Something that stuck out to me in the reading was the idea that school was meant for imparting knowledge while informal science learning places a greater interest on interest, emotion, and engagement. I think that this shouldn’t the case. Formal education should be able imparting knowledge, but also about encouraging interest, emotion and engagement.

I work in a school in the Lower East Side with a third grade class, and they do a lot of experiments and hands-on work throughout the day. The school’s philosophy is “teach to play,” meaning it emphasizes learning through fun activities. A couple times a week, kids have a period called “project time” in which they can work on a project related to something that piqued their interest during the week or during their various units. It’s really interesting to watch them start their own activities and come up with ideas to synthesize information. Some of the students even go into the classroom library to look for more books to read so that they can gain more information. The unit they’re on is immigration into the united states during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. A lot of kids chose to make replicas of Ellis Island during their project time and some chose to read more about immigration in order to make informational posters. One girl even came in with a tenement model she had made at home for fun on her own time.

I think including some room for freedom to pursue and engage with interests during the school day is necessary. When kids get the chance to express themselves or learn for themselves, they become a lot more excited to be in school because they know that the education is for them.

I also enjoyed reading about collaboration between informal and formal science institutions. If schools continue to be very regimented in their teaching, it’s important for kids to have a less formal outlet to learn. I hope that in the future, more schools choose to partner with informal science learning groups to encourage kids to get involved.

Almost all of these articles (besides Improving Scientific Communication) discuss the importance of communicating important scientific concepts to the general public in a way they can understand it. It’s apparent that some of the articles were written during one of the presidential campaigns when many politically relevant science topics are brought to light. I thought Framing Science was an interesting article because of how it argued that scientists should move away from technical aspects of their research in order to make it more accessible to the general public. While it may be true that scientists have their own language with which they discuss their concepts, I don’t think it’s far to say that scientists have to shy away from technical terms. The fact that science needs to be dumbed down (as the article makes it seem) for the general public says a lot about the state of science education in our country. Sure, the average adult won’t be able to read a scientific journal and understand it at first glace (especially since new scientific discoveries often reference work going on in the field that most people won’t be following up on), but they would be capable of understanding complex scientific theories if it is explained thoroughly and clearly in relation to current scientific discoveries.

Additionally, the fact that the general public in relation to theism debates scientific theories and practices such as evolution or stem cell research says a lot about how children are being educated. I think schools should not be allowed to push Creationism as a truth and demonize the theory of evolution for being “sacrilegious.” Children should be free to learn about scientific theories (keep in mind the word theory, which implies that even these concepts are not concrete fact) without being pushed by adults to consider religious aspects. Too much emphasis is placed on religious education in schools for the general public to be able to have a proper discussion on scientific topics. Religion is pushed upon the young while they are still susceptible to influence, meaning they eventually turn into adults who don’t question what they are taught as children. If everyone was given a chance to learn about both theistic and secular concepts at a young age, they could give new theories a chance, even if it goes against their belief systems. And if everyone could consider new scientific theories for what they are saying (without concerning themselves with religious implications), there would be much more room for intelligent debate and the creating of solutions.

Chapter 5:

It was funny to read about how much emphasis was put onto the word interest. The textbook goes through great lengths to describe the necessity of interest in informal science learning, but I thought it was obvious that interest was absolutely necessary for people to want to obtain more information. I guess you could say that sparking specific interests is necessary in a complex environment, such as a museum, so that guest can take something meaningful away from the experience, but otherwise interest should be something obviously important from the start.

I’ve never really thought of confidence as a part of learning, but the more I think about it, the more sense it makes. Because humans generally like to feel in control of their situations, confidence is an important aspect in education. Museumgoers have to feel as though they are able to either learn a topic thoroughly (without difficulty) or share their prior knowledge with the people around them. This requires that the exhibits give visitors a feeling of confidence in their ability to learn new concepts.

Deborah Perry’s framework makes a lot of sense when dealing with the education of the general public at informal science institutions. Her method breaks down the learning process into basic human instincts and tendencies that facilitate education. While this is good for short-term interest and learning, long-term learning is something that is important for museums because it affects visitors long after they leave the museum. From the reading on the Bronx teens project, I learned that long-term interest is caused by investment in a certain topic. Because the teens started off with an empty lot and turned it into a garden, their experiences gave them a whole new understanding on working to better a community. Having the project as a foundation for their work in community projects gave the teens a whole new sense of accomplishment and commitment to their work.

Chapter 7:

Chapter 7 was so interesting because as a future educator, reading about how different age groups learn and process information was enlightening. Although I know that different age groups have different ways of learning, I never thought of adults as having different learning needs. I assumed that adults just learned however they knew how to but I never realized the impact knowledge could have on their lives. For example, the adults who took part in exploration of the Grand Canyon were inspired by its timeless nature.

I also thought the similarities between the learning processes of the elderly and the young were interesting. Both parties required clear explanations of their activities, ample amount of time for completion, and relating the situations to real life. It’s also interesting that because both the young and old have ample time, exploring informal science institutions can be a very enriching experience. Unfortunately, the elderly are more prone to disabilities that make exploring institutions more difficult, which require special accommodations. Perhaps museums can cater to the young and old by offering special days for grandparents to take their children to the museums so that both groups can learn at their own pace, although I would recommend that the museums make sure to provide ample support for the elderly who are easily tired through benches and handrails.

This week’s chapter from Surrounded by Science was particularly interesting because I have always wondered how museums accommodate the communities that surround them. In class, we have discussed how museums can sometimes give the general public a sense of exclusivity that feels inaccessible. What I never really considered was how museums could be accessible to those with disabilities. I’ve only really thought about cultural differences but those with disabilities who are often marginalized need to feel included at the museum as well.

