Public Programs - Transformative Education Homework by Katy

TEd Learning Goals: Overview

kpapoulias — 2025-01-29 23:18:18 UTC

EXAMPLE

kpapoulias — 2025-01-29 23:19:50 UTC

DIRECTIONS

kpapoulias — 2025-01-29 23:22:53 UTC

Brainstorm an "ingredient" for as many TEd learning principles as you can - e.g., define how you understand each TEd principle within the context of our work at CAS. How might we encourage and empower ourselves and our guests in each category of TEd learning goals? We're looking for at least 3 concrete actions/elements for each principle.
Then, please upvote ideas that resonate strongly with you.
We will then take these lists and synthesize them into 3 main categories for each TEd learning goal.

TO USE PADLET:

Click the + button under a TEd learning principle section to add an "ingredient" then publish after you've finished typing.
Click the "thumbs up" button to up vote ideas that resonate strongly with you.
You can add a comment to add any thoughts or ask clarifying questions of an idea to each post.
Reminder to scroll down and to the right/left -- there are several sections to review.

You can also find graphics below if that helps your thinking.

Hands-on, inquiry-based learning

kpapoulias — 2025-01-29 23:44:03 UTC

e.g., using open-ended questions, guest-led interactions that utilize touchable/sense-based interactives and objects

Grounding large concepts in tangible / local examples

kpapoulias — 2025-01-29 23:45:07 UTC

Empathy-based programming -- connecting humans as part of natural world, other animals have similar feelings/experiences as humans do

kpapoulias — 2025-01-29 23:47:07 UTC

e.g., "I am a raccoon" story, Swamp talk following a baby alligator's journey as they grow up

Guest-centered learning & discussions

kpapoulias — 2025-01-29 23:49:19 UTC

Scaffolding climate change learning - providing causal chains to connect pieces of climate change causes/effects

kpapoulias — 2025-01-30 00:28:28 UTC

Using prior knowledge in our interpretations and programs

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Situating ongoing events, actions, and solutions within a specific location relevant to the learner

jkegelmeyer — 2025-01-30 23:11:49 UTC

Inspiring hope for and sharing the possibility of a successful, regenerative future.

jkegelmeyer — 2025-01-30 23:22:13 UTC

Sharing previous successful regenerative efforts and their impact. Providing examples of current work being done. E.g., American alligator population increase.

Speaking in realistic but optimistic visions for the future by referencing current behaviors

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E.g. "we are already acting to clean up plastic from the oceans, imagine how our beaches would look if even more people switched from single use plastics"

Asking guests what matters in their community and adjusting program messaging accordingly to match.

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E.g. for swamp, someone says having clean water is important to them, highlight swamp role in aquifer regeneration.

Grounding the future in current and past practices/efforts

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Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and true involvement of Indigenous peoples to solutions with proven results (cultural burnings, only taking what you need, emphasis on gratitude). We don't need to reinvent the wheel.

Asking questions to tie programming to audience's personal/local experiences

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Doing regular audience surveys to learn what issues they care about or want from interpretive experiences and which programs are most meaningful and memorable from their visit

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Have presenter staff with expertise or enthusiasm for a particular program teach a workshop on best practices/tips and tricks for fellow presenters

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Including location maps, signage and the stories of communities and researchers from the places the exhibit or program centers on

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Invite guests to guide the program

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For pop ups and interpretive situations, create programs where guests choose what happens next or what they want to investigate further (sauropod choose your own adventure)

provide local example then bridge to audience's home

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reference SF specific policies and suggest how they could be similar to something already happening or yet to be created where guests live

seeing themselves in narratives

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provide examples of individuals, accents of a character, or who is presenting that reflects audience and inclusivity

provide opportunities for sharing and/or collaborating with multiple guests

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eg. wild winter trivia bringing siblings up, melting ice pop up two kids each have an ice cube for drop, when learning together during nc interpretation manage to weave various opinions or guesses together

Awe-inspiring Interactions

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When people feel genuine wonder and curiosity in what they see/hear/learn they are more inclined to show interest and empathy towards that thing -- cultivating fascinating programming and interactions rooted in what our audiences are interesting in

Allowing space for guests to share their stories related to our programming and connecting them to their personal values

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e.g. In PCR getting a show of hands of people who are from the Philippines or people who have been there (the reefs specifically) to create a sense of togetherness when talking about the importance of the coral reef ecosystem because these guest have seen reef environments themselves.

