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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Jeff,

It is quite clear that your tongue is firmly place in your cheek. Which 
cheek it is though, might be in question.



What I'm am trying to say is that I do love seeing what gets people 
interested, engaged and riled up on this list. I am amused and sometimes 
even amazed. Discussions of this kind are important and fun for us to 
participate in - good for our souls. But you don't want to have too much 
of a good thing, do you?

It often seems to me that we don't try hard enough to illicit the same 
kind of emotions in our visitors. We tell them what they should do, how 
they should act, even what they should think. We are too full of 
ourselves, too self important, too intent in showing how smart we are.

Within the context of our work, in reality, we are not important at all. 
  Only the visitor and their experiences are import. That is why we 
exist. Most large science centers are dry, lifeless, un-engaging, 
boring, preachy and self important hulks, with very little room for a 
visitors point of view or their true participation in the 'discussion.'

What I am also saying, if it is not yet clear, is that I wish we would 
spend more time helping visitors create their own interesting and 
engaging experiences and less time being blow-hards, me included.

I might also be saying that time spent walking your exhibit floor, 
chatting with visitors and seeing what they are doing at your 
institution might be more valuable than sitting at your computer writing 
mails.

Now, let me take a deep breath...

Joe R


jeff courtman wrote:
> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
> *****************************************************************************
> 
> Joe:  do you mean to say it's a waste of time, a waste of our institutions'
> time, to use our brains to look at some of the edges of the envelope of what
> science centers and other informal institutions might be doing?  That such
> discussions, while not directly applicable now, won't provide a seed that
> bears fruit in the next 5 years? 
> 
> That some (not me) might be able to put together a well crafted, cogent
> argument in minutes?
> 
> That, rather than take a long lunch, I might be interested in typing?  Or
> rather than chat with coworkers for a few minutes around the coffee pot?
> 
> That there are a lot of institutions who could do better in their offerings
> should be no surprise - name any field that has an excess of innovators and
> risk takers.  Does the fact that institutions which don't constantly find
> either incremental or exponential improvement, whatever those may be, lessen
> their/our value to the communities in which we try our darndest?
> 
> That those in the field with years of experience, including you, shouldn't
> waste time participating in a process of discussing topics, proasic or
> relevatory, concrete or philosophic, which may even influence or help shape
> those who may be new to the field, and may be struggling with the same
> question of, 'what the hell is it I am really trying to do?" that you and I,
> at least I, struggled with years ago, even if they are from institutions
> which are full of high concepts and slightly short on substance?
> 
> It is hard to tell in an email when we are joking and when we aren't.  I
> hope you see my tongue is firmly placed at least half-way in my cheek, as I
> think yours was.....oops, times up.....   
> 
> 
> Jeff Courtman
> Director of Exhibits
> 251.208.6851
> Exploreum Science Center
> www.exploreum.net
> 
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