Ilanit Zada

Science and Technology in NYC

Professor Adams

12-8-13

Chapter nine in Surrounded by Science discusses the ways in which science learning can be extended beyond the confines of the classroom or the environment in which it is learned and used in other contexts. There were several examples that were given to accomplish this task, while simultaneously making the learning more accessible to people, through the use of cell phones and other devices. This includes blogs, and in the case of the Exploratorium, “a virtual world that offers visitors a different kind of science experience” (164). I felt that this chapter was the perfect one to end off the semester and wrap up the different ideas discussed by emphasizing the importance of extending science learning beyond the classroom and encouraging active engagement.

Throughout the semester, we have been doing projects to investigate this idea of science learning, sparking an interest, and the importance of interactive exhibits. For me personally, I have found from the everyday science project that an interest in science can really be sparked from any kind of environment (some of which people may not even realize influences them); there were people that had an interest in science sparked from their favorite TV show, or hobby, while for others, it was simply something they stumbled upon and found to be worthy of further investigations. In the citizen science project, I found that the most important thing in sparking an interest in the children was an interactive exhibit. Children were more likely to walk up to an exhibit and enjoy for a longer amount of time when it required active participation on their part. These observations, along with the material covered in the textbook, makes us realize that the best way to teach science is by constantly exposing our children and students to the different forms of media (that could facilitate science learning), reminding them to keep an open mind, and making exhibits in informal science settings more interactive for the children.

Ilanit Zada

Science and Technology in NYC

Professor Adams

11-17-13

What are the different ways that science is communicated to the public? How is science communicated to you? Well, there are several ways in which science is communicated to each individual; it may be through the media (TV and the internet) or in school settings (considered a more formal setting). However, in the article entitled “Framing Science” by Mattew C. Nisbet and Chris Mooney, I felt that there was a very valid point made. The authors stated that, “citizens use their value predispositions (such as political or religious beliefs) as perceptual screens, selecting new outlets and Web sites whose outlooks match their own.” I felt that this sentence held a lot of truth and brought me back to my experience in school before I entered college.

I went to a Jewish school my entire life (up until college). We took science classes, as would be expected in any other school. However, when we reached the chapter discussing the Big Bang Theory, there wasn’t a heavy emphasis placed on the chapter. We learned about the topic and then moved on. The reason behind that is because as Jews, we believe in G-d and we strongly believe that he is the one who created the universe. The idea that the world we live in came about through a collision of particles went against our religious beliefs and therefore was unfathomable for us. On the other hand, someone that believes in the Big Bang Theory may find what the teacher says about the topic to be rather interesting. They may go on to pursue the topic and learn more about it, whereas for most Jews, their understanding of the topic ends in the classroom. This scenario highlights the idea portrayed in the reading when stating that individuals seek ideas in science that have ideas matching their own. If the idea is similar to what they believe, they will continue to read and  learn about it, but if not, they probably will not dwell on the subject and move on to read about something that falls in line with what they believe in.

Ilanit Zada

11-10-13

Science and Technology in NYC

Professor Adams

The assigned reading for this week was chapters 5 and 8 in Surrounded by Science by Fenichel and Schweingruber. The chapter that intrigued me most was chapter 5, which discussed the importance of interest in informal science settings. It referred to the initial spark of interest and then went even further to explain that in order for this initial spark of interest to develop, “longer-term engagement and multiple experiences are likely to be necessary” (88).  In order to put things in perspective, the chapter gives an example of such a situation. The example presented was the instance when Dana Fusco, along with a group of teens, worked together to build a community garden.

Reading through the steps of this project reminded me of the final project that we will be presenting at the end of this semester and the different steps necessary to get to our final (desired) product. Similar to the teens, we were given the opportunity to explore an area that we were familiar with or simply an area that intrigued us. Then, we were forced to investigate the different things that we could do to help the problem and/or inform the public about the matter (which we would present at the end of the semester). Through this process, we had to gain a better understanding of the matter and research the area of interest.One way that we expanded our knowledge on the topic was through interviews with professionals that were learned in the field. At the end of this project, my group and I hope to inform the public about the problem that we are facing (as a nation) and inform them about the course of action that they can take (as citizens) to help solve the problem.

Ilanit Zada

Science and Technology in NYC

Professor Adams

11-3-13

This weeks assigned reading was chapter seven in Surrounded by Science by Fenichel and Shweingruber. This chapter emphasized the importance of making informal science settings accessible to everyone: people with disabilities as well as people from other nationalities. The chapter then goes through several things in the museum that have been integrated to accommodate a larger audience.

I believe that this is an extremely important concept. I have a relative that was extremely sick. After undergoing several procedures to cure this illness, she was told that her body did not react well to the surgeries and she would no longer see. Being the positive person that she is, she did not let this stand in the way of living a happy life. However, when her children wanted to attend a museum, she refused to accompany them saying that she would not take be able to part in anything, and therefore it would be better if she simply stayed home. However, recently, the Metropolitan Museum of Art has made workshops for individuals who are blind or partially sighted. These workshops make art accessible to such adults using senses other than seeing, including descriptions and touch. This lady is so grateful that there is a way for her to attend the museums and watch her children grow, even with her disability. She never wanted anything to stand in the way of her happiness (especially because of her recent predicament) and now with museums and other areas taking that into account, she does not have to worry about it.

I believe that this woman is not the first and definitely will not be the last to acknowledge the efforts of the museum in making everyone feel wanted and capable of attending. The way to do is to make different workshops and exhibits designed specifically for such people and it is almost certain that those benefitting from them will appreciate it greatly.

