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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We most definitely need to encourage conversations between children and
adults. I would rather have a parent giving their kids incorrect info
than none at all. (Big argument arrises here..) We have all seen the
bored, passive parent who just follows along and can't be bothered.
I suggest that exhibits and other types of display need to encourage
both kids and adults to do some critical thinking of their own. More
facts "for parents" (you know, the little graphic panels placed a bit
higher up...) are not the answer and we hardly ever get everything
100.00% correct and often have no time or budget to replace entire
graphic panels because of one incorrect fact (sad but too often true.)
Erich Rose
Exhibit Manager
Austin Children's Museum
201 Colorado Street
Austin, TX 78701
512-472-2499 ext 207
-----Original Message-----
From: Informal Science Education Network
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Wendy Pollock
Sent: Friday, June 22, 2007 9:49 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: What fathers tell kids about exhibits
ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology
Centers Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related
institutions.
************************************************************************
*****
Paul raises interesting questions. (On the dumb dad stereotype: one
father has written a letter to the editor touching on this and pointing
out that sometimes it's the exhibits that are wrong, not the fathers --
he'd reported a factual error in one of our local museum's exhibits, but
gotten no response from the staff.)
So if people, male and female, are so often confused and mistaken as
they interact with exhibits, why then are more museums inviting them to
contribute? Most often, these visitor contributions are opinions,
memories, and stories not framed as fact. Sometimes, they're invited as
a way of stimulating conversation.
It could be interesting to explore the gender aspects of interaction
with this kind of "visitor voice" exhibit. Or maybe someone's already
done that?
And sorry I didn't bracket link, Reagan:
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/15/AR20070
6150
1904.html>
Wendy
___________________________
Wendy Pollock
Director, Research, Publications, and Exhibitions Association of
Science-Technology Centers
1025 Vermont Avenue NW, Suite 500
Washington, DC 20005-6310 USA
202/783-7200 x114 Fax 202/783-7207
http://astc.org
http://exhibitfiles.org
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