ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************

Joe

Our strategy is to post 'conditions of entry', provide pre-visit written info to teachers, talk to students and teachers about the 'rules' upon arrival and provide 1 (active, involved) guide per 15 children. And yet the behaviour described still happens occasionally.

The very nature of the hands-on environment in science centers generates excitement, encourages self paced discovery and interaction between visitors. I have seen student interest destroyed by teachers and guides being too obsessed with discipline. The vastly different behaviour of school groups is a clear indication that the behaviour in the science center is largely due to factors outside their control.

Glen
gkm at SCP 

---- Original message ----
>Date: Fri, 2 Jun 2006 12:39:35 -0700
>From: Joe Ruggiero <[log in to unmask]>  
>Subject: Re: school groups (and chaperones) behaving badly  
>To: [log in to unmask]
>
>ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
>Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
>*****************************************************************************
>
>Hi Katie,
>
>Was there a 'thread' on this that I missed?  The writer describes the 
>typical school group visit that any one of us who has ever worked 3 days 
>in a science center (I say '3' because two of those days could have been 
>on a weekend day) has seen over and over again.  Surely, you're not 
>surprised by the described behavior. Additionally, the writer has a 
>pretty good understanding of the straights science centers find 
>themselves in over this issue, though perhaps she gives the center in 
>question more sympathy than it deserves. Working in science centers we 
>know that the admission policies of the our institutions are frequently 
>as much to blame as the school systems when a school group visit goes 'bad.'
>
>Joe Ruggiero
>www.TheExhibitGuys.com
>
>
>Katie Stofer wrote:
>
>>ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
>>Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
>>*****************************************************************************
>>
>>Bad school group behavior has angered at least this parent, who wrote in to
>>the "Rants" section of Pittsburgh's City Paper:
>>http://www.pittsburghcitypaper.ws/views/story.cfm?type=Rant
>>
>>
>>--
>>
>>Kathryn Stofer
>>TerraLink Manager
>>Maryland Science Center
>>601 Light Street
>>Baltimore, MD 21230
>>410/545-5976
>>410/545-5974 fax
>>www.marylandsciencecenter.org
>>
>>***********************************************************************
>>More information about the Informal Science Education Network and the
>>Association of Science-Technology Centers may be found at http://www.astc.org.
>>To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
>>message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
>>[log in to unmask]
>>
>>
>>
>>  
>>
>
>-- 
>ÐÏࡱá
>
>
>***********************************************************************
>More information about the Informal Science Education Network and the
>Association of Science-Technology Centers may be found at http://www.astc.org.
>To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
>message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
>[log in to unmask]
>

***********************************************************************
More information about the Informal Science Education Network and the
Association of Science-Technology Centers may be found at http://www.astc.org.
To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
[log in to unmask]