At MPMA's 2011 Conference
Tuesday, October 18, 2011 8:30 am - 11:30 am
Every organization has people who need correction but it is even more difficult when the individual is a volunteer. We don't want to offend the volunteer but we also need something to change. This highly interactive workshop will lead participants in a process to identify what to say, how to say it, and then practice the process. It provides hope by identifying the elements of a Volunteer Program that can ease problems and prevent them from occurring.
Workshop Leader Sarah (Sam) Elliston has worked with volunteers in a variety of settings and taught classes about them for over 20 years. She has also managed a certificate-earning series on volunteer management and taught undergraduate and graduate courses in Volunteer Program Management.
Come learn from one of the best in this fun and informative class. Participants will leave with the knowledge of a process that can be applied to any difficult person. This workshop is for volunteer coordinators or managers, or anyone who works closely with volunteers. Presenter: Sarah (Sam) Elliston, M A T, Certified Volunteer Administrator, Reality Therapy Certified, Cincinnati, OH
Workshops at MPMA's 2011 Conference
MPMA
has many workshops this year. See below a list of all of them
HALF-DAY MPMA WORKSHOPS
W2
MPMA Workshop: Oral Histories in the Digital Realm
Monday,
October 17, 12:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Your
institution would like to start or add oral histories to its collections? Great!
But where do you start - especially when there are many issues to address before
recording can begin.
This
workshop will provide all you need to know regarding oral
histories.
Participants will come away having learned how to start an oral history program
and conduct an interview, what to do after the interview and how to transcribe
the recording, what equipment (recorders, camcorders, software, accessories) to
purchase for the interview, and how to maintain and store the interviews.
Participants will get to practice on digital equipment in the class. Other
topics covered in this session include legal issues, old audio and video tapes,
security, and useful references and resources.
Presenter:
Sandra Reddish, Collections Manager, Public Historian, Fort Riley, KS
W3:
Introduction to Grant Writing Monday, October 17, 12:30 pm - 3:30 pm
This
grant writing workshop is for small museums and historical organizations with
limited staff and limited time. It will be an introduction to the process and
skill of grant proposal writing. Learn from seasoned grants officers how to
gather information, develop a project description, provide the key information
requested for the grant and create a detailed budget. Hands-on exercises will
include a review of a grant proposal, and practical exercises to take you
step-by-step through planning programs. Participants will receive worksheets,
handouts and information on grant opportunities for museums and cultural
projects.
Presenters:
Amy Munson, Grants & Contracts Officer, State Historical Society of North
Dakota, Bismarck, ND; Becky Meidinger, Development Specialist,
Cooperstown-Griggs Co Economic Development Center, Cooperstown, ND.
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W4:
Changing Negative Workplace Behavior Workshop
Monday,
October 17, 12:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Every
organization or group has someone who chafes and irritates others. Trying
everything is frustrating and rarely works. Not knowing what to do is even
worse. Workshop Leader Sarah (Sam) Elliston, who is certified in Reality
Therapy, walks through the issues and steps to eliminate negative
behavior.
The
scope of this workshop is workplace behavior but it introduces a process that
can be applied to individuals, groups, colleagues, and even family members. It
will also explore what motivates an individual to act in certain ways and the
methods, message and strategies that can be used to change negative behavior
into positive behavior. This is an opportunity to learn how to redirect an
unhappy and irritating individual into a happier and more productive member of
the staff. This workshop is for directors, deputy directors, supervisors, and
anyone who works with or manages paid staff.
Presenter:
Sarah (Sam) Elliston, M A T, Certified Volunteer Administrator, Reality Therapy
Certified, Cincinnati, OH
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W5:
Don't Let the Paper Get You Down! Basic Records Management for
Museums
Monday,
October 17, 2011 12:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Why
does record management matter? And what is a museum's legal responsibility when
it comes to its records? While it is easy to lose sight of what records to
retain and what records to toss, the decision to do either one of these is
important. This hands-on workshop is designed to give participants confidence to
work with their institutional documents and to solve their records issues. It
will focus on record management and provide steps for successfully managing
organizational records. The workshop will begin with an overview of the general
principles of records management, cover the many categories of records along
with the resources available to records managers, and finish by tailoring the
workshop to the needs of each participant.
Presenter:
Audra Oliver, Registrar, W. J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum, Little
Rock, AK
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W7:
Dealing with Difficult Volunteers
Tuesday,
October 18, 2011 8:30 am - 11:30 am
Every
organization has people who need correction but it is even more difficult when
the individual is a volunteer. We don't want to offend the volunteer but we also
need something to change.
This
highly interactive workshop will lead participants in a process to identify what
to say, how to say it, and then practice the process. It provides hope by
identifying the elements of a Volunteer Program that can ease problems and
prevent them from occurring.
Workshop
Leader Sarah (Sam) Elliston has worked with volunteers in a variety of settings
and taught classes about them for over 20 years. She has also managed a
certificate-earning series on volunteer management and taught undergraduate and
graduate courses in Volunteer Program Management.
Come
learn from one of the best in this fun and informative class. Participants will
leave with the knowledge of a process that can be applied to any difficult
person. This workshop is for volunteer coordinators or managers, or anyone who
works closely with volunteers.
