Constructivism in Museums (A short reading response)

“The ancestral style of museum reflects a positivist view of the world as entirely ordered and rule governed… the constructivist view emphasizes the active and imaginative dimensions of learning and discovery… The contrast of these two views is between “top-down” and “bottom-up”. (Russel, 1994) I like the way these two views are contrasted and explained… Read more

AMNH Internship: Data Analysis

In previous posts, I discussed the projects I am working on and the data collection which goes with them.  While the projects might be high tech, observation and collection of data is performed with pen and paper.  Once this data is collected, I get back to the computer for the data analysis. The first step… Read more

Data Collection at the Museum

As an intern at the American Museum of Natural History, my projects are all focused on using technology to engage visitors.  We use telepresence robots to bring experts to the museum and to send visitors to other museums that may be thousands of miles away.  We also have augmented a story and coloring sheet for… Read more

Connecting Museum Visitors to the NW Coast

Today as I make a loop of the fourth floor at the American Museum of Natural History, visitors’ reactions are different than normal.  Many people are quite surprised to see me and some actually jump in surprise.  Many are very enthusiastic and the words I hear most often sounds something like “That is so cool”. … Read more