First Week at Explora! (Marilyn Upchurch)
My First week at Explora! of Albuquerque was a very busy one. The title says it all! The science center is all about exploring new ideas. During my week at Explora I was able to watch children, teens, and adults experience science in ways they probably never thought they would.
First of all I wanted to mention that I was a bit nervous going into the week but quickly found out that I was working with amazing people. They have all been so very kind and helpful to me.
On Monday, I toured the museum to familiarize myself with the exhibits. Later that day I shadowed another person who was giving a tour. Basically different school groups, community centers, and summer programs come and book a tour. The age groups range from 4-15, and can be anywhere from 25-35 students. I took notes from the "professional" knowing that I would be leading a group later on in the week.
Tuesday comes around and I have another chance to shadow a tour guide. The group was very large and had much energy which is a good thing for Explora because our motto is to touch everything, and learn a lot. That morning the staff wanted me to sit in on a board meeting which was very interesting learning their plans. They mentioned something that has stuck with me all week. They said that if we want a safe community we need to have educated youth. We need to give everyone a chance. They are planning on building a high school program in a building that is for sale across the street. Their goal is to really take care of kids in our state. Later on in the day I went on an outreach program with two teachers at a local library. When we got there we didn't know what to expect. We didn't know if there would be a lot of people who would show up, or hardly any. We come to find out that 32 kids are signed up! Which I am told is a lot for a library setting. We taught the children (and their parents) about rocks and minerals. We had different activities including identifying minerals/rocks, and creating your own rock out of chocolate!
On Wednesday I went on another outreach to a Christian school. We taught K-4th graders about wonderful water! The curriculum was how can we teach kids the different forms of water. We had bins filled with water and different tools to play with the water. Some water was warm, some had ice cubes in it, one had bubbles, another with dye. We then had them play with water drops and how water can be absorbed using different materials. The last activity was getting different substances like salt, sand, baking soda, flour, and seeing if they dissolve in water.
Thursday was the big day! I led my first group. This group was 30 kids ranging from 5-8 years old. The tour went great, though it was very stressful but I know I will get better and better as time goes on. I then did work around the office like cutting, printing, re stocking, and computer work. I also helped with an ice cream social on the upstairs patio of the museum.
Friday! Today I found out that I will be helping out with a class all next week. They gave me the curriculum and I now have to figure out the supplies needed. Explora holds different classes during the summer and school year which I think is so cool. I also helped with a class today using "Makey Makey." The wikepedia definition of Makey Makey is: An Invention Kit for Everyone, is an electronic invention tool and toy that allows users to connect everyday objects to computer programs. Using a circuit board, alligator clips, and a USB cable, the toy uses closed loop electrical signals to send the computer either a keyboard stroke or mouse click signal. This function allows the Makey Makey to work with any computer program or webpage since all computer programs and webpages take keyboard and mouse click inputs. In short I never heard of the program, but it was very cool.
The week was a great week. Full of surprises. I loved helping kids learn new amazing things and seeing when they understand something, it just brightens up my day. I learned a whole lot this week, and I am excited for the next.
First of all I wanted to mention that I was a bit nervous going into the week but quickly found out that I was working with amazing people. They have all been so very kind and helpful to me.
On Monday, I toured the museum to familiarize myself with the exhibits. Later that day I shadowed another person who was giving a tour. Basically different school groups, community centers, and summer programs come and book a tour. The age groups range from 4-15, and can be anywhere from 25-35 students. I took notes from the "professional" knowing that I would be leading a group later on in the week.
Tuesday comes around and I have another chance to shadow a tour guide. The group was very large and had much energy which is a good thing for Explora because our motto is to touch everything, and learn a lot. That morning the staff wanted me to sit in on a board meeting which was very interesting learning their plans. They mentioned something that has stuck with me all week. They said that if we want a safe community we need to have educated youth. We need to give everyone a chance. They are planning on building a high school program in a building that is for sale across the street. Their goal is to really take care of kids in our state. Later on in the day I went on an outreach program with two teachers at a local library. When we got there we didn't know what to expect. We didn't know if there would be a lot of people who would show up, or hardly any. We come to find out that 32 kids are signed up! Which I am told is a lot for a library setting. We taught the children (and their parents) about rocks and minerals. We had different activities including identifying minerals/rocks, and creating your own rock out of chocolate!
Thursday was the big day! I led my first group. This group was 30 kids ranging from 5-8 years old. The tour went great, though it was very stressful but I know I will get better and better as time goes on. I then did work around the office like cutting, printing, re stocking, and computer work. I also helped with an ice cream social on the upstairs patio of the museum.Friday! Today I found out that I will be helping out with a class all next week. They gave me the curriculum and I now have to figure out the supplies needed. Explora holds different classes during the summer and school year which I think is so cool. I also helped with a class today using "Makey Makey." The wikepedia definition of Makey Makey is: An Invention Kit for Everyone, is an electronic invention tool and toy that allows users to connect everyday objects to computer programs. Using a circuit board, alligator clips, and a USB cable, the toy uses closed loop electrical signals to send the computer either a keyboard stroke or mouse click signal. This function allows the Makey Makey to work with any computer program or webpage since all computer programs and webpages take keyboard and mouse click inputs. In short I never heard of the program, but it was very cool.The week was a great week. Full of surprises. I loved helping kids learn new amazing things and seeing when they understand something, it just brightens up my day. I learned a whole lot this week, and I am excited for the next.
You are certainly "exploring" new ideas. The museum name does say it all!
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