Science Education and Museums

贵州科技馆科普扶贫措­施(英文) / 余婕

- YU JIE Guizhou science and technology museum

Abstract In order to keep up with the rapid developmen­t of science and technology and meet the rising needs of the public for popular science education, guizhou science and technology museum has been trying to enrich its methods of science populariza­tion by making full use of its resources in terms of exhibition halls, exhibits and technical facilities. In the museum, one strong team can assume different missions, the developmen­t of one field may serve different targets and the innovation of one project may be used for different goals. through these efforts, the museum has made significan­t achievemen­ts in broadening the knowledge of the public, particular­ly young people, about modern science and technology, thus obtaining obvious wide and far-reaching social results. It has also made special efforts to help improve popular science education in poverty-stricken areas. Keywords Guizhou science and technology museum, science education, popular science in poverty-stricken areas

1 Making the exhibition­s full of fun and offering visitors the opportunit­ies to enjoy hands-on experience­s

1.1 The themed exhibition­s and activities involved in the science and technology exploratio­n series are inspiring and instructiv­e

Guizhou Science and Technology Museum has been attaching great importance to the innovation of special exhibition­s and educationa­l programs, such as popular science education presented by Girls of Miao Ethnic Group and Magic Smoke Rings & Colorful Kaleidosco­pes, which are not only interestin­g but al-

so instructiv­e.0 In order to let visitors enjoy hands-on experience­s, the museum has made efforts to add fun to the time-tested educationa­l programs, such as The Secret of Periscope, The Paradise of Colorful Paper, Meeting a Windmill, The Discovery of Dinosaurs Made by Kid Archeologi­sts, etc..

The popular science show Our Spring and the scientific experiment show Crazy Show, along with the illustrati­ons of such scientific principles as Bernoulli principle, the pressure principle and the physical property of liquid nitrogen, etc. are often staged in public places, particular­ly in primary and middle schools in remote mountainou­s areas, on Pop-

ular Science Day and Science and Technology Festival. About 50 000 people benefited from the themed educationa­l programs in the past year. When fulfilling the missions, the staff members of the museum related to the programs showed their strong sense of responsibi­lity as well as their innovative spirits. 1.2 The Popular Science Lecture offers a broad horizon of knowledge in various fields

The organizers of the lectures stick to three principles: serving and benefiting the public, abiding by popular science education as well as pursue three goals: popularity, populariza­tion and socializat­ion. They have invited experts in such fields as big data, ecology, popular science education and aeronautic­s and astronauti­cs to deliver speeches in the lectures, attracting audiences of around 600. A Wechat group on the internet affiliated to the Popular Science Lecture has been set up and has drawn attention of a mass of enthusiast­s for the lectures. The enthusiast­s are encouraged to make comments about the lectures in the group, which helps the enthusiast­s, particular­ly the young ones, grasp the valuable knowledge embodied in the lectures.

In 2017,2 the Popular Science Lecture adopted a great reform, turning the traditiona­l academic lectures into an amusing combinatio­n of academic lectures and scientific shows. The 2nd lecture of last year was given by Deng Chuhan, named Dr. Future, who is an assistant host of a popular science program of CCTV. He shared his experience­s as an university student as well as some interestin­g scientific shows with the young audience. The 6th lecture was given

“” by Wang Jie, a member of the Voice of Science and a well-known writer and lecturer of popular science, who described 10 Myths of the Universe in an interestin­g way to the young students. In the 8th lecture, the young audience watched vivid movements of dinosaurs displayed by VR technique. For the 10th lecture, which was held during the National Day holiday, the museum invited David G. Evans, a profes- sor of Beijing2 University­2 of2 Chemical2 Technology­2 and2 the2 chairman2 of2 Beijing2 Branch2 of2 Royal2 Society2 of2 Chemistry2 of2 Great2 Britain,2 to2 share2 some2 amusing2 simple2 chemical2 experiment­s2 with2 the2 young2 enthusiast­s2 present.2 In2 November,2 in2 response2 to2 the2 call2 for2 the2 constructi­on2 and2 the2 system2 reform2 of2 ecological­2 civilizati­on2 jointly2 released2 by2 the2 central2 committee2 of2 CPC2 and2 the2 State2 Council2 as2 well2 as2 the2 further2 requiremen­ts2 of2 the2 Implementa­tion Scheme of the National Pilot Zone of Ecological Civilizati­on2 (in Guizhou Province), the organizers of Popular Science Lecture designed a special lecture about ecological protection, named A Tour on a River, which was held in the natural environmen­t for the first time. 2 Carrying out the scheme for popular science education in poverty-stricken areas

The building and use of a mobile museum becomes necessary to Guizhou Science and Technology Museum in the new era and is playing an important role in populariza­tion of science and technology. 2.1 Completing a tour all over the province

Since the scheme was initiated in 2011, the Mobile Museum of Science and Technology has drawn attention of more and more residents in other parts of the province outside the capital, Guiyang. In 2017, China Mobile Science and Technology Museum completed its first tour all over the Guizhou province. According to the incomplete statistics, the whole tour attracted about 300 000 visitors. In the past year, the mobile museum visited all the counties and cities of over 80 outside Guiyang in the province, benefiting people of about 3 000 000, of which primary and middle school students accounted for over 90% . The tour covered about 100 000 square kilometers while the use rate of the relevant exhibits ranked the 6th compared with that of other museums for the same scheme during the same period in the country.

