Workshop title: Mobile Learning

This workshop lasts 2 hours; 2 workshops will be run consecutively the afternoon of Wed Oct 26, at 1pm and 3:30pm.

Also a Case Study Showcase presentation, Thu 28 Oct 1:30-3:00pm.

Brief Abstract

Mobile Learning Program staff from the Smithsonian's National Postal Museum share learnings from a new partnership initiative between the Smithsonian Institution and the Pearson Foundation. The workshop starts off with a discussion of key findings and established best practices from the summer Smithsonian-Pearson partnership and examples of participant-created video interpretations of Smithsonian collections and ideas.

The workshop then transitions to logging into the social network, using it to introduce participants and the different museums they represent. Participants will be placed into small groups tasked with investigating the access to their collections remotely via their own websites. Participants will discuss their different websites through vlog postings, either looking at the difficulties they discovered or the anticipated challenges that make good websites truly great.

Abstract

Join Mobile Learning Program staff from the Smithsonian's National Postal Museum to share learnings from a new partnership initiative between the Smithsonian Institution and the Pearson Foundation. This exciting new partnership looks to integrate mobile learning and digital literacy into museum collections, helping to bridge the gap between formal and informal learning environments.

The MCN workshop starts off with a discussion of key findings and established best practices from the summer Smithsonian-Pearson partnership and some examples of participant-created video interpretations of Smithsonian collections and ideas. The mobile learning workshops conducted over the summer emphasized a specially-designed social network, allowing for communication and on-line discussion of Smithsonian collections and themes. The summer workshops also featured the creation of videos, giving each distinct audience groups the ability to voice the interpretation of their particular experiences. Examples of different videos will be shown so that MCN attendees can get a feel for the various types of mobile technologies explored over the summer.

The workshop then transitions to logging into the social network, using it to introduce participants and the different museums they represent. Participants will be placed into small groups tasked with investigating the access to their collections remotely via their own websites. The activity is a great way to network with fellow museum professionals, but also a focused look into the accessibility of their own museums. One of the greatest challenges faced during the summer workshops was the difficulty in investigating objects on display prior to arriving on a field trip with purpose of recording interpretive videos. The MCN participants will discuss their different websites through vlog postings, either looking at the difficulties they discovered or the anticipated challenges that make good websites truly great.

Workshop Host:

Jeff Meade is the Mobile Learning Program Lead at the Smithsonian's National Postal Museum, responsible for anchoring the Postal Museum's role in the new Pearson partnership. He has spent the last several years as the Postal Museum's School & Tours Coordinator, creating and leading school tours and training and recruiting new volunteer docents. His interest in mobile learning centers on making visitors the driving force in the interpretative experience.