Friday, April 6, 2012

Resource Round-up

In an effort to make our blog more helpful and using it easier, we've created this topical list of all the resources we've used or mentioned in each of our posts.  Check back often for updates!  In the Comments section, feel free to add your own resources or let us know if something is not working.  Cheers!


Accessibility

Apps

Badging

Blogging

Museum Websites:  Good Examples

Mobile

Overview

Podcasts and RSS Feeds:


Pinterests/HistoryPin

Reports

Social Media

Websites


Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Tying it all together (with an ethernet cord)

So we’ve got all these technological tools, and each one has the potential to be useful for museums (and their audiences) in a significant way.  Our goal in doing this tech-newbie project was specifically to discover ways we can use technology to reach new audiences; that endeavor requires overcoming boundaries of perception (from both institution and individual), socioeconomic standing, location, culture, knowledge, interest, and accessibility.

So where can we take it from there?

As museum enthusiasts as well as educators, we are wont to aim for rather lofty goals.  Social justice!  Universal literacy!  Worldwide understanding!  Productive dialogues!  Sustainable practices!

Courtesy of Silver Glimmer Dust

Before the doubts creep in about whether these things could be accomplished by new technologies like social media, think back to the protests and triumphs of Arab Spring.  Would that revolution have been (or continue to be) possible in a world without Twitter and Facebook?  And even if it was, would we really hear about it on this side of the pond?  

Take another lofty example: think about the obstacles overcome by the Occupy Wall Street movement; its core is a forum for the fielding of ideas, solutions, changes to be made, and those ideas are primarily shared across social media platforms.  In addition to live-tweeting their protests and events, Occupiers use social media to publicize their committee meetings.

Occupy Wall Street march, courtesy of The Atlantic

It’s a wonder the whole thing didn’t start on the steps of the Met, home to ageless depictions of human trials and victories.

Is the museum field really itching to jump into the middle of a political fight?  Probably not.  But can we be facilitators in the dialogue that coaches the players?  Absolutely.  Learning is the only way we can overcome the issues that face us as a society; if we already knew what we needed to know, the problems would cease to exist.

The 2012 Trends Report from the Center for the Future of Museums highlights seven significant trends in the museum world.  One of them is the possibility that the educational system will eventually blend with the museum network to create a multi-location, place-based, passion-driven learning environment.  As places of informal learning with a long history, museums can lead the formation of a new educational framework that is based on individual interests, motivations, learning styles and collaboratively solving real-world problems by developing 21st-century skills.

Courtesy of The Red Balloon

Those 21st-century skills will undoubtedly involve using and understanding technology. So will fully participating in our democracy and being members of an "enlightened, humane citizenry" (Excellence and Equity, AAM 2008) that can take the country, even the world, in a new and better direction. 

Museums have quite a trove of resources at their disposal; we have vast collections that can represent many different times, places, and peoples.  We have objects, images, and stories that can provoke intense conversation and perhaps allow us to see through one another's eyes to a better understanding.  If we don't shy away from controversy and difficulty, we can foster the kind of multi-perspective thinking that will be necessary to solve some of the world's social injustices.  

A few specific ways to use technology for furthering social justice:
  • Holding events with a keynote speaker, panelists, or a town hall meeting and streaming it live as a webcast with the invitation for people to Tweet/email responses and join the conversation that way.
    • The Tweets/emails could even be projected onto the screen in the lecture hall and made an integral part of the event. 
    • The conversation could later be made available as a podcast or YouTube video.
  • Polling the public about controversial or complicated topics to get a sense of the feelings, opinions, and priorities that affect it; this information would guide how the museum approaches an exhibition or program on that topic.
    • This data collection could be done through the museum's website, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or more visually through Pinterest.
  • In the spirit of learning for the future by studying the past, Historypin could be used to examine a particular area's visual history in detail.
    • The changes that have taken place since the time of the photographs could be discussed as a jumping-off point for analyzing what is changing now.
  • Connecting experts with laypeople so the general public can learn about ways to make their daily living choices more sustainable, culturally-aware, or otherwise sensitive to needs beyond their own.
    • This could be done through podcasts, live streaming video on the web, Twitter conversations, exhibitions and related programming with feedback submitted by visitors through various means.
    • Museums could create an app or mobile website in which users could log sustainable or culturally-aware actions anytime, anywhere.  Recycling could earn you rewards (Check out RecycleBank to see this idea in action).
The possibilities are nearly endless, but that's what will make our jobs fun and interesting in the future; figuring out the new ways to connect with new people and make big things happen.