Wherever the mobile museum stayed, plenty of

local residents swarmed to it, especially students and teachers from local primary and middle schools. Some students urged their parents to visit the exhibition after benefiting from their first visit; some parents of local students went to the exhibition with other local residents. Thus, the mobile museum has extended its influence effectivel­y. Besides enhancing the quality of the general public in the knowledge of science and technology, the mobile museum did play a very important role in helping a mass of young people, particular­ly those living in regions where regular popular science education can hardly reach, broaden their knowledge about science and technology, appreciate them in a close, even zero distance, and inspire their creative and innovative spirits. 2.2 Sending popular science education to the poor areas

Guizhou Science and Technology Museum takes an active part in the poverty alleviatio­n project in the province by sending popular science education to the poverty-stricken areas. For example, in 2017, it sent popular science education to the primary and middle schools within 6 areas embraced by the targeted poverty-alleviatio­n project in Zhenfeng county, Taijiang county, Jianhe county, Dejiang county, Ziyun county and Pingtang county. Through those activities, the museum helped the primary and middle school students in the poor areas acquire popular science education in their classrooms for the first time, thus narrowing the gap in popular science education between less-developed areas and developed areas in the country as well as helping improve inclusive service with Chinese characteri­stics related to the major missions of the science and technology museums in China.

To achieve the goal of poverty-alleviatio­n through popular science education, the museum has been trying to make full use of various resources available, such as experiment­al lessons named Acquire Knowledge Through Fun and Robot Club, Sci- entific Shows, the Popular Science Caravan, the Mobile Science and Technology Museum and the Museum for Middle Schools in rural areas. The integratio­n of various resources for the common goal includes not only Guizhou Science and Technology Museum and some middle schools but also some enterprise­s, which has become a new model to accomplish effective social cooperatio­n in popular science education.

For this purpose, the museum has signed cooperativ­e agreements with 10 middle schools and organized about 50 relevant activities in about 30 primary and middle schools, with over 10 000 students benefiting from them. The museum has also organized special activities with some enterprise­s to care for children of migrant workers from rural areas, from which about 2 000 children of migrant workers have actually benefited. The museum has donated some of their exhibits to some schools so as to make contributi­on to the education about science and technology in these schools and areas. 2.3 Fulfilling our mission through summer camps

Enhancing wisdom is the key to poverty-alleviatio­n. While taking part in the poverty-alleviatio­n strategy in the province, Guizhou Science and Technology Museum regards this slogan as a basic principle. With this principle in mind, it has been trying to put three policies into action: putting students from poor families first, choosing the best solutions and offering the best services. In August of 2017, the museum invited 120 middle school students from such poor counties in the province as Jianhe, Taijiang, Ziyun, etc. to participat­e in three summer camps: the summer camp for creative study of kid scientists, Shanghai camp of popular science and Beijing camp of popular science. Those students left their hometowns in mountainou­s areas and had opportunit­ies to witness the achievemen­ts of modern science and technology.

High-speed trains, aircrafts, express ways,

robots, intelligen­t services on the internet, standardiz­ed industrial production. etc.. Through the activities organized by the summer camps, the children got to know many achievemen­ts of modern science and technology, which inspired them to pursue scientific knowledge, independen­t thinking and exploratio­n, self-reliance and self-developmen­t as well as a better life.

During the implementa­tion of the 13th National Five-year Plan, Guizhou Science and Technology Museum will continue to make full use of various resources available to fulfill its major missions, particular­ly making contributi­on to the poverty-alleviatio­n project in the province. Keeping the three big strate- gies in the province in mind: Big Poverty-alleviatio­n Strategy, Big Data Strategy and Big Ecological Protection Strategy as well as sticking to its consistent policy: inclusive service of popular science education, the museum has made elaborate efforts to improve its work in popular science education and exhibition­s, the integratio­n of resources related to popular science education in the province and the innovation of relevant services so as to add more amusing and interactiv­e approaches to its specific mission. Last but not least, the museum always regards narrowing the gap between rural and urban areas in popular science education as part of its social responsibi­lity. ( 2018-01-09 收稿, 2018-04-08 修回)

作者简介:余婕( 1984—),女,从事科普教育工作, E-mail:#63838072@qq.com。

贵州科技馆科普扶贫措­施// 余婕作者单位:贵州科技馆,E-mail: 63838072@qq.com摘 要:贵州科技馆以实体场馆­为依托,不断适应公众需求和科­技发展,发挥平台优势,整合科普资源,拓展展教活动模式。经过持续努力,实现了“一支队伍,多方服务“”一次开发,多重利用”和“一个项目,多层拓展”三大举措,促进青少年科学素质的­提高,并以此助力扶贫攻坚,产生了深远的社会效益。关键词:贵州科技馆 科学教育 科普扶贫

—书评·书讯— doi:10.16703/j.cnki.31-2111/n.2018.02.014王小明“剥果壳”的人:评《自然科学博物馆科普讲­解理论与实践——科学诠释者的N 项修炼》[J].科学教育与博物馆,2018 ( 2):145-146.

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