ASTC News » ASTC Connect http://www.astc.org/blog Association of Science -Technology Centers News Feed Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:03:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.2-alpha en hourly 1 Communicating science to public audiences http://www.astc.org/blog/2009/05/06/communicating-science-to-public-audiences/ http://www.astc.org/blog/2009/05/06/communicating-science-to-public-audiences/#comments Wed, 06 May 2009 22:38:18 +0000 Wendy Pollock http://www.astc.org/blog/?p=365 Join an ASTC Connect discussion, May 11-15, sixth in a series on the theme
of strengthening relationships among science museums, research scientists,
and engineers. Pacific Science Center (PSC) staff will facilitate, building on experience gained from Portal to the Public, an NSF-funded project of PSC, Albuquerque’s Explora, the North Museum in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and the Institute for Learning Innovation.

To sign up, you’ll need an ASTC Connect account. Go to connect.astc.org to sign up. Then contact Margaret Glass at mglass [at] astc.org for the enrollment key that will give you access to the “Working with Scientists and Engineers” forum. Once you’re in this forum area, you can also read archived records of earlier discussions.

]]> http://www.astc.org/blog/2009/05/06/communicating-science-to-public-audiences/feed/ Working with scientists and engineers: next discussion starts February 11 http://www.astc.org/blog/2008/02/08/working-with-scientists-and-engineers-next-discussion-starts-february-11/ http://www.astc.org/blog/2008/02/08/working-with-scientists-and-engineers-next-discussion-starts-february-11/#comments Fri, 08 Feb 2008 23:48:57 +0000 Wendy Pollock http://www.astc.org/blog/2008/02/08/working-with-scientists-and-engineers-next-discussion-starts-february-11/ The Working with Scientists & Engineers Forum will host a discussion February 11-15, in ASTC Connect, about the strategy behind the Research Center - ISE (RISE) initiative of the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network. Carol Lynn Alpert, director of strategic projects at the Museum of Science, Boston, and a co-PI of the NISE Net (nisenet.org), will kick off discussions.

The RISE initiative focuses on developing sustainable partnerships through advance planning and budgeting, and by joining with research centers for the initial proposals to federal and state science research funding agencies. Relevant articles are in the January/February issue of ASTC Dimensions.

]]> http://www.astc.org/blog/2008/02/08/working-with-scientists-and-engineers-next-discussion-starts-february-11/feed/ Working with scientists and engineers: discussion starts January 14 http://www.astc.org/blog/2008/01/03/working-with-scientists-and-engineers-discussion-starts-january-14/ http://www.astc.org/blog/2008/01/03/working-with-scientists-and-engineers-discussion-starts-january-14/#comments Thu, 03 Jan 2008 22:08:46 +0000 Wendy Pollock http://www.astc.org/blog/2008/01/03/working-with-scientists-and-engineers-discussion-starts-january-14/ A new round of discussion starts January 14 in  the ASTC Connect forum ”Working with Scientists & Engineers.” Kim Kiehl, Vice President for Learning & Research Partnerships at COSI Columbus, will join us as guest moderator. Kim will share COSI’s experiences in fostering close integration of the museum with local STEM-rich organizations, including Ohio State University, Battelle Memorial Institute, and TechColumbus. Together, forum participants will consider how such relationships develop, benefits for each party, and potential outcomes. Open to staff of ASTC-member institutions. To sign up, go to ASTC Connect then contact connect [at] astc.org.

]]> http://www.astc.org/blog/2008/01/03/working-with-scientists-and-engineers-discussion-starts-january-14/feed/ The science center in Second Life http://www.astc.org/blog/2007/11/29/the-science-center-in-second-life/ http://www.astc.org/blog/2007/11/29/the-science-center-in-second-life/#comments Thu, 29 Nov 2007 16:22:36 +0000 Wendy Pollock http://www.astc.org/blog/2007/11/29/the-science-center-in-second-life/ What are science centers doing in Second Life? Join Rob Rothfarb and Paul Doherty of the Exploratorium in ASTC Connect to find out about their recent experiments in this 3-D, multi-user online environment. The week-long discussion starts December 3 in the ASTC Dimensions Forum in ASTC Connect.

Discussion will take off from the current issue of ASTC Dimensions, “Immersed in Science: Learning in Today’s Digital Environments.” Doherty and Rothfarb’s article, “From 2-D to 3-D Web: The Science Center in Second Life,’” and others are available in the Forum.

