Blog post 5: what am I learning?

Hello, long time no write, but we're back and my thesis idea is stronger than ever!

Some updates before I delve into the prompt:

• I officially will be working with the Rochester Museum & Science Center (RMSC) to get objects for my program! I'm visiting and choosing the objects on Saturday, 11/2.
• My lit review is happening! It's not great, but we had a draft due last week that was 5 pages and used 7 sources. Baby steps, but progress nonetheless.

 So, since our lit reviews are coming along, I have been learning quite a bit about techniques and tricks for running programs, different statistics about adult learning, other projects similar to mine, and so on. For example, this afternoon I dove into sources I "stole" from my Muse Ed class from last fall, and I read about questioning strategies for getting students to arrive at an answer without just telling it to them. I also looked at some lesson plan templates and different verbs for describing outcomes. In one source, I read about how adult learning has 3 steps: acquiring knowledge, analyzing and reflecting on the knowledge, and applying the knowledge. The reflection part is apparently incredibly important, but something I would never have thought to include in my plan, so I'm glad I was able to find this source.

What do I still need to know?

Since I haven't picked out collection items yet, I still need to choose them. Once I know what I'm working with, I'll be able to construct a theme and research the facts behind the objects so that I am prepared to effectively facilitate a program about them. One of my sources said that adult learners expect the facilitator to be an expert on the subject, so I will have to be prepared for this and put in my research!
I also need to do a little more research on facilitating programs. While browsing the library stacks I came across a book that was supposedly a museum educator's handbook and I was incredibly excited to find it, but it didn't end up being that helpful. These are the two areas I'm going to concentrate future research on!

Blog post 4: revised topic paragraph

As the semester marches on, my topic grows ever narrower and more focused. Since last week's post I have been in contact with Solstice, the senior living community I plan to work with. I have also reached out to the Strong Museum of Play, yet have not heard anything from them as of the time I published this post. Once I secure a collection to work from, I will be able to further narrow my topic and outline, broadly, some lesson goals and themes I want to accomplish with my project.

Research Question: How can museums facilitate effective object-based learning 
programs for independent living community residents?

With the baby boomer generation approaching retirement and the average age of Americans increasing, 
industries must evolve to serve the growing 55+ population. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, "1 
in every 5 (U.S.) residents will be retirement age" by 2030.¹ A larger aging population means more 
people living in nursing homes, assisted living, and independent living communities. 

Traditionally, museum education has focused on school children, and more recently 
programming has branched out to include 21+ events as well. Now, however, is the time 
to expand our horizons even further and embrace museum education for all ages, especially 
for those who may not be able to visit the physical museum on their own. We have one 
decade before 20% of the population is eligible for retirement, and we must plan for this change 
in demographics in order to be prepared for the shift in visitorship.

My project will act as a bridge between a Rochester-area museum and the Solstice Senior Living 
community in Fairport, NY. I hope to create a lesson plan which will utilize a teaching collection 
chosen to both spark memories from the past and teach the residents something new. I will implement 
the program sometime in early spring semester. Following the program, I will reflect on the effectiveness
of it and make recommendations based on my experiences for those wishing to host a similar program 
in the future.

Cited: 

¹ Bureau, US Census. “Older People Projected to Outnumber Children.” 
The United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 23, 2019

Other sources I will be using:

Smiraglia, Christina. "Qualities of the Participant Experience in an Object-Based Museum 
Outreach Program to Retirement Communities." Educational Gerontology 41, no. 3 (2015): 238-248.

"Case Studies: Museum Programs for Older Adults." Roundtable Reports 9, no. 4 
(1984): 9-13. http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.rit.edu/stable/40478630.

Morrell, Roger W., and Katharina V. Echt. "Presenting Information to Older Adults."  
The Journal of Museum Education 26, no. 1 (2001): 10-12. 
 http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.rit.edu/stable/40479197.

“September 2019 Activities Calendar.” Solstice Senior Living, n.d. Accessed 
September 16, 2019. https://solsticeseniorlivingfairport.com.