Stephen Ferguson ([log in to unmask]) wrote:
 
>What I'm curious to learn is if there are any in the museum
>field (especially the children's museum field) who are using
>such technology to stimuate such an interest.
 
We are currently using Broderbund's Grandma and Me in our interactive Tech
Zone exhibit. The exhibit consists of three basic areas, one on robotics,
one on computers, and one on virtual reality.  The computer area uses a
variety of off the shelf programs running on macintosh and pc computers to
give our visitors a taste of what applications are available on personal
computers today.  These applications are then placed in settings that
contrast the computer programs with their pre-computer counterparts.  One
of the things that we have noticed is that Grandma and Me is the most
popular of these exhibits.  Parents find it just as intersting and fun as
the children do.  Parent and child sit and read the entire story, a 15 to
20 minute experience, which is quite unusual in a science center setting
where the average time on task is 30 seconds per exhibit.  As for whether
or not the children are actually learning how to read from this program I
am not certain, however they are connecting with their parents in a quite
positive fashion and learning that reading can be fun and exciting.  Stop
by and see it during AAM if you are going to be around.
 
-ken
 
Ken Williams                                             [log in to unmask]
Exhibit Coordinator                               [log in to unmask]
Pacific Science Center