Interview: GRPM EducationSpecialist (Erin Koren)
September 5, 2018 at GRPM
September 5, 2018 at GRPM
The most common age groups are between third to sixth grade, mainly due to the fact that they do not have rotational teachers, and that this is the most common age group for immerse students. There can be up to 32 students and for both field trips and Immerse programs. Immerse groups will be a minimum of 20 and field trips will be a minimum of 8
While there is not a large staff to assist these groups at the Grand Rapids Public Museum, there is a high demand for field trips. One of the main reasons teachers come to see the museum is that many of the exhibits align with the Michigan teaching standards. More info about education on the GRPM website. Click the Streets of Old Grand Rapids tab to see that program and its associated EDU standards.
This program can be thought of a week long string of guided field-trip-style activities (1 per day), mixed with teacher-ad-hocced, programming that kids can participate in as a camp experience. More info about the Immerse program. There is a very popular 'Immerse Family Night' where students display their project work.... what can be displayed from our game? These displays can be an important promotional opportunity to bring awareness to the game as there is a lot of repeat business from schools and teachers. The displays can prompt them to sign their class up for that field trip or Immerse activity during their next trip.
In Old Grand Rapids, the current guided program covers units such as goods and services, economics, understanding of transitions from past to present, all of which align with the third grade teaching standards. Social Studies and Science standards are the most come within all current exhibitions; Michigan history, immigration, push/pull factors, economics.
Another factor that makes the museum uniques, is their ability to create stories that connect with the students, and evoke emotion. The overall goal is to create empathy and ask thoughtful questions about that time period.
The attention span of children, which is said to average 2-5 minutes per year old. The target range for our game would be about 16-30 minutes (for 3rd grade) to 22-55 minutes(for fifth grade). School field trips are generally pre-scheduled to be 30 minutes.
A common method for making the exhibits more interesting include asking students to share their personal experiences and ideas. More subtle methods can be used as well, like a show of hands or a thumbs up vs thumbs down. Cycling frequently through different activities is important for younger students. Providing the opportunity for social interaction is important for the older.
Technology is handled in the museum rarely, as there is a thick firewall with the museums wifi, age restrictions with virtual reality, and not much interactive technology already in place. To learn more about the technology at Grand Rapids Public museum, we were told to consult Eric from IT.
In addition to Old Gr there are classrooms available for extended activity as is the Old Gr barrel factory are right in Old GR. The train depot should be avoided with groups because the students become distracted with the seating arrangements.
English-language-learners are common... especially Spanish speaking.
Old GR is the only permanent exhibit in the museum that has no informational signage.