Field Notes from the ASTC Annual Conference 2010 http://astc.posterous.com Most recent posts at Field Notes from the ASTC Annual Conference 2010 posterous.com Tue, 05 Oct 2010 14:31:00 -0700 Tara Henderson - Explora and "Growing a Scientist" http://astc.posterous.com/tara-henderson-explora-and-growing-a-scientis http://astc.posterous.com/tara-henderson-explora-and-growing-a-scientis

An interview with Tara Henderson, an educator with explora, a children's museum/science centre in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
 

Tara talks about her center's program, "Growing a Scientist" which encourages parents to learn basic science along with their young children. Tara sat down for the interview right after she participated in the session, "Goggles On, Pipettes Ready: Preschoolers Get Busy" about pre-schoolers and science center programs. The session was part of the ASCT 2010 conference in Honolulu.

 

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Mon, 04 Oct 2010 23:21:00 -0700 Outreach Live! in Kamaile http://astc.posterous.com/outreach-live-in-kamaile http://astc.posterous.com/outreach-live-in-kamaile

For the past dozen years, an important part of the ASTC conference has been the Outreach Live! event. Interested attendees visit an outreach project by a local museum or science centre and co-present programs.

This year two dozen attendees visited the outreach project our host the Bishop Museum is undertaking at the Kamaile Academy School on the leeward side of the island. Kamaile is a lower income area, with many families living on the beach - the area's homeless. It has also seen an influx of immigrants from Micronesia and Melanesia  some of whom are living in a nearby camp. You can see photos of the beautiful children here.

During the Outreach Live! event students participated in programs by Uncle Tom Cummings, a traditional storyteller; Jonah Cohen from the Childrens' Museum of Conneticut and a had lesson on island formation by Daniel Rogers from the Bishop Museum (and Uncle Tom). Our host was Amber Inwood, also of the Bishop Museum. The museum has forged strong emotional and professional bonds with the students, parents and teachers of the community and brings to Kamaile a fun take on science and their own traditionals and culture, but also friendship and a genuine desire to have the students see beyond their own community and be the best they can become.

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Mon, 04 Oct 2010 08:59:00 -0700 Yang the Dino http://astc.posterous.com/yang-the-dino http://astc.posterous.com/yang-the-dino

A quick meeting with Yang a star of the Dinosaurs Unearthed exhibit.

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Mon, 04 Oct 2010 08:55:00 -0700 One Drop Around the World http://astc.posterous.com/one-drop-around-the-world http://astc.posterous.com/one-drop-around-the-world

Genevieve Lussier from the One Drop Foundation wants to take the Cirque de Soleil-inspired and Montreal-based One Drop exhibit around the world.

 

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Mon, 04 Oct 2010 08:46:00 -0700 One-Minute Elevator Pitches at the Poster Sessions http://astc.posterous.com/one-minute-elevator-pitches-at-the-poster-ses http://astc.posterous.com/one-minute-elevator-pitches-at-the-poster-ses

One minute, one poster. We asked a few of the  many poster session exhibitors in the exhibition hall to explain their work in about 60 seconds. Here's how they did.

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Mon, 04 Oct 2010 08:31:00 -0700 Robot Soccer in the Exhibit Hall http://astc.posterous.com/robot-soccer-in-the-exhibit-hall http://astc.posterous.com/robot-soccer-in-the-exhibit-hall

Two students from McKinley High School, in downtown Honolulu, pilot the McKinley Robotics soccer-playing robot in the Resource area of the ASTC conference exhibit hall. The students built the robot with the help of engineers from The robot can catch, travel with and kick a soccer ball and competes in robot soccer competitions. The mission of

McKinley Robotics is to offer members multiple opportunities to enrich their educations through practical applications of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics - like robots that kick soccer butt.

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Mon, 04 Oct 2010 08:13:00 -0700 Karen Wise on Having the Evidence http://astc.posterous.com/karen-wise-on-having-the-evidence http://astc.posterous.com/karen-wise-on-having-the-evidence

Karen WIse, the Vice President of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, talks about how the evidence for the profound issues of our time is within the walls of museums like hers. This interview was recorded directly after a session "Transforming Natural History Museums: Our Relevance and Future", at whichKaren and other natural history museum administrators discussed the challenges internally and externally when natural history museums change themselves, their offerings and their role in society.

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Mon, 04 Oct 2010 08:03:00 -0700 Kim Kiehl (COSI) on rethinking the role of science centres in society http://astc.posterous.com/29654864 http://astc.posterous.com/29654864

After a failed levee left the Columbus, Ohio-based, Centre of Science and Industry (COSI) with lots of spare space, it revented itself and turned disappointment to opportunity. Kim Kiehl, COSI's Senior VP & Chief Operating and Strategy Officer, talks about how its moved itself from being "nice to necessary" and from being a venue to a being a place that's important to student's lives.


This interview took place was right after she delivered a talk during day two of the ASTC conference in Honolulu in 2010.

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Sun, 03 Oct 2010 08:53:00 -0700 A Hula Dance Begins the Luau at Bishop Museum http://astc.posterous.com/a-hula-dance-begins-the-luau-at-bishop-museum http://astc.posterous.com/a-hula-dance-begins-the-luau-at-bishop-museum

The conference luau, hosted by the Bishop Museum in Honolulu, was kicked off by a display of hula dancing. The dance troupe was led by male dancers. In Hawaii, the dancers were traditionally male.

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Sun, 03 Oct 2010 08:48:00 -0700 A Traditional Hawaiian Welcome to Kick Off the Conference http://astc.posterous.com/a-traditional-hawaiian-welcome-to-kick-off-th http://astc.posterous.com/a-traditional-hawaiian-welcome-to-kick-off-th

The conference attendees, staff and board of the ASTC were welcomed to Hawaii on the opening day of the conference with a traditional welcome chant and procession. We then began was turned out to be a fascinating day of talks, discoveries and networking.

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Sun, 03 Oct 2010 08:42:00 -0700 Charles Nainoa Thompson on this ASTC 2010 Keynote http://astc.posterous.com/charles-nainoa-thompson-on-this-astc-2010-key http://astc.posterous.com/charles-nainoa-thompson-on-this-astc-2010-key

Charles Nainoa Thompson is the chairman of the Polynesian Voyaging Society. He was also the first Haiwaiian in centuries to navigate a voyaging canoe from Hawaii to Tahiti using only traditional wayfinding techniques.

 

Nainoa kicked of the ASTC Conference 2010 with an emotional and powerful keynote address in which he spoke not only about navigating using near-lost traditional ways, but also of the teachers that have touched his life and the importance of finding your way in life.

 

In this clip, recorded just after that beautiful talk about loss of roots, anger, racism, the power of great teachers, and education, Nainoa talks about what was at the centre of his talk for him.

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