Skip to main content

Association of Children's Museums (ACM) Interactivity 2015

ACM 2015 Interactivity logo

Date

-
Indianapolis, Indiana

About the Conference:

Theme: Bringing the World to Children and Families

Hosted by The Children's Museum of Indianapolis, in Indianapolis, Indiana

More information: 

 

Special Event:

  • Thursday, May 14 • 6:30 p.m.–9:30 p.m.
    Evening Event: The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
    NISE Network activities and information featured in the Biotechnology Learning Center, on level 4 of the museum
    Pre-registration is required; tickets are $50. 
    More information: evening events

Marketplace - Exhibit Hall

The NISE Network will have a booth in the exhibit hall featuring the information and activities.

Concurrent Professional Development Sessions

The NISE Network activities and information about engaging the public in nanoscience, engineering, technology will be featured in the following sessions:

  • Great Ideas for Planning and Hosting Special Events
    Wednesday, May 13, 10:45 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
    Indianapolis Marriott Downtown
    Museums use special events to foster community partnerships, drive attendance, and offer unique programming. In five minutes or less, speakers will share strategies that make their events a roaring success. Join us for rapid-fire presentations to help you make the most of special event days at your museum! We'll cover a range of event themes that bridge science, history, culture, art, and national holidays. Events will include Halloween, National Chemistry Week, Earth Day, festivals, cultural events, and more.
    Session Leader:
    Catherine McCarthy, Science Museum of Minnesota
    Session Presenters:
    Michelle Kortenaar, Sciencenter
     Liz Leahey,  The Discovery Museums 
    Becky Wolfe, The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis 
    Juliet Gray Moliere, Brooklyn Children's Museum
    Aaron Guerrero, Children's Museum of Houston 
    Ali Jackson, Sciencenter 
    Brad Herring, Museum of Life and Science
  • Download Slides (PDF)
  • Download Presentation Slides (PPTX)

 

  • Successful Strategies for Engaging All Ages with Talk, Tech, and Beyond
    Wednesday, May 13, 10:45 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
    Indianapolis Marriott Downtown
    Children's museum staff excel at making learning fun for families. This session takes our work further, focusing on approaches to training that create opportunities for deeper engagement with visitors about the world we live in. This includes a variety of methods:  from using devices to enhance family learning, to connecting new content to exhibits, to conversational approaches, and more. We'll even get moving with some improv exercises that have proven to empower museum educators to better engage with visitors.  Join us as we share adaptable resources to help you and your staff create a safe environment for all-ages to discuss and become more familiar with our world. 
    Session Leader:
    Christina Akers, Science Museum of Minnesota
    Session Presenters:
    Brad Herring, Museum of Life and Science
    Keith Ostfeld, Children's Museum of Houston
    Stephanie Long, Science Museum of MinnesotaPresenters:
    Margaret Hennessey-Spring, Kansas Children's Discovery
    Pam Hartley, Marbles Kids Museum

 

  • Team-Based Inquiry: A Practical Evaluation Approach for Non-Evaluator
    Wednesday, May 13, 3:00-5:45 p.m.
    Do you sometimes have questions about the products you are developing and providing your audiences? Have you ever worked on a project team that didn't seem to gel around a set of goals? If yes, this workshop can help you use evaluation to improve your practice. This hands-on workshop will introduce a practical, tested approach, Team-Based Inquiry (TBI), to build your evaluation capacity without adding much to your daily work. TBI is designed to help professionals use data to improve their work, foster effective teams, and make informed decisions. Presenters will introduce TBI and facilitate activities to familiarize participants with TBI’s four steps: question, investigate, reflect, and improve. Participants will leave with a copy of the TBI Guide and easy-to-use tools for each step. 
    Presenters:
    Sarah Cohn, Science Museum of Minnesota
    Ali Jackson, Sciencenter
    Brad Herring, Museum of Life and Science
    Kevin Dilley, Sciencenter
Attached Files