Week One

The first week back has been a bit of a whirlwind – I have to admit I’m not quite readjusted to school yet and am suffering a bit of withdrawal from life on break. Not setting the alarm, eating christmas cookies and watching trashy tv had to be quit cold turkey starting on tuesday.  This week hasn’t been a total loss however, I met with a volunteer at SERC on thursday and found out a ton about how educators use professional development at OMSI and saw some of the spaces in OMSI where they hold special educational programs.  I also got my hands on a catalog of courses and programs for the year which was a great help in getting a better grasp on how many people attend programming (outside of just visiting the museum) at OMSI.  It was sort of a last minute meeting but it was immensely helpful and my next steps seem clearer than they did at the beginning of the week. I suppose if I had some immediate “new years resolutions” in relation to this project it would be the following:

Make education for adults exciting!

If I fall back on making classrooms that look like this I’m going to be very disappointed in myself.  Yes, it is probably perfectly functional and efficient but I can feel myself falling asleep already just looking at this picture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kids can learn a great many things about science in a hands on, colorful, stimulating environment and just walking through the main hall in OMSI one gets the feeling that there’s a ton of fun being had interacting with the exhibits.  Adults on the other hand often are relegated to rooms like the above when it comes to education.   While my project isn’t exactly a museum it has a similar mission in providing an interactive, hands on learning experience for its users.

Continue education outside the classroom.  After talking with Margo (the volunteer at SERC) and listening to her describe how many times people will come in looking for resources after they’ve seen an exhibit or been to a workshop and how a well stocked library dedicated to science/math/engineering etc would be a great way to continue people’s educational experiences after they leave a formal learning setting.  It would be great for there to be a learning commons (library)  area that could serve as a main destination space for the new SERC.  I really like this space at The Bridge Arts Centre in Glasgow and how the circulation moves in a looping ramp around the main library space.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also – how great is this auditorium?  It’s a nice size and the colors make the space so much more interesting and lively than a more traditional theater.