ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
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Interested in writing up very brief summaries of key monthly discussions
on the ISEN-ASTC-L list? 

Museum Education Monitor (MEM) is a bi-monthly electronic publication
that provides links to the ongoing research and information already
available both online and in print for museum, gallery, and science
center educators and researchers around the world. 

Beyond listing more ephemeral information like job openings and
conferences, listerv discussions reveal a great deal about the vital
daily interests of museum educators. The ISEN-ASTC-L ARCHIVE is a very
useful resource but a summary adds an element of immediate reflection to
the discussion and helps to organize it for future use. The summary also
draws the attention of museum educators in other countries and in other
disciplines to the valuable work of those associated with ASTC. 

Here's an example of a summary that Kris Wetterlund, one of the owners
of the American listserv museum-ed, contributed to the Museum Education
Monitor:

"MUSEUM-ED
[Thanks to Kris Wetterlund for supplying these summaries. For more info
see the museum-ed archives at
http://www.museum-ed.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi?flavor=archive;list=talk
] March 2005
Topic: Internships
A request for information about how much museums typically pay interns
triggered a spirited discussion about paid versus unpaid internships in
museums. One student discussion list member wrote: "I have much more
respect for myself than to give away my skills for free." Unfortunately
the majority of museum educators who responded had done unpaid
internships at the beginning of their careers, and so felt especially
defensive. While students bemoaned the difficulties of paying for
college credits when internships are part of the class, essentially
paying to work without pay, museum educators pointed out the
administrative costs of caring for and supervising interns in museums,
and the unfortunate occasions when the museums give more than they get
in return from an intern. In the end, the majority agreed that unpaid
internships are worthwhile, and several museums educators said they do
pay interns whenever they can."

Listserv summaries are catalogued for the MEM online searchable database
and so remain available well beyond the life on one issue. 

Please let me know if you would like any further information or a
complimentary copy of the Museum Education Monitor to get a better idea
of our goals and methods. Regular contributors to MEM receive a
complimentary subscription to the publication and credit for their
contribution.

Cheers,
Chris

M. Christine Castle, Ph.D.
Editor, Museum Education Monitor
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To subscribe, please go to http://www.mccastle.com/subscribe.asp 

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More information about the Informal Science Education Network and the
Association of Science-Technology Centers may be found at http://www.astc.org.
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