The Underappreciated Audience: Children’s Museums and Public History #ncph2016 #s67
Featuring Jessie Swigger (Western Carolina University), Elee Wood (IUPUI), Wendy Jones (Minnesota Historical Society), and Laura Huerta Migus (Association of Children’s Museums).
Final session #ncph2016 #S67 starts at 3:30 | The Underappreciated Audience: Children’s #Museums and #publichistory. pic.twitter.com/rwdFGVz5xs
— Monica L. Mercado (@monicalmercado) March 19, 2016
Excited for some childhood & #publichistory to end my #ncph2016 — esp. as my #wmnhist projects take a girlhood turn… #s67
— Monica L. Mercado (@monicalmercado) March 19, 2016
Jesie Swigger on the Smithsonian's Children's Room: "Knowledge Begins in Wonder" as founding philosophy of the space. #ncph2016 #s67
— Monica L. Mercado (@monicalmercado) March 19, 2016
Swigger's next project: 'Putting Audience First: Children's Museums in the United States' (Brooklyn, Boston, Detroit, Indy) #ncph2016 #s67
— Monica L. Mercado (@monicalmercado) March 19, 2016
Jessie Swigger: What happens when we put children's #museums at the center of museum history? #ncph2016 #s67
— Monica L. Mercado (@monicalmercado) March 19, 2016
How do you display objects for children? Q for the Smithsonian at the turn of the century – #museums as entertainment. #ncph2016 #s67
— Monica L. Mercado (@monicalmercado) March 19, 2016
Swigger: Labels for the Smithsonian's Children's Rooms used literature to connect kids to specimens. #ncph2016 #s67
— Monica L. Mercado (@monicalmercado) March 19, 2016
Swigger notes Grace Lincoln Temple – woman painter tasked w/ frescos for SI Children's Room, influenced by color theory. #ncph2016 #s67
— Monica L. Mercado (@monicalmercado) March 19, 2016
Swigger: Children's Room closed 1939 but it is example of rethinking notions of 'where knowledge begins' – with feeling. #ncph2016 #s67
— Monica L. Mercado (@monicalmercado) March 19, 2016
Don't forget children are part of the public too. #s67 #ncph2016 pic.twitter.com/U5wc6JSYol
— Benjamin Craske (@bjcraske) March 19, 2016
http://twitter.com/jamieisjames/status/711277912687779840
Elee Wood (IUPUI): Bridging Divide Between Log Cabin Role Play & Actual Historical Content. #ncph2016 #s67
— Monica L. Mercado (@monicalmercado) March 19, 2016
http://twitter.com/jamieisjames/status/711278288841351173
Wood on history exhibits in children's #museums: how do spaces ask children to reenact (inauthentic) histories? #ncph2016 #s67
— Monica L. Mercado (@monicalmercado) March 19, 2016
Wood took an inventory of 350 children's museums across the U.S. and most (~70%) have no history exhibits #ncph2016 #s67
— Monica L. Mercado (@monicalmercado) March 19, 2016
Wood: Is Piaget to blame? Or if later children's #museums are not collections-based, where's the basis of knowledge? #ncph2016 #s67
— Monica L. Mercado (@monicalmercado) March 19, 2016
An issue for children's #museums and #publichistory: Do we need artifacts to help us know who we are? #ncph2016 #s67
— Monica L. Mercado (@monicalmercado) March 19, 2016
http://twitter.com/jamieisjames/status/711279846610104321
Wood reminds us that time is a very different conception for children, understanding then vs. now. #ncph2016 #s67 pic.twitter.com/YU1GTBSlDZ
— Monica L. Mercado (@monicalmercado) March 19, 2016
Children's Museum of Indianapolis uses idea of 'grandma, mom, and me' – time constructed through family relationships? #ncph2016 #s67
— Monica L. Mercado (@monicalmercado) March 19, 2016
Most children's museums lack insight into deep historical content. Here's why: #ncph2016 pic.twitter.com/z5n86wcPPe
— Sara Anne (@NYYanksFan19SAF) March 19, 2016
Wood found 12/350 children's #museums with 'deeper historical content' — using evidence and sources, solving problems #ncph2016 #s67
— Monica L. Mercado (@monicalmercado) March 19, 2016
Children's museums that show deep historical content do the following: #ncph2016 pic.twitter.com/Z6srvjKUZH
— Sara Anne (@NYYanksFan19SAF) March 19, 2016
Wood: types of "deep history" content @ children's #museums also emphasize multiple perspectives, creating historical empathy #ncph2016 #s67
— Monica L. Mercado (@monicalmercado) March 19, 2016
http://twitter.com/jamieisjames/status/711280937888325632
These are #museums w/historic locations, partnerships, relationships to community/local history. #ncph2016 #s67 https://t.co/h3wdkDBuC0
— Monica L. Mercado (@monicalmercado) March 19, 2016
Wood also notes children's #museums don't often have historians on staff. #ncph2016 #s67 https://t.co/DZ4Jj2zaPR
— Monica L. Mercado (@monicalmercado) March 19, 2016
@Epiplectic Giving an awesome EDU, theory-based presentation on children's museums and public history #NCPH2016 pic.twitter.com/qfx4g1nYMl
— Sara Anne (@NYYanksFan19SAF) March 19, 2016
http://twitter.com/jamieisjames/status/711281833791627265
Elee Wood asks what is the potential for history at children's #museums – where do we go from here? #s67 #ncph2016 https://t.co/8X5RtJ5Fq0
— Monica L. Mercado (@monicalmercado) March 19, 2016
Let's make kid historians! I'm pumped! #ncph2016 #s67 https://t.co/mBwuBfTsYm
— Monica L. Mercado (@monicalmercado) March 19, 2016
#s67 #ncph2016 is giving me a lot of flashbacks to summer #museums camp ("Time Tunnel" lol) at the @nysmuseum… #upstate4eva
— Monica L. Mercado (@monicalmercado) March 19, 2016
http://twitter.com/jamieisjames/status/711282853015846912
Wendy Jones, @mnhs: shift in emphasis from building content to audience #ncph2016 #s67 — educators now core members of exhibit teams.
