The American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta (AABGA) is requesting support for the upcoming World Congress to be held in Ashville, NC, June 25-30, 2000. They intend to develop a theme, "Reaching Out: Informal Learning in Botanical Gardens," in order to enhance informal learning in botanical gardens across the nation. The theme will be addressed through plenary addresses, conference sessions, workshops and tours. A conference publication and a web site will extend the impact of this theme beyond the conference.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Carla Pastore
resourceprojectProfessional Development, Conferences, and Networks
The "Setting A Research Agenda: Parents as Informal Mathematics Educators" conference will convene parents, researchers in parent/child learning, a methodological/research design expert, a developmental psychologist, and representatives from mathematics professional organizations. The goals of the conference include: 1) summarizing the goals, methods and findings of the leading research in parent/child mathematics learning; 2) establishing the agenda for future research in this area; and 3) charting a short- and long-term plan of action to accomplish these research goals.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Janice MokrosMarlene Kliman
resourceprojectProfessional Development, Conferences, and Networks
To focus attention on early education during National Science and Technology Week, ASTC will hold an event on Capitol Hill featuring the Hands-on exhibit "What Makes Music?" on the physics of music and sound. The ASTC Honor Roll Teachers, selected by science Museums across the country for their exemplary use of science museum resources to improve science education in their schools, will be honored. Thirty teachers are expected to attend and take part in a one day workshop on inquiry based, hands-on science activities and experiments.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Bonnie VanDorn
resourceprojectProfessional Development, Conferences, and Networks
This conference is to examine learning techniques in a museum setting, in cooperation with the American Association of Museums. The conference will initiate the process of defining both what and how to measure learning in museums.
Jim Metzner Productions is developing a means to broaden and deepen the reach and impact of the "Pulse of the Planet," the short-format science and nature radio series that is currently carried on approximately 300 stations. The plans are to develop and broadcast a Spanish-language version of the series and to continue production and increase the carriage of the short-format programs. In addition to broadcast radio, the series also will be available in RealAudio on the National Geographic Web site, and the project has its own Web site.
CTW is approaching completion of the fifth and final season of new show production for Square One TV -- a daily PBS television series designed to promote interest in and enthusiasm for mathematics among eight- to twelve-year-olds, with special attention given to girls and minority children. Research has shown that Square One TV is educationally effective, and the series has received numerous awards, from both the educational and broadcasting communities.
This proposal will develop and disseminate locally developed STEM-rich audio programs for the traveling public, in particular vacationing families, using emerging traveler information technologies, traveling festival kits, and an interactive website. The project is linked to the 220-mile Eastern Sierra Scenic Byway that traverses a dramatic landscape, rich in natural resources and unique contributions to scientific research. Collaborators include the Eastern Sierra Institute for Collaborative Education and the University of California at Berkeley's Lawrence Hall of Science.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Michael CollopyBarbara AndoJacque Ewing-TaylorSusan Szewczak Clark
This 1 1/2 hour documentary film portrays the famous anthropologist's life history, her work, and her audience against the background of 20th century American history. The proposed work, a blend of never-before-seen archival footage and stills, on-location footage, live interviews, and three newly created impressionistic vignettes, is intended for general and scholarly audiences. It is based completely upon original historical research.
The planning project will design pilot educational exhibits for an informal education center, the "World Learning Center," located in the Presidio National Park at San Francisco. The exhibits will be designed to engage children and adults in activities which will highlight the integrated nature and scientific basis of agriculture, the environment and human societies. The design process will use site visits to observe interactive exhibitry, an iterative process by the team of conceptual formation to final design, and a review and evaluation by a national advisory group.
This 12-month planning phase will prepare the Exploratorium to develop a major collection of exhibits and activities on human thought and behavior. Because of the abundance of dramatic, new scientific research in human cognition and how this topic can be explored in an informal setting by the public, the institution will perform a one-year research and planning project. The team will investigate work by other science centers through site visits, conduct audience research on their needs in learning about cognitive science, consult with advisors, develop and test exhibit prototypes and evaluate the process.
The Children's Museum of Indianapolis will develop a 6,000-sq. ft. traveling exhibition about bones, helping children and adults learn about the science of bones, maintenance of healthy bone structures and the cultural and artistic uses of bones. Also, the exhibition will help inform upper elementary and middle school audiences of career possibilities in science, further an understanding of bones as revealed through modern technology and promote understanding of the skeletal system. A Web site, teacher workshops, kits and other materials and events will support learning through this exhibition.