You never know, maybe we'll start the next revolution!

Courtesy of http://www.pophistorydig.com


Saturday, March 31, 2012

Accessibility and Open-Source Apps: An Interview Podcast


 Image courtesy of www.littlegreenblog.com

Below you'll find an introduction, description, and transcript of a podcast mentioned in previous posts (Websites/Mobile and Podcasts/RSS).  I created this podcast for one of my graduate classes.  In particular - this interview is pertinent to my previous post in which I discussed open-source apps and how they can facilitate accessibility in museums.  We are still working on getting the actual podcast up...stay tuned!

(Please note:  When Kim and I speak about NMAI, we should have said NMAH.)

Concept Statement:  This podcast is the result of two reasons:  (one) the project was assigned in my Museums and Technology class, and (two), I am also co-writing a blog, www.museumtechnewbies.blogspot.com  with one of my classmates.  We are investigating how emerging technologies can help museums reach broader audiences.  The explosion of technology and the evolution of mobile devices, from smartphones to tablets, has really opened a lot of doors for museums to reach audiences on the go—inside and outside of the museum.  But the question of accessibility pops up when talking about these devices.  Do they actually enhance users’ experiences?  Can technology be used to break down barriers to access for visitors, or does it create new ones?  How do we ensure that tech is a turn on and not a turn off?  I’ve invited my colleague Kim Skerritt to talk about these issues and share a particularly positive example of how technology—in this case an open-sourced app—can provide several different target audiences with better access to learning opportunities in a variety of ways. 

Goal(s):  My goal for this project is to discuss how technology, and in this specific instance, an open-source app, can provide the public with greater access to institutions, collections, and learning opportunities, as well as give them a voice in the dialogue. 

Music Licensing Information:  The music in this podcast is “Smile (For a Bit)” by The Orchestral Movement of 1932 and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.


Time
Music
SFX
Narration
00:00
Podcast  opening theme “Smile (or a Bit)”


00:03
Podcast  opening theme “Smile (or a Bit)”
Crossfade music theme with LF Narration and fade out music
Begin Narration – LIZ FORT (LF):  This is Liz Fort, current GW MEP graduate student and public programs intern at the National Postal Museum….
00:08
Podcast theme out


Music theme faded out





LF:  My goal for this project is to discuss how technology, and in this specific instance, an open-source app, can provide the public with greater access to institutions, collections, and learning opportunities, as well as give them a voice in the dialogue…
05:12
Podcast  closing theme “Smile (For a Bit)”
Crossfade music theme with LF Narration and fade in music



LF: …It is clear from this example that open source mobile technology has the power to improve accessibility as long as institutions and creators are willing to engage and create with audiences and not just for them.  Many thanks to Kim Skerritt, The National Postal Museum, and The Ed Lab Programs for making this possible.
05:29
Podcast theme
Music theme fades out

05:34
Podcast music out
(faded out)
Clip over!

 Podcast Transcript


1.        Introduction:  (LIZ talks…)

A.     Who is Liz?
a.    This is Liz Fort, current GW MEP graduate student and public programs intern at the National Postal Museum.
B.      What is the goal of this podcast?
a.    My goal for this project is discuss how technology, and in this specific instance, an open-source app, can provide the public with greater access to institutions, collections, and learning opportunities, as well as give them a voice in the dialogue with that institution.
C.     Who is my guest, Kim Skerritt?
a.    My guest today is Kim Skerritt.  Kim is the Ed Lab Program Educator at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum's EdLab.

