The Exploratorium Center for Teaching and Learning
An Overview
Background and Philosophy
The Exploratorium Center for Teaching and Learning consists of five programs: the Children's Outreach Program, the High School Explainer Program, the Field Trip Program, the School in the Exploratorium, and the Exploratorium Teacher Institute. The Exploratorium was designated the first Regional Science Resource Center by the California Department of Education in 1983.
The Center's two teacher enhancement programs, the School in the Exploratorium (for elementary school teachers) and the Exploratorium Teacher Institute (for middle and high school teachers) direct and support the continued intellectual, creative and professional development of Bay Area teachers. Teachers participating in the Center's programs have an unparalleled opportunity to work with the museum's trained staff of artists and scientistsÑand over 650 interactive exhibitsÑin exploring the compelling links between science, art and human perception. The Center offers teachers intensive summer institutes; day-long topical workshops and special events; classroom visits; field trips; and texts, films and materials resources. The Center provides teachers the opportunity for personal and pedagogical development, as well as science content instruction and practical methods of implementing hands-on, inquiry-based science activities in the classroom.
The teacher enhancement programs work with high school teachers from 65 California school districts, middle and junior high school teachers from 40 districts, and elementary school teachers from 30 districts. Each year the programs work with approximately 500 KÐ12 teachers, directly reaching about 1,000 students in classroom co-teaching, and indirectly more than 50,000. The Center is also engaged in a formal partnership in the science education restructuring efforts of the San Francisco Unified School District and several school districts in Marin County. A major component of the restructuring effort is that each year four elementary school teachers spend a one year residency at both the Exploratorium and at their district offices, training to become District Science Resource Specialists.
In addition to summer, academic year weekend and after-school workshops, teachers are involved in the creation of written materials and in-class activities designed to implement the California Science Framework; have access to a lending library of teaching materials; interact with visiting scientists, artists and educators in residence at the Exploratorium; use our extensive library and research facilities; and have access to and free use of information services.
Programs
Founded in 1983, the Teacher Institute concentrates on middle and high school science teachers in the development of a learn-by-doing approach to the teaching of physics, general science, chemistry, mathematics, and the problem of teaching the sciences where English is a second language. Intensive summer programs serve over 100 teachers per year from 14 counties. Follow-up sessions and After-School Workshops support the discovery-based teaching methods. Over 600 teachers have attended Summer Institutes to date. The Teacher Institute translates science into exciting and understandable models for learning that teachers can use in the classroom. Most of the models duplicate larger scale Exploratorium exhibits.
For the past 20 years, the School in the Exploratorium has provided a professional base for inquiry-based teaching and learning through the integration of science and art in the investigations of natural phenomena. The program has worked with over 2,000 elementary school teachers from the San Francisco and Marin county public schools, and the surrounding area. The School in the Exploratorium offers intensive summer institutes and academic-year workshops focussing on discovery- based learning techniques; integral to the program are staff visits to classrooms, a lending library of materials kits, notebooks of suggested curriculum activities, guides to building mini-exhibits, and on-going support and professional development through the Teacher Associate program which includes follow-up workshops, access to the kits library, and higher-level hands-on physics classes. The School in the Exploratorium also offers three-day introductory workshops on a variety of subjects, and conducts by request special on-site in-service trainings for Bay Area schools. Each year, four teachers spend a year residency at both the School in the Exploratorium and their district administrative offices to develop their leadership skills and inquiry- based teaching techniques before returning full-time to their districts to serve as District Science Resource Specialists.
The Children's Outreach Program develops partnerships with community groups and social service organizations to provide educational services to young people in underserved areas. These partnerships may involve anything from hands-on workshops to installations and mini-exhibit building. The activities emphasize individual inquiry and discovery, as well as sharing and vocalizing these discoveries. Outreach works with juvenile halls, underserved communities recreation centers, hospital pediatrics centers, Headstart classrooms, and other community organizations. The program also offers specialized training for teachers and counselors who work with underserved children and adolescents.
Field Trip Explainers are adults of varied backgrounds, who during the academic year are available to lead children visiting the museum on field trips to a few exhibits, explaining the associated phenomena. Before the students arrive, their classroom teacher has selected a Pathways packet which identifies exhibits appropriate to the topics under class investigation (such as Light or Electricity). Explainers are notified of the Path the class wishes to take, and selects relevant exhibits. After sending the kids on their way, Explainers then wander about the museum acting as informal teachers and guides for visitors who have questions or observations about the exhibits. Field Trip Explainers undergo daily training sessions with staff scientists, and frequently are long-time Exploratorium veterans who take on other responsibilities after field trip hours and during the summers.
High School Explainers are in charge of the museum floor and the exhibits when the museum is open to the public. Their job is to wander about the museum floor and look for visitors to engage in informal conversation about the exhibits and the phenomena involved therein. The Explainers are hired in groups of 25 to 35 three times a year to work for one four-month "semester" at a time. Each Explainer group participates in over 60 hours of training conducted by museum staff and visiting professionals. The trainers are scientists, exhibit builders, artists or teachers. The purpose of the program is to provide an interactive, social environment in which the Explainers can explore phenomena and learn about themselves, as well as to provide the museum with a young, energetic floor staff. More about the Explainer program.
Publications
The teacher-generated Science Snackbook is a 240-page collection of in- classroom mini-demonstrations featuring bite-size recipes of how to build Exploratorium exhibits, written for teachers, by teachers, for use in the nation's classrooms. The Snackbook illustrates in a concrete way the "second step" of teacher's involvement in the immediate needs that face them. Other publications include the Explorabook, and several issues of Idea Sheets, classroom tools for elementary teachers.
For more information, write or call us at:
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Exploratorium Center for Teaching and Learning
3601 Lyon Street, San Francisco, CA 94123
Telephone: 415/563-7337, fax.: 415/561-0307