I liked reading about the culturally relevant exhibits for people with disabilities. Using focus groups seemed like a brilliant idea that could really improve the museum experience for those who were disabled. My favorite part of the article was the paragraph about the focus group with members who had various disabilities who were all knowledgable about very specific topics that could contribute to the improvement of the museum. The discussion on the shortcomings of the exhibit was useful as well because it helped the museum improve further.

In regard to the cultural aspects of museum exhibits, I was curious about whether true collaboration could ever be achieved. It seemed as though no matter what the museum did, there was always something wrong with the exhibit. Whether it came off as condescending or ignorant, people had a lot to say about the way the exhibit was executed. Truthfully, I would think that true collaboration is impossible. There is so much that goes into each individual culture that no museum curator would ever be able to fully incorporate every nuance into an exhibit. That being said, the community outreach being done by museums is a very positive step towards better accommodating the surrounding communities. Even if they can’t attain perfection, the idea that museums are going through the effort to reach out is important and I’m sure the communities appreciate it. Awareness of cultural differences in a public domain is the first step towards change for the better.

Chapter 3 Reflection:

I found Chapter 3 interesting because I really enjoy studying demographic changes in New York. Truthfully, I never studied the Jamaica Bay area, but seeing the changes in demographics and education levels has been extremely eye opening. I was happy to see that education levels have increased in past few decades, but sad to see that poverty levels have also increased. Usually, those from lower income communities have lower levels of education due to lack of opportunity, but the case seems to be the opposite in the Jamaica Bay community. The article seems to state that the change in demographic is the case for the increase in education (despite poverty levels).

Reading about Canarsie was eye-opening because it showed just how human effect on the environment can be detrimental to quality of life. Pollution and garbage are both manmade blights, which then further detriment human ability to survive on the environment.

The discussion of community involvement to improve conditions in East New York was nice to read. Although the neighborhood continues to be poor, initiative taken by dedicated and thoughtful community members helped to improve it at one point in history and could be helpful in the future. I think that place based education could be useful in these communities because it encourages people to learn from their environment that is easily accessible to them. Awareness and education leads to the social reform necessary to improve conditions.

I never knew that the bay was used for Hindu ceremonies. I find that extremely interesting and unique; so many different cultures can appreciate the land they share and use them in different ways.

Chapter 5 Reflection:

The definition of religious ecology was interesting because it was a term I had never heard of before: “The term religious ecology refers to the spatial organization of religious practice in the congregations of residential populations” (117). The image of hundreds of Hindu individuals coming together to give sacrifices to the gods on Jamaica Bay is both extremely endearing and humorous. I had no clue that so many people came together in different forms of worship around the Jamaica Bay. The Hindu ceremonies sounded especially interesting to me because of their spiritual ties to the water and their need to use the bay to fulfill their religious obligations. Although their offerings can be detrimental to the habitat of Jamaica Bay and cause upset amongst non-Hindu populations, their ability to adapt religious custom to the new world is impressive.

Changes in Jamaica Bay area rules and regulations post 9/11 have greatly affected the ability for religious groups to have traditional ceremonies in the area. For example, the bon fires for Lag B’omer are no longer a viable option in Jamaica Bay due to increased security restrictions. It goes to show how Jamaica Bay once went from a natural resource to a restricted zone owned by the government. It kind of makes me question how and why people have the ability to own and control land although it really doesn’t belong to anybody. I think the Native Americans had it right all along.

Chapter 6 Reflection:

This chapter basically provided an overview of the two chapters we read previously. It talks about the demographics in Jamaica Bay, as well as religious uses and the challenges faced with inhabitants of the neighborhood using the bay inappropriately.

Something interesting about the chapter was the discussion on the ability for individuals to gain more information about their ancestors who inhabited the area. Being able to look up a certain street and find out that your great-grandfather lived there is certainly amazing– it makes me wonder what life was like for our ancestors living on the bay and how life has changed over the many years that have passed.

General Reflection (based on questions from e-mail):

One thing I learned about Jamaica Bay that I had never learned before was the amount of religious celebrations that take place in the area. I had no idea the area was so diverse and accommodating to so many different religions. By different, I not only mean various types of religions, but how unusual they are for the New York City area. I never thought of the city as having an area for sacred water sacrifices by Hindus. I also would never have thought that Santeria was practiced in the city because it seems like such a taboo, fictional religion (at least from my sheltered point of view). Jamaica Bay plays such an integral role in the lives of so many different cultures and offers them a valuable resource to continue their tradition, no matter what land management policy dictates.

I could understand why the practice of offering sacrifices into the bay might upset some people. It’s not environmentally friendly and the salt marshes are a very sensitive, balanced eco system that would be disrupted greatly by any change in the area. For the most part, land management rules are meant to protect these valuable marshlands (except for the gassing geese incidents) and so they might not always coincide with religious laws.

These chapters might connect with indigenous knowledge because indigenous peoples often incorporated and based their ceremonies on their land. I’m sure many indigenous cultures gave meaning to the world that surrounded them (such as water, wind, etc.) and purposely chose to create traditions that required use of the earth. As time went on and humans became more restrictive in what they were allowed to do, rules came about that directly inhibited traditional indigenous religious practice.

Although my family has no real connection to nature, my Japanese culture is very in tune with their role in natural environments and even has a religion that refers to the natural world as a living entity. Shintoism is the belief that all objects (such as rocks, trees, etc.) are inhabited by a soul and therefore require respect. I don’t think there would be much conflict between those who believe in Shinto and conservationists, as they both believe in protecting and respecting the environment. I imagine that as Japan industrialized and took over some forestland for factories, there was conflict because mass production and destruction goes against respecting the natural would.