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Hi All,
This has been an interesting thread. I have a few insights to add that may be useful.
Staffing is crucial without question, but there's more. There's a major conversational component that provides contextualization and support; every person's brain negotiates it's own path.
One of Frank Oppenheimer's insights was the mutually supportive roles of visitors and Explainers. He eschewed the high school science wiz kids in favor of curious and engaging young adults. It was about equanimity of starting point, and not so much about expertise in field, and that was revolutionary.
At a few rare times, I've observed visitors asking Explainers to cease and desist in their explanations, but in general even expert visitors enjoy and learn from the shared experience. Even if the explanation turns out half-baked or wrong at points, which they are on occasion. There's almost know better way to learn something than have to teach it, or do it--as is the case for a "make."
I think school groups tend to be a bit more "expert" oriented because information transfer is more of a key intent and audience need, but this is not so much the case for most other visitors: most visitors don't flunk a museum, but they aren't directly tested on them either.
Given the tremendous benefits of person to person interaction, it's hard to imagine stripping away the personal interaction experience.
All the best in the New Year,
C
Sent from Charlie Carlson's iPad
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>> David Perry
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>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Date: Wed, 26 Dec 2012 14:49:09 -0800
>> From: kevin goodwin <[log in to unmask]>
>> Subject: Re: Unstaffed Maker Spaces?
>>
>> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
>> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
>> *****************************************************************************
>>
>> I work full-time at MAKESHOP in the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh. I have always said that it is not the tools or the materials that make a space. It is the teachers and makers that "make" the space. I couldn't imagine this space without any staff. But, we are a museum that prides itself on staffing all areas. A maker space cannot exist without resident teachers or staff in the space.
>> -Kevin Goodwin
>>
>> --- On Mon, 12/24/12, Paul Orselli <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>
>> From: Paul Orselli <[log in to unmask]>
>> Subject: Unstaffed Maker Spaces?
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Date: Monday, December 24, 2012, 11:15 AM
>>
>> 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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>> Season's Greetings!
>>
>> A client is interested in a Maker-type space in their new building, but is wondering if it is possible for this type of space to be unstaffed (at least at times.)
>>
>> It seems counterintuitive to me to have a space with tools and materials that is not staffed, but perhaps folks on the list might be able to provide some successful examples of (or techniques for) unstaffed Maker-type spaces?
>>
>> Conversely, feel free to chime in if you think unstaffed Maker spaces are a loopy idea.
>>
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