— Monica L. Mercado (@monicalmercado) March 19, 2016
http://twitter.com/jamieisjames/status/711283174928683008
People don't visit museums alone, exhibits need to function in the way people naturally behave. #ncph2016 #s67
— Monica L. Mercado (@monicalmercado) March 19, 2016
Wendy Jones, @mnhs #ncph2016 #s67 — these are changes that make education central to programs at the institution. https://t.co/A2578i2Woa
— Monica L. Mercado (@monicalmercado) March 19, 2016
http://twitter.com/jamieisjames/status/711283724265132033
.@mnhs thinking about the 21st-c field trip –> IMLS grant to develop mobile app connecting field trip back to the classroom. #ncph2016 #s67
— Monica L. Mercado (@monicalmercado) March 19, 2016
http://twitter.com/jamieisjames/status/711284458025041922
.@mnhs focus groups weren't just students and teachers, but also focus group of parents/ chaperones! #ncph2016 #s67 https://t.co/laEA7kUDVW
— Monica L. Mercado (@monicalmercado) March 19, 2016
http://twitter.com/jamieisjames/status/711284824921776132
Teachers asked for 21st-c Am Indian voices; stories where kids are central players; diverse stories (Hmong, Somalis) @mnhs #ncph2016 #s67
— Monica L. Mercado (@monicalmercado) March 19, 2016
http://twitter.com/jamieisjames/status/711285142661234688
Visitor evaluation/focus groups important to exhibit development at MHS. #s67 #ncph2016 pic.twitter.com/89qoL3Nt5J
— Tammy Gordon (@TammySGordon) March 19, 2016
What Teachers want in a history museum: #ncph2016 pic.twitter.com/SZNHpvKIcV
— Sara Anne (@NYYanksFan19SAF) March 19, 2016
Teachers wanted accessible content and design but not a 'childish' space – @mnhs research. And parents want to learn w/kids. #ncph2016 #s67
— Monica L. Mercado (@monicalmercado) March 19, 2016
http://twitter.com/jamieisjames/status/711285629716439040
Are children missing out on an exhibit and authentic museum experience when they view it through the lens of technology? #ncph2016
— Sara Anne (@NYYanksFan19SAF) March 19, 2016
What is a meaningful experience for children in #museums? #ncph2016 #s67
— Monica L. Mercado (@monicalmercado) March 19, 2016
http://twitter.com/jamieisjames/status/711286409382989824
KIDS TODAY #ncph2016 #s67 https://t.co/P0c2GsYPXu
— Monica L. Mercado (@monicalmercado) March 19, 2016
http://twitter.com/jamieisjames/status/711286965975588864
@mnhs tips
– focus on fewer artifacts with more 'wow.'
– manage expectations
– do you want kids to get something or nothing? #ncph2016 #s67— Monica L. Mercado (@monicalmercado) March 19, 2016
http://twitter.com/jamieisjames/status/711288648159862786
Wendy Jones notes that for @mnhs this often means spending a lot of time thinking about graphic design. #ncph2016 #s67
— Monica L. Mercado (@monicalmercado) March 19, 2016
http://twitter.com/jamieisjames/status/711289050271977472
http://twitter.com/jamieisjames/status/711289718420447236
Play the Past experience for children @mnhs is like a video game–kids collect history in a digital "backpack" w/mobile app. #ncph2016 #s67
— Monica L. Mercado (@monicalmercado) March 19, 2016
http://twitter.com/jamieisjames/status/711290863968755712
http://twitter.com/jamieisjames/status/711291172665294848
Laura Huerta Migus, Assoc of Children's Museums: children tell you the truth. (My Q: What truths do we tell children?) #ncph2016 #s67
— Monica L. Mercado (@monicalmercado) March 19, 2016
What children are we talking about in each of these scenarios? Kids w/class groups? With families? #ncph2016 #s67
— Monica L. Mercado (@monicalmercado) March 19, 2016
Clearly there is a lot of conceptualizing around age w/children's #museums but I want to know more about *other* demographics #ncph2016 #s67
— Monica L. Mercado (@monicalmercado) March 19, 2016
http://twitter.com/jamieisjames/status/711292345724116992
What is the def. of childhood & children's rights? What's the relationship b/w adults & engaging children? #ncph2016 #InquiryBasedLearning
— Sara Anne (@NYYanksFan19SAF) March 19, 2016
Laura Huerta Migus interested in adults' relationship to children's learning–power dynamic, cultural norms & family behavior #ncph2016 #s67
— Monica L. Mercado (@monicalmercado) March 19, 2016
http://twitter.com/jamieisjames/status/711292903184801793
#ncph2016 #s67 reminding me to go to panel(s) a little outside of my comfort zone. Now thinking about recent convos re: kids & #archives.
— Monica L. Mercado (@monicalmercado) March 19, 2016
http://twitter.com/jamieisjames/status/711295142599258113
Didn't realize there's another exhibit at Children's Museum of IN focusing on Anne Frank, Ruby Brides, and Ryan White #ncph2016 #s67
— Monica L. Mercado (@monicalmercado) March 19, 2016
http://twitter.com/jamieisjames/status/711296987254165506
http://twitter.com/jamieisjames/status/711294475449077761
I did not! Still learning at the very end of #ncph2016. #s67 https://t.co/Ue4eUHGR9Y
— Monica L. Mercado (@monicalmercado) March 19, 2016