and youthful outlooks.

Thanks for reading,
Greta


​P.S. Stay tuned. Better yet, decide to join our team. Opportunities to help abound. If you like to do something, there is a good chance you can do it for MOTAL.

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