There is no formula for starting a science center. Science centers are as variable as the communities that surround them and the people who plan them. They may be of modest or monumental proportions and grow at different rates and in a variety of ways. Nevertheless, it is possible to identify a number of common themes and dimensions that appear to be critical to their success.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Grace Troxel
resourceresearchProfessional Development, Conferences, and Networks
The authors argue that schools should be communities where students learn to learn. In this setting teachers should be models of intentional learning and self-motivated scholarship, both individual and collaborative (Brown, 1992; Brown & Campione, 1990; Scardamalia & Bereiter, 1991). If successful, graduates of such communities would be prepared as lifelong learners who have learned how to learn in many domains. The authors aim to produce a breed of "intelligent novices"(Brown, Bransford, Ferrara, & Campione, 1983), students who, although they may not possess the background knowledge needed in
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Gavriel SalomonAnn BrownDoris AshMartha RutherfordKathryn NakagawaAnn GordonJoseph Campione
resourceresearchProfessional Development, Conferences, and Networks
In this VSA presidential address, Harris Shettel discusses the new VSA Mission Statement and some of the issues Shettel sees facing VSA as it begins its second full year of existence.
In this article, VSA President Harris Shettel examines some of the issues that are relevant to the continued growth and development of the field of visitor studies. Shettel presents these issues in the form of questions and shares his answers about the status of exhibit evaluation, the flaws of traditional visitor evaluation, etc.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Harris Shettel
resourceresearchProfessional Development, Conferences, and Networks
In this article, VSA President Harris Shettel reports on the upcoming VSA conference in St. Louis as well as a status update on committee nominations and the VSA logo.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Harris Shettel
resourceresearchProfessional Development, Conferences, and Networks
In this article, VSA President Harris Shettel discusses the upcoming VSA conference in Albuquerque, NM and provides brief descriptions of scheduled workshops.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Harris Shettel
resourceresearchProfessional Development, Conferences, and Networks
In this article, Harris Shettel, museum evaluation consultant and President of the Visitor Studies Association (1991-1993), discusses the state of the field of visitor studies and makes predictions about and recommendations for the future. This paper was part of a panel discussion, "A Look To The Future," that was scheduled as the final session of a visitor studies conference held in London.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Harris Shettel
resourceprojectProfessional Development, Conferences, and Networks
In 1988 and 1989, ASTC offered a seven-day institute for founders of new science centers, funded by the National Science Foundation. The impact of these institutes was profound, making the difference between success and failure for several, and helping many others clarify and strengthen their plans. Since then demand for technical assistance to new science centers has increased rather than decreased. Building on its experience, ASTC proposes a 3-1/2 year multiple-strategy program to provide knowledgeable, supportive guidance to the founders of new science centers. The elements are: (1) a 4-day workshop on how to start a science center; (2) a resource book on starting and operating science centers; (3) a network for new science centers which meets at the ASTC annual conference for mutual support and information sharing; (4) one-day workshops held in Conjunction with the ASTC conference and planned by the steering committee of the New Science Center Network; (5) increased coverage in the ASTC Newsletter; (6) an annual progress report on new science centers; and (7) on-going, individualized technical assistance.
The Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences plans to conduct a 5 year project to train 150 mentor teachers (30 teachers/year) and their principals, who will then train the remaining 1100 elementary teachers in the Buffalo Public School System. The training would include two 5-week summer sessions (in a Magnet school that is physically incorporated into the Buffalo Museum of Science) and 4 in-service workshops during the academic years following each of the summer workshops. This innovative leadership project is a collaborative effort between the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences (including both education and curatorial/science staff persons) the Buffalo Public Schools, and individuals from local colleges and universities. The setting of the project is enhanced by a Science and Math Magnet School which is housed within the museum, and by the school/museum's location in a largely inner city environment with easy accessibility to minority persons. The project is designed to provide mentor teachers with a strong science background in pedagogy and content over a two-year period of summer and academic-year workshops, and to prepare and support these mentors as they inservice their colleagues. Project staff from the museum, public schools, and the academic community will provide strong support through academic-year workshops, site visits and telecommunications networking. Principals will be appropriately involved, and will work with mentors to develop a science inservice program tailored to meet the needs of their individual schools; as a consequence, virtually all of the 1100 K-6 classroom teachers of science in the Buffalo Public Schools will have been prepared to teach investigative, hands-on science to their students. Non-NSF cost sharing is approximately 27.9% of the amount requested from NSF.
New and developing science centers make up a significant percentage of ASTC membership. They often have limited funds, facilities, exhibits, education programs and experience developing and operating a science center. These institutions desire ready-to-use exhibits, demonstrations and education materials, as well as management workshops concerning the basic operation of a science center. This project proposes the formation of a Science Carnival Consortia, a partnership of the Pacific Science Center and five to eight new and developing science centers. Building on the success of the Pacific Science Center's Science Carnival, Consortia members: (1) Obtain twenty to forty Science Carnival exhibits (2) Obtain six ready-to-use demonstrations (3) Obtain supplementary education materials (4) Obtain appropriate training regarding the implementation and maintenance of the above items (5) Participate in a week long management workshop at the Pacific Science Center (6) Receive ongoing consultation with Pacific Science Center Staff (7) Participate in three annual meetings of Consortia members The project also produces a Science Carnival "cookbook" which provides instructional for fabricating and maintaining all exhibits in Science Carnival, plus scripts and material lists for each demonstration, and enrichment class. The project also evaluates the success of this model for serving other new and developing science centers.
The objective of this project is to provide a complete package of KIDSPACE hands-on science experiences to small and developing science centers across the country through the National KIDSPACE Partnership Program. This project will allow twelve (12) selected science centers to implement a complete, proven education package geared toward young children at a fraction of the cost of starting one from scratch. This project will provide comprehensive training to a large core of educators within the science center field, and will support continued research into the informal science education of young children through an original Research Study and the formation of a national User's Group. Best of all, this project will generate a wellspring of invaluable science-play connections for hundreds of thousands of children to tale with them into adulthood.
"The Connecticut Museum Collaborative for Science Education" is teacher enhancement program that will serve approximately 5,000 middle school teachers (and their students) from throughout Connecticut over a three-year program period. The proposed program has been developed cooperatively by four of Connecticut's Science Museums and Centers (The Discovery Museum, The Maritime Center at Norwalk, Mystic Marinelife Aquarium, and Talcott Mountain Science Center), in consultation with the school districts they serve and the Connecticut Academy for Education in Mathematics, Science, and Technology, the State's leadership organization solely devoted to enhancing education in mathematics, science, and technology. The Collaborative seeks to enliven and enhance the teaching of science, mathematics, and technology by drawing upon the resources of Connecticut's science-rich institutions and related businesses and industry. The proposed project will provide direct services to a core group of 72 middle school teachers and their students in eight urban and suburban school districts at the four participating museums and in their classrooms, as well as teacher training, curriculum development, and networking activities. Larger numbers of teachers and their students will be served through a planned series of interactive video teleconferences. A theme-based approach will be followed in which the unifying theme of "Earth Resource Monitoring" will serve to connect the activities at the four cooperating museums. The central concept of the project is collaboration among museums throughout the state to provide a bridge between science-rich institutions and the schools for teacher enhancement, curriculum improvement, and student enrichment. Special program components involve the participation of business and industry through "Video Field Trips", and parents through a "Family Science" activity. The involvement of the Connecticut Academy for Education in Mathematics, Science and Technolo gy as a member of the "Connecticut Collaborative" provides a direct link for integration of project activities into Connecticut's NSF-funded Statewide Systemic Initiative.