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Subject:
Re: science staff
From:
Charlie Carlson <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informal Science Education Network <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 16 Aug 2010 10:46:19 -0700
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ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************

With respect to science staff versus other staff, I would suggest that museums and science centers should seriously rethink the notion of their place within the educational frameworks, and staff composition.  Museums are and should best represent the muse of science perhaps best summed as the expression of human curiosity and exploration.  Museums are physical communication devices and mechanisms of sharing.  

Evidence tends to indicate they are at best mediocre and inefficient constructs for direct didactic, highly organized teaching vehicles.  "No one ever flunk a museum," but few have passed them, either.  They don't have that metric.

As learning constructs are unlikely to be places of new discoveries in teaching mechanisms, or radical redefinitions of teaching pedagogy. People have been learning for 100,000's of years and more.   The re-discovered "hands-on learning" was probably the very first type of learning.  It may have evolved before language.

In the broadest sense museums are about stuff, the natural world and people that are passionately interested in it. (They also reflect social cultural values; another subject.)  Sporadic visits by the vast majority of visitors to museums are complex enjoyable human social events.  The science content and presentation can have positively affective benefits and positively engage a diverse array of visitors.  These are starting points.  The muse springs from science, scientists, engineers, builders, and artists.  To the extent affordable, the staff needs to reflect the process of science and the associated human interest, passion, history, and discipline.

Charlie
On Aug 16, 2010, at 2:53 AM, Lynn Baum wrote:

> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
> *****************************************************************************
> 
> One of the other benefits to having researchers on staff is the opportunity it gives to high school students, either through museum-based youth programs or for school-related projects.  Providing students an opportunity to work with a practicing scientist in the environment of a museum can really help young people fully understand what it means to "do science" and, with the support of museum educators,  can really help encourage them to head into fields of science.
> 
> Lynn Baum
> Senior Exhibit Designer/Educational Programs
> Jan Crocker LLC
> www.jancrockerllc.com
> On 8/15/10 6:03 PM, Mike Shanahan wrote:
>> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
>> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
>> *****************************************************************************
>> 
>> Bishop Museum in Honolulu has had Pd. D. researchers on staff for many decades - mainly in the natural sciences, archeology and anthropology.  A few years ago one of the researchers in ethnobotany was transferred right into the education department.  She was an excellent presenter besides having the academic experience.  A good combination, both in terms of accurate content and in terms of grants (she brought grant experience with her, and having that PH.D. was a plus on grant applications).
>> 
>> 
>> Mike
>> Mike Shanahan
>> Director of Education, Exhibits and Planetarium
>> Bishop Museum
>> 1525 Bernice Street
>> Honolulu, HI 96817
>> Office: (808) 847-8235
>> Cell: (808) 386-1419
>> Fax: (808) 847-8250
>> [log in to unmask]
>> www.bishopmuseum.org
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Informal Science Education Network [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of William Moser
>> Sent: Wednesday, August 11, 2010 4:19 AM
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: science staff
>> 
>> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
>> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
>> *****************************************************************************
>> 
>> 
>> I'm wondering what various science center staff members think of the value of having one or more "science people" on staff.  By that I mean either professional scientists or other professionals with a strong background and knowledge base in science, besides just education staff.
>> 
>> 
>> ***********************************************************************
>> For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.
>> 
>> Check out the latest case studies and reviews on ExhibitFiles at www.exhibitfiles.org.
>> 
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>> ***********************************************************************
>> For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.
>> 
>> Check out the latest case studies and reviews on ExhibitFiles at www.exhibitfiles.org.
>> 
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>>   
> 
> ***********************************************************************
> For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.
> 
> Check out the latest case studies and reviews on ExhibitFiles at www.exhibitfiles.org.
> 
> The ISEN-ASTC-L email list is powered by LISTSERVR software from L-Soft. To learn more, visit
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Charles Carlson
Senior Scientist
exploratorium
3601 Lyon St.
San Francisco, CA 94123
[log in to unmask]
Tel:   415-561-0319
Fax:  415-561-0370








***********************************************************************
For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.

Check out the latest case studies and reviews on ExhibitFiles at www.exhibitfiles.org.

The ISEN-ASTC-L email list is powered by LISTSERVR software from L-Soft. To learn more, visit
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