To sign up, go to ASTC Connect and set up an account. Then contact Margaret Glass at mglass[at]astc.org for access to the ASTC Dimensions Forum.

]]> http://www.astc.org/blog/2007/11/29/the-science-center-in-second-life/feed/ Working with scientists and engineers http://www.astc.org/blog/2007/09/19/working-with-scientists-and-engineers/ http://www.astc.org/blog/2007/09/19/working-with-scientists-and-engineers/#comments Wed, 19 Sep 2007 21:43:26 +0000 Wendy Pollock http://www.astc.org/blog/2007/09/19/working-with-scientists-and-engineers/ Ongoing engagements with research scientists, mathematicians, and engineers help assure that the content of science centers remains strong and current. Starting September 24, we’ll be hosting an ongoing series of discussions and problem-solving sessions within a new ASTC Connect forum to help support those working to foster and strengthen these relationships.

The first, week-long discussion kicks off with a focus on exhibitions, hosted by Sheila Grinell, author of A Place for Learning Science and most recently CEO of the Arizona Science Center. Staff of ASTC-member institutions and their collaborators (in particular, their science advisors and partners) are invited to join.

The discussion takes off from the current issue of ASTC Dimensions, “The Engaged Scientist: Fostering Successful Museum-Researcher Collaborations” and Sheila Grinell’s article “In the Comfort Zone: Working with Scientists on Exhibitions.”

To sign up, go to ASTC Connect and set up an account. Then contact Margaret Glass at mglass[at]astc.org for access to the forum.

]]> http://www.astc.org/blog/2007/09/19/working-with-scientists-and-engineers/feed/ New Models Forum: building repeat attendance http://www.astc.org/blog/2007/09/11/new-models-forum-building-repeat-attendance/ http://www.astc.org/blog/2007/09/11/new-models-forum-building-repeat-attendance/#comments Tue, 11 Sep 2007 14:44:53 +0000 Wendy Pollock http://www.astc.org/blog/2007/09/11/new-models-forum-building-repeat-attendance/ Interested in strategies for building repeat visitation? During the week of September 17, David Chesebrough, President & CEO of COSI Columbus, will be hosting a conversation and idea-sharing session in the ASTC Connect New Models Forum. ASTC members are invited to join.

For many years, attendance has been seen as an indicator of the success of museums. Increasingly, museums are looking for alternatives to this focus on the “gate” and exploring ways to deepen their relationships with current visitors. Strategies for building these relationships are the focus of this discussion, which will be continued during an October 14 session at the ASTC Annual Conference, Los Angeles.

To sign up for the New Models Forum, staff of ASTC-member institutions should have an ASTC Connect account and contact connect[at]astc.org for an enrollment key.

]]> http://www.astc.org/blog/2007/09/11/new-models-forum-building-repeat-attendance/feed/ Climate action: join the conversation http://www.astc.org/blog/2007/08/04/climate-action-join-the-conversation/ http://www.astc.org/blog/2007/08/04/climate-action-join-the-conversation/#comments Sun, 05 Aug 2007 01:07:41 +0000 Wendy Pollock http://www.astc.org/blog/2007/08/04/climate-action-join-the-conversation/ Science centers and museums worldwide are invited to join a discussion Forum on ASTC Connect, August 6-10, in preparation for the October 4 National Conversation on Climate Action. Led by Andrea Bandelli, project manager for the European project Decide, the forum will give participants an opportunity to try out a global warming “game” designed to foster and support public discussions about climate policy. To sign up, contact connect@astc.org. If you can’t participate actively this week, you’re still welcome to join the forum.

]]> http://www.astc.org/blog/2007/08/04/climate-action-join-the-conversation/feed/ Personalizing the science center experience http://www.astc.org/blog/2007/07/17/test-connect-title/ http://www.astc.org/blog/2007/07/17/test-connect-title/#comments Tue, 17 Jul 2007 16:42:41 +0000 admin http://www.astc.org/blog/2007/07/17/test-connect-title/ Discussion starts Monday, July 23, in ASTC Connect’s New Science Center Models Forum about how science centers can respond to new possibilities for customizing user experiences. As moderator Beverly Sheppard notes, many science centers are moving from an “attraction model” to an “engagement model.” Participants will share experiences and reflections about personal customization and user-generated content. Beverly Sheppard is president of the Institute for Learning Innovation, Annapolis, Maryland, and former acting director and deputy director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, a U.S. federal agency.

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