I would also put my two cents in and agree that children DO learn from
well-thought out, educational, interactive exhibits. I am CONTINUALLY
amazed everyday when I sit down in our hand's-on discovery gallery,
listening and watching children as young as preschoolers interact with our
activities. While I do see an incredible value in bringing children to
regular adult-exhibit museums, I would not discount children's museums as
fluff...how one learns as a child is different than as an adult. What they
may not fully understand from seeing an adult-oriented exhibit, they may
get once they've 'played' with an interactive children's exhibit. That sort
of re-enforcement at a young age is what will bring that child back to
museums of all sorts when they are older.

Jessica White

At 09:44 AM 5/26/99 -0600, you wrote:
>Brian-
>
>I disagree entirely with your thoughts that children are learning very
>little at interactive children's museums.  You'd be amazed at how much
>information a child can absorb particularly while interacting with a
>parent, sibling, or good docent. I have seen 3 year olds better grasp
>physics concepts than their parents.  And, if worse comes to worst, isn't
>it learning if a child leaves thinking science or history is fun despite
>what an adult may say?  I think we need to watch how we use the term
>"learning".
>
>Heather
>
>
>*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
>Heather Stein
>Research Specialist
>ARL Division of Neurobiology
>University of Arizona
>*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
>
>
>On Wed, 26 May 1999, Montogomery County Historical Society wrote:
>
>> I agree.  Museums without collections are a very evil trend.  Museums are
>> becoming less educational and more showy.  The rise of "children's
>> interactive museums" are a good example.  Go see how much learning is
really
>> going on at these places.  Very little.  We call them McMuseums after
the Mc
>> Donalds playlands.
>>
>> Brian
>
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Jessica White
Monticello Foundation Intern in Museum Education
Illinois State Museum
Spring and Edwards Sts.
Springfield, IL 62706-5000

(217) 782-6044
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