April 2004
Contents
Government funding announced for English centres
Einstein Year exhibition - call for proposals
New opportunities to support teacher training
Jaguar's new XJ 'ends up' at Thinktank
Techniquest to coordinate Faulkes Telescope Project
DIARY: Doing Dialogue specialist
meeting, 21-22 April;
Science Communication conference, 24-25 May
News from the Ecsite-uk Office
Government funding announced for English Millennium Centres
On 16 March the Government announced a total of £2 million revenue funding for five English centres over three financial years, to April 2006.
This represents recognition of the important contribution that the UK's science centres make both to informal science learning and to wider public engagement with science and technology. It also recognises their need for revenue funding, beyond the capital investment by the Millennium Commission and other supporters. It should be helpful leverage in the parallel discussions going on in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Developments in the Sector
Einstein Year exhibition - call for proposals
Proposals are invited to design, build and tour an interactive exhibition on contemporary physics for Einstein Year.
The Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC), the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), and the Institute of Physics (IoP) wish to develop an exhibition of hands-on interactives aimed at 11-14 year olds that explore the ideas and concepts of contemporary physics. The exhibition will visit ten venues during Einstein Year starting at the end of January 2005.
The deadline for receiving proposals is 5pm on 22 April 2004.
The Einstein Year Exhibition Tender Document can be downloaded at
[archived page - old link removed]
Developments in the Sector
New opportunities to support teacher training
The Teacher Training Agency has recently modified its teacher training requirements to broaden the scope for teaching to occur in venues other than schools. And MLA (Museums, Libraries and Archives) has published research outlining current and potential relationships between teacher training providers and museums, libraries, archives. The way is open for science centres/museums to support teacher training providers in:
- developing awareness of the range of stimulating environments in which pupil learning can take place outside the class room
- assisting the maintenance of subject specialist knowledge amongst teachers, not just whilst training, but at every stage in their career.
For details and the full report, see [archived - link removed]
Resource
NESTA Futurelab publications
This new series of literature reviews offers a route map through the vast body of research into education and technology. They have been commissioned from outstanding academic researchers, and provide jargon-free discussions of the key issues. They are written for educators, policy makers and software designers with an interest in identifying the most effective role for ICT in learning.
New for 2004 are Literature Reviews on Games and Learning, and Informal Learning with Technology Outside School.
For details, and the full list of Literature Reviews, see
www.nestafuturelab.org/research/lit_reviews.htm
News from the Regions
Jaguar's new XJ 'ends up' at Thinktank
Developed by Jaguar Cars and Alcan especially for Thinktank, Birmingham, 'The Lightweight Car' is a dramatic display of two Jaguar car body shells positioned vertically on their bumpers side by side - one is the new XJ made of aluminium, the other the former steel XJ model.
Visitors can lift each car body to gain a sense of the difference in weight of the two materials, and a software programme invites them to learn more about the achievements of the new lightweight aluminium vehicle.
It is on display in Thinktank's Futures gallery alongside cutting edge exhibits such as nanotechnology, tiny flying machines and an emotional robot.
For more information on Thinktank visit www.thinktank.ac
News from the Regions
Techniquest in Faulkes Telescope Project
Techniquest, Cardiff, is one of the regional centres for the UK's Faulkes Telescope Project, co-ordinated and run from the School of Physics & Astronomy at Cardiff University.
Schoolchildren up and down the country will be able to operate the £10 million Faulkes telescopes based in Hawaii and Australia over the Internet and take pictures of the universe with research grade equipment.
Schools will be able to control the telescopes live from their classrooms and support international research projects, working alongside scientists from UK universities and NASA, and experts at science centres including the Science Museum, the National Space Centre in Leicester and Armagh Planetarium.
For details see faulkes1.astro.cf.ac.uk/
Diary Dates
Doing Dialogue specialist meeting
21-22
April 2004, Stroud
Some centres/museums are beginning to try out 'Dialogue' events, and have early lessons to share. Others have yet to dip a toe in the water, and would like to brainstorm ideas. The purpose of the specialist meeting is to share best practice and ideas now being developed, and to network face-to-face, establishing and reaffirming personal connections.
The specialist meeting is supported by the Potential Trust - there is no registration fee.
Target participants are managers of education and public programmes at science and discovery centres and science museums - those who have a remit to develop and deliver programmes that address the Science & Society agenda.
For further information, e-mail enquiries@ecsite-uk.net
Science Communication Conference
24-25
May 2004, London
The 2004 Science Communication Conference is jointly organised by the BA and The Royal Society. It will take place at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, London.
'Strategies to Improve Impact' is this year's conference theme. The draft programme is at www.the-ba.net/scicomm
A bursary scheme will be offered this year to assist the attendance of the following groups: students, freelancers/micro businesses, NGOs and socially excluded groups.
For further information please contact events@the-ba.net
Ecsite-uk
Dr Melanie Quin, Executive Director Ecsite-uk: the Science and Discovery Centre Network
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