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Erich and others have made some great points.
1. With 1500 people, mapping it all out seems contrary to the reality
of the situation. The phrase that comes to mind is herding cats.
2. Tying back to curricula is as much a rationale as it is an
altruistic motive - it gives the teachers a perfectly defensible
reason to come. Again, even if a class is exceptionally motivated,
exceptionally well behaved, is it not likely in a sea of other
students, that there will be a chance for much reflection on the
experience - and yet the latter is a necessary component to coming
closer to meeting our altruistic goals.
If someone were to ask me how to enrich the teacher experience, it
would be to educate the teacher about how such large groups are going
to impact the experience and to expect controlled chaos, then work
with them on creative ways to use it to their advantage. Knowing what
to expect would certainly help me as a teacher. I might suggest, as
others have, that the buddy system could be used to support the social
dimension of learning. For instance, I might suggest students, in
their explorations, find one or two exhibits that excite or attract
them and discuss that with their friends.
Trying to make peak periiods somehow work the same as quieter times in
the center seems counterproductive. I know some institutions are
upfront and share with teachers and other visitors that they may have
a better experience if they book during off peak times. Obviously,
that's not always possible, especially for school groups who have a
tradition of spring field trips. Nevertheless, I see nothing wrong
with being realistic in our communications.
Finally, the whole question seems ripe for a focus group with your
teachers, particularly those who have experience of those peak times -
what have they learned and how can we help?
Just my 2 cents....
On Nov 5, 2010, at 10:13 AM, Erich Rose wrote:
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>
> Anne,
>
> Great feedback from the list as well as yet more good questions for
> all of us to ponder. I have seen several museums now transition
> from unstructured (run and scream) field trips to well structured
> visits. Generally the later will focus on one exhibit area and the
> teachers will be provided with material beforehand. Classes may be
> broken up into smaller (10-15) groups and then lead through an
> activity or exercise by museum staff or docent. In order not to
> over crowd exhibits the groups may be directed to one area for a set
> amount of time and then move on or switch out with another. At the
> Staten Island CM the floor staff used radios to communicate as they
> moved about. We often had a class going up one set of stairs while
> another went down the other. The staff became pretty good at this
> considering there might be 4-5 classes in the museum at one time.
>
> With as many as 1,500 field-trippers at a given time I would suggest
> having it all mapped out before hand. Each group leader should have
> assigned spaces for their group and a time schedule. But you may
> also need to consider limiting groups to just one or two galleries
> per visit. If the groups are expecting to see "everything" it can
> only be hectic and in the end not very satisfying.
>
> Another thing that seams to work well is having the visitors work in
> pairs or small teams so that you have fewer of them wandering off.
> Many schools use the buddy system as a norm. The logistical aspect
> is either getting the teacher/chaperones to have this organized
> ahead of time or making sure there is an orientation time at the
> beginning to set that in place.
>
> Staff, docents, volunteers need to have some training or guidelines
> for how they deal with groups. handling a gaggle of excited 5 year
> olds is not easy. It was not common to hear of a problem that could
> have been addressed quickly if the staff person had felt empowered
> to act. I've seen younger staff members become intimidated by
> parents and teachers and then lose control of the group. This is
> where the education and visitor services departments can really
> compliment each other and share resources.
>
> We all know the need to tie the museum experience to curriculum that
> many schools face. You can use that to your advantage by creating
> activities that match the grade level and subject. The teachers
> will be happy because they see how it fits in and will be more
> comfortable. The kids may actually go back with a valuable (from the
> school's viewpoint) experience.
>
> As an exhibit designer it was always a goal to make sure there were
> enough activity points to support a school group in every gallery.
> That doesn't mean there has to be 30 distinct things to do, just
> that 30 visitors can stay occupied for 20-30 minutes if not longer
> as they move between components. Of course the layout of galleries
> is also a factor. Groups in huge open plan spaces can be harder to
> manage than ones in individual galleries. You need some way to
> delineate spaces so that the groups understand where they are
> supposed to be. Signage, lighting, flooring can provide the cues.
>
> Good luck and hope you have seen some useful ideas here.
>
> Erich Rose
>
> Erich Rose Design
> 807 The Living End
> Austin, TX 78746
> 512-626-9930; [log in to unmask]
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/erichrose/
>
>
>
> On Nov 4, 2010, at 1:57 PM, Anne Herndon wrote:
>> Good afternoon, all.
>>
>> We are in the process of looking at ways to enrich the exhibit
>> field trip experiences of the teachers and students who come on a
>> field trip, particularly on a heavy field trip day-which for us can
>> be about 1,500 in the exhibit galleries.
>>
>> I was wondering if you all could share some of the techniques and
>> tips you use to help teachers and chaperones use your exhibit
>> galleries effectively. The tips could be operational in nature
>> (how to get groups to not all visit the same gallery at the same
>> time) or educational in nature (how do you help groups go deeper
>> into the educational experiences of the exhibit and not just
>> "window-shop" from component to component).
>>
>> Thanks in advance,
>> Anne
>>
>>
>> Anne Herndon
>> Director, School and Group Programs
>> Fort Worth Museum of Science and History 1600 Gendy Street Fort
>> Worth, Texas 76107
>> 817-255-9521
>> [log in to unmask]
>>
>
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