Ilanit Zada

Science and Technology in NYC

10-26-13

Professor Adams

The reading assigned for this week was a few chapters taken from Jamaica Bay Ethnographic Overview and Assessment  by William Kornblum and Kristen Van Hoorweghe. As soon as I began to read chapter 3 and saw the mention of Bedford Stuyvesant, I felt an immediate connection to what I was going to read but I could not figure out what the information had to do with that specific area. The text then went into discussing the history and background information about the Jamaica Bay area, leaving me even more confused. However, I finally came across one sentence that connected the dots for me and allowed me to see the relationship that exists between Bedford Stuyvesant (Bed-Stuy) and Jamaica Bay.

The text discusses the event that occurred, a plane crash, that caused turmoil in Jamaica Bay. This problem as well as others led people to stereotype the area as a dump, as stated in the text: “Since so much of the area had been surplus military property for two decades or more, there were many areas of the bay shore and wetlands that had become urban wilderness where junked and stolen cars and other waste was being illegally dumped” (48). This reminded me of a similar situation in Bedford Stuyvesant (that I have researched for a paper last semester). Due to its history (of crime rates and such), many people are under the impression that Bed-Stuy is a dangerous neighborhood that they would not want to enter for fear of risking their safety. However, this is not the case; to the residents of Bed-Stuy, Bedford Stuyvesant is simply their home, as Jamaica Bay is to many people as well. Individuals have to remember this and think twice before making a generalization or stereotyping an area simply because of past events.

Ilanit Zada

Science and Technology in NYC

Professor Adams

10-20-13

What is the relationship between science and art? Let’s face it, it is nonexistent. These two areas are treated as completely different subjects that have nothing to do with one another. Well, at least that is what I thought until I read the two articles assigned. The article that really resonated with me and seemed to shed a light on this idea was the one entitled “Art as a Way of Knowing,” by Marina McDougall, Bronwyn Bevan, and Robert Semper. In this article, it is stated that “art enchants and invites participation” (6). That sentence tied everything together for me and provided me with insight to understand the message being conveyed.

A few weeks back we learned about the six strands of learning (in our seminar class). According to Surrounded by Science, the first, and in my opinion most important strand was sparking an interest and excitement. When trying to teach an individual something new, it is vital that the person finds the subject interesting to ensure their utmost attention.  Many people enjoy coloring or drawing so by including that in the subject being taught, one has already caught their attention and these individuals will want to learn more about it. Furthermore, in the video watched in class, the students were planting in different plastic containers recycled on a day-to-day basis. In this project, the students combined both artistic as well as scientific aspects. They seemed to be genuinely interested in the different scientific aspects and the important things that went into having a flourishing plant. I believe that a lot of this interest was due to their enjoyment of the activity; not only was this an opportunity for them to learn new things in science, it was also an opportunity for them to do something they enjoy: coloring, drawing, and including other artistic aspects. After going through this thought process, I came to the realization that art is connected to science in piquing the interest of individuals and get people to participate. In many cases we can go so far as to say that without art, there would not be as many people interested in the sciences.

Ilanit Zada

Professor Adams

10-14-2013

There were two readings assigned for this week. Both readings were very interesting, however, there was one that I felt I could really identify with. “Learning in Your Own Backyard: Place-Based Education for Museums” by Janet Petitpas, discussed the importance of place-based education and how every community, rural or urban, can provide its residents with some sort of an (informal) education. I found this to be an eye-opener; I was under the impression that the most important thing for an informal education was the wilderness (obviously museums are also an option, but I did not think that buildings in a city could play any role in it.) Maggie Russell-Ciardi then writes an excerpt entitled “Lower East Side Tenement Museum” where she specifically writes about Manhattan and the way in which it can serve as an educational setting.

Ciardi states that no matter when the immigrants came to America, most of them found their home in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. As soon as I read this statement, a light bulb went off in my head. My mother is an immigrant and she too settled in the Lower East Side when she first arrived in America. That alone piqued my interest in what was going to be said, which in Surrounded by Science would be considered “connecting talk.” When an immigrant’s son/daughter walks into the Tenement Museum, they automatically think back to the place their parent lived when he/she came to the United States. As that son/daughter sees the different things the museum has to offer, he/she makes connections to the stories told by his/her parents and is automatically interested in what they are viewing. For example, if I were to enter the museum, I would think back to the place my mother used to live, a place that she took me to visit, and I will want to learn more and delve into all the information the museum has to offer.

Ilanit Zada

Professor Adams

The fourth chapter in the book entitled Surrounded by Science by Fenichel and Schweigruber discusses the important of conversation in science learning. I was completely surprised when I read this. It is obvious that when looking at a museum exhibit or after reading a book, people are prone to discuss the ideas with others. However, how does discussing what you see or something you have learned have any effect on learning?

This idea reminded me of the seminar classes we attend every semester (and some of the other classes as well). Although the class is considered a “lecture,” in actuality it is far from that. Professor Adams, like many others, comes into class with an idea and poses it to the class. My classmates and I then discuss the ideas that have been brought up and our thoughts on it. Well, what is the point of the discussion? I believe that that is what gets the ball rolling. By listening to other peoples ideas and sharing your own, people start seeing things in a light that they may have never thought of on their own; it opens our minds to think about things critically and allows for a better though process, and the same holds true for experiences in the museum and other informal science settings. By having an adult figure guiding the topic of discussion and pushing the children to think further and share what they see at the exhibit, it allows for a more effective learning experience.