Presenter:
Sarah (Sam) Elliston, M A T, Certified Volunteer Administrator, Reality Therapy
Certified, Cincinnati, OH
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W8:
Who Do You Really Think You Are? How Can Museums Help Youths Find Their
Identities and Make Good Choices?
Tuesday,
October 18, 2011 8:30 am - 11:30 am
Neil
Postman declared "Every museum offers an answer to the question 'What does it
mean to be human?'" Others have indicated that museums and their collections,
programs, and exhibits can be viewed as ultimate resources for personal and
social identity construction and making meaning of the lives we lead.
This
workshop will explore the ways that museums can support identity development of
youth audiences and answer the question: how do encounters with museum objects
help shape their personal identities? Presenters will pose questions about the
nature of identity work and lead participants through a series of discussions
and interactive exercises designed to provide them with the basic skills and
techniques for understanding identity and using these techniques in educational
programs and exhibits. Participants also will gain information about other
identity-oriented programs going on in museums, science centers and
zoos.
Presenters:
Peter Tirrell, Associate Director, Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History,
University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK; Holly Hughes, Head of Education, Sam Noble
Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, University of Oklahoma, Norman,
OK
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W9:
Project WET Training: Community Connections Through Water Resources
Tuesday,
October 18, 2011 12:30 pm - 3:30 pm
The
mission of Project WET is to reach children, parents, educators, and communities
of the world with water education. It is an Environmental Education Program that
includes an interdisciplinary hands-on approach to activities and
standards-based curriculum to encourage outside learning for all ages. Earn
professional development credits toward facilitator status in your state. Learn
how to teach about water, our precious resource, through hands-on,
investigative, and easy-to-use activities. Participants will receive Project WET
curriculum and resources for their sites and museums.
Chair:
Susan Rowe, Education Program Manager, Lubbock Lake National Historic Landmark,
Museum of Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX.
Presenters:
Kathryn S. Watson, Education Outreach Coordinator, Montana Watercourse, Bozeman,
MT; Angela Hewitt, Early/Elementary Education Specialist, Museum of the Rockies,
Montana State University, Bozeman, MT
-------------------------------------------------------
Half
Day Workshops Monday and Tuesday
W1
and W6: Interpretive Writing Workshops: 101 and 201
101
Monday, October 17, 12:30 pm - 3:30 pm
201
Tuesday, October 18, 8:30 am - 11:30 am
These
two workshops will help you learn how to make your writing compelling. You'll
come away learning not only the basics of good writing, but how to apply these
techniques to brochures, websites, exhibits, public service announcements,
books, magazine articles, and other interpretive projects that apply to museums.
Even if you think your writing is good enough, these workshops will help you
refine it to a higher level. Take one or take 'em both!
Writing
basics are presented in the workshops through advanced concepts and all within a
fun learning environment. Participants will learn how to create clear, dynamic
and concise texts, how to reveal meanings, and how to excite visitors about your
museum or exhibit. Through interactive activities, participants will develop new
skills, be challenged to write about something and will learn how to deliver
compelling messages.
Here's
what else attendees will come away with:
Capturing
your reader's attention
What to avoid
How to show rather than tell
The
editing process
How to write for your specific audience
Writing a good
lead-in sentence
Presenter:
Dr. Alan Leftridge, Writing Consultant, Swan Valley, MT. Dr. Leftridge
specializes in writing for displays and exhibits. He is known for his engaging
and informative workshops. He is the recipient of the 2009 National Association
for Interpretation Fellow Award.
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FULL-
DAY MPMA WORKSHOP
W10:
Secrets from Exhibit Designers
Tuesday,
October 18, 2011 8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Are
you overworked and under funded? Are you wearing too many hats? This hands-on
workshop is for staff of small museums on a tight budget. Exhibit designers
share a few of their secrets on developing new exhibits or revamping what you've
got while not spending a budget you don't have. See how to involve the community
and transform your exhibits and increase support. Bring your exhibit/ design
issues and get help solving them. Learn how to create a contingency plan for
when the unthinkable happens. Other topics will include:
Problems
and "deadly" experiences
Visitor circulation and interpretive design:
including do's and don'ts of visitor circulation and pacing
Text panels:
tips for writing an effective text panel, graphic basics, point size,
positioning, and design challenges
Design tips: do's and don'ts of showcase
layout design and lighting objects
Exhibit design problem solving
Presenters:
Bianca Message, President, and Amy Willson, Designer, André & Associates
Interpretation & Design Ltd., Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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To
register for any of the MPMA Workshops:
By
Mail: download the conference program which includes a
registration form
Have
you already registered? You can still add this workshop or other events. Just
contact us above by email or
phone.: 303-979-9358
MPMA:
A Ten-state museum network
Colorado,
Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota,
Texas and Wyoming
Mark
your calendar:
2011 MPMA Conference: October 17-21 Helena,
Montana
2012 MPMA Conference: October 1-5 Corpus Christi,
Texas
2013 MPMA Conference: September 30-October 4 Lincoln,
Nebraska
Mountain-Plains
Museums Association
7110
West David Drive
Littleton, Colorado 80128-5404
303-979-9358 www.mpma.net