2.       Interview:

A.    Museums, mobile, technology, user-generated content, accessibility:
a.       LIZ:  We hear a lot today about this hot topic of technology in museums.  The explosion of technology and the evolution of mobile devices from smartphones to tablets has really opened a lot of doors for museums to reach audiences on the go.  Mobile technology can enhance both an onsite and an offsite visit.  But the question of accessibility pops up when talking about these devices.  Do they actually enhance users’ experiences?  Can technology be used to break down barriers to access for visitors, or does it create new ones?  How do we ensure that tech is a turn on and not a turn off?  And that’s why I’ve invited my colleague Kim Skerritt here today to talk about these issues and share a particularly positive example of how technology can provide several different target audiences with better access to learning opportunities in a variety of ways. 
B.      LIZ:  What is open-source anyway?  And why is it important?
a.  KIM:  Open source is really a philosophy.  It’s about having something and being able to share it.  Museums are all about sharing what they have so I think that open source and museums fit together pretty well.
C.    LIZ:  And when we say “accessibility” what is it that we mean by that?
a.    LIZ:  I think a lot of times when we say “accessibility” we tend to think about wheelchairs and the visually impaired.  But that’s not what we mean by “accessibility” in this case. 
b.   KIM:  Accessibility in today’s world—where we have all of this technology—we can really broaden that definition to mean so many other things. 
c.    LIZ:  Let’s talk about an example of how a museum is using that open source technology to make art more accessible
D.    Example, Version 1 – SCAPES
a.    LIZ:   The project is called “SCAPES,” and it was created by Halsey Burgund – a musician and sound artist who lives and works in Massachusetts.  Burgund’s project provides participants with an active role in content.  He uses an open source platform, GPS technology, and interactivity to create musical scores from participants' spoken words that continuously evolve in real-time. SCAPES is a participatory sound art installation which 'inhabits' the entire sculpture park at the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum.  Contributions to the piece are made using a custom app which allows participants to tag any location in the park with their own recordings which are then immediately incorporated into the piece.
E.     SCAPES and Accessibility…
a.    LIZ:  How accessible was SCAPES and what did it offer participants?
b.    KIM:  Experiencing the app personally, I found that there were, you know, children – probably five years old and younger – that were getting engaged with this.  People who weren’t interested in modern art were actually able to engage with art in a new way.
c.    LIZ:  In terms of accessibility, anyone could use it – even a five year old as we just heard Kim say.  It was also free – you didn’t have to buy it on the iTunes store.  Additionally, if you did not have your own smartphone device, you could borrow one from the museum for free. 
F.     Reincarnation…Version 2  - Stories from Main Street
a.    LIZ:  But that’s not the end of this app’s story.  Instead it is being reincarnated for different uses at other institutions.  Kim, how did that come to be?
b.   KIM:  When Halsey was brought on as an artist in residence at the Smithsonian he spent four months here over the past year.  While he was here, people at different units found out about work and thought, what a great opportunity to be able to recycle, repackage the work that he’s already done.  So one great example of what’s happened is SITES (Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibits Unit), has taken the app and created one that is called “Stories from Main Street” that goes around with their traveling exhibits all over the nation and has used this same sort of audio technology to record stories, recipes, anything that people want to share. 
c.    LIZ:  What a great example of how people all over the country – even if they can’t come to DC – can share their experience in an easy way, they just talk about it.  It’s really a way for all of us to archive the gems of the American Experience. 
G.    Reincarnation…Version 3 - NMAI (Should have said NMAH)
a.    LIZ:  So Kim, what about a third repackaging of this amazing app?
b.   KIM:  Well I’ve heard whisperings of the app actually being repackaged again at the American Indian Museum (NMAI). [Actually, National Museum of American History]
c.    LIZ:  This same open source app will allow visitors and staff at NMAI to record their thoughts about the collections and share them with anyone who uses the free app.  It’s basically the cell audio tour – reinvented.  This time with many more voices included in the dialogue, from curators, educators to exhibit designers, and even NMAI’s visitors.  Unlike traditional, authoritative and static audio tours, this tour, like Halsey Bergund’s original SCAPES project, will be dynamic and ever-evolving as new voices join the dialogue.  Additionally, this free app will be available to all visitors, not just the blind or visually impaired.  Hopefully it will even be available to online visitors too – bringing the accessibility level of NMAI’s collections to a whole new level. 

3.      Closure:
A.     Conclusion:
a.     LIZ:  As we can see from these projects, open source apps are a wonderful way to share collections and foster dialogue with broader audiences – improving accessibility at three different institutions.  The simple open source platform created by Halsey Bergund enabled this technology to reincarnate three times so far with limitless possibilities for the future.  It’s clear from this example that open source mobile technology has the power to improve accessibility as long as institutions and creators are willing to engage and create with audiences and not just for them. 
B.     Thanks:
a.    LIZ:  Many thanks to Kim Skerritt, the National Postal Museum, and the Ed Lab Program for making this possible.