Looking to the future with optimism.

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Speak on success stories from the past that were due to anthropogenic change and effort and compare that to how we can help in the present and in the ultimate future. Creating a sense of hopefulness and enthusiasm for the future, whatever that may bring.

Explaining why and where regeneration actions are needed, understanding these actions are not isolated but intertwined with each other

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Encouraging iteration and deeper thinking about solution-based design processes

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Especially useful with a STEAM or other hands-on building activity.

Developing Programs/Pop ups/activities that connect humans with other organisms

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Have some sort of program/pop up/activity in which a visitor can compare and find similarities that they share with other organisms (story time would be a great one to do with young ones as they can get to "be" the organism and live the life as well as potentially make the connections with their own experiences.

Having a dedicated space where visitors can tell their stories in relation to an exhibit or program that they felt particular connection to

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Maybe something like a wall where people can leave their thoughts or feelings, a way of expressing how something they experienced at the Academy connected to them, how it made them feel, that sort of thing

Connecting people to active scientific research

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Sharing with guests what our researchers are working on either through our conversations/interpretations or creating an informal plaque/interactive can inspire hope for building a better future

Integrate 'why' messaging

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Incorporate 'why we should care' messaging in our programs and emphasize shared dependence on natural world. South Africa and the Philippines can feel very far away and therefore it can be challenging to understand why issues there relate to issues where we're from. Therefore we need to instill systems thinking into our programs as a major take away to understanding critical climate change issues.

Call to action sharing of knowledge

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Inviting folks to share what they learned with friends, family, community to disseminate knowledge and foster open, non-politically charged conversations surrounding important climate change topics.

Invitation to engage

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Opportunities to create more pop-ups/activities/programs that engage the ideation process. There are an overwhelming number of sustainability issues that need to be tackled, but providing one for guests to engage in (maybe community answer board style) can make solutions thinking more approachable.

Giving guests a platform to investigate and form their own questions/convictions

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e.g. The computers in the NC provide opportunity to do more research about specimens.

It is important to remind them that the investigation/learning does not stop once they leave the academy.

Linking examples of local conservation work to other global efforts

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Important to emphasize how all these efforts, although happening in completely different places are interconnected. It is great to offer local opportunities, while always tying them back to the work happening globally.

Emphasis on "WE" and how personal values exist within a community context

2025-02-07 18:38:32 UTC

Giving guests the space to evaluate how their own personal beliefs fit into the well-being of the wider community they are a part of. It is very important to highlight togetherness when it comes to conservation. Everyone is part of a community and should be reminded that they can make decisions/take actions that can affect it. every individual in the community is needed. We could compare with coral colonies or ants!

Promoting volunteer opportunities

2025-02-07 23:29:58 UTC

Creating an informational bulletin board with proactive conservation volunteer organizations (ex: posting the Surfrider Foundation's schedule for community led beach clean ups...or how to volunteer with CAS!).

Can include suggestion box of what the public is interested in and can post relevant orgs accordingly

Offering a mental map of the role of political systems and policies have in conservation

2025-02-08 19:51:38 UTC

Highlight how laws and policies are instrumental in either exacerbating the negative impact of human activity on the planet, or restoring damage caused by it. Include messaging reminding guests that their voices are important in making sure our elected officials enact laws that are regenerative to the natural world.

Acknowledging the interconnectedness of nature

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Helping guests understand the complex relationships, patterns, and drivers in systems we are part of- and how human actions (good or bad) impact those systems

Recognizing that our guests are experts too

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Whether they are experts in a specific relevant field, or simply experts in their own lived experience, we (CAS) can benefit from leveraging the knowledge of our public audience for deeper learning experiences

Using metaphor for complicated ideas

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i.e. describing zooxanthellae being a something like tenants of polyps, or an ecosystem like a neighborhood.

Looking for similarities

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When interacting with a particular specimen, asking a guest if it reminds them of