Tag Archives: mobile apps

Crime Scene Neanderthal – Public Launch and Coverage in Rotunda

Under the headline, “Solve a Science-Based Mystery Designed by Teens,” the AMNH’s seasonal Rotunda magazine featured a full page article describing Crime Scene Neanderthal in the week before it’s public (beta!) launch this Sunday. (It also includes an official teaser … Continue reading

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Designing Mobile Museum Experiences: Thoughts on the “Well-Played” App

You can’t always get what you want But if you try sometimes well you just might find You get what you need — Mick Jagger & Keith Richards This weekend my 5-year old daughter taught me some important lessons about … Continue reading

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“People need a change in lighting because they walk to the right” – Using Design-based Learning with Museum Teens

A couple of weeks after shifting to more of a design focus in the Neanderthal Next Door program, we tried an ideation activity with the youth called a “Point-of-View Madlib.” (Remember Mad Libs?) Taken from Stanford d.school’s “Bootcamp Bootleg” deck … Continue reading

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New program launch: The Neanderthal Next Door

Last week we launched at the Museum an exciting new youth program, called The Neanderthal Next Door. The title refers to the fact that evolution is not linear, we lived at the same time as the Neanderthal and, at least … Continue reading

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Augmenting the Museum: Pterosaurs, Microbiomes, and More

“omne trium perfectum” (Latin for everything that comes in threes is perfect) According to Wikipedia, the rule of three is a writing principle that “suggests that things that come in threes are inherently funnier, more satisfying, or more effective than … Continue reading

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Using “String and Sellotape” To Build the Magic Tate Ball: A Behind-the-scenes Interview with Ben Templeton

Can you recall, as a child, the wonder of asking a question and then shaking that round black lump of mystery called a Magic 8 Ball? Can you remember how it felt the moment before the answer was revealed through a haze of colored liquid? The Tate … Continue reading

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A Critique of the Zoo App Shutterbugs, or “On Second Thought, Maybe This App Doesn’t Suck”…

I write this post in part as an apology, in part to remind me not to repeat the error, and in part (and this is why it is public) to explore with you some fascinating lessons that can be learned … Continue reading

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A Close Look at the Development of Planetmania, a Museum-Based Mobile App: an interview with developer David Schaller

Last Fall, when I first began working in a Natural History museum, I started to look for examples of customized museum mobile apps. One of the first that came across my radar was Planetmania. There are some things I like … Continue reading

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Guest Post: Follow Me – A Youth Audio Guide Program

During January’s Digital Learning Week, the Museum’s Youth Initiatives team brought together youth, Museum educators, and scientists for a series of programs to explore using digital tools to engage with Museum halls, collections, and research. This post about “Follow Me” … Continue reading

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Science simulations, mobile games, and the future of museum-based situated learning: Interview with Kevin Miklasz, Iridescent

Recently, as I have been playing games on my iPhone that intentionally teach science, I wondered what else was out there. I reached out on the ASTC listserv and heard back from Kevin Miklasz, Director of Digital Curriculum at Iridescent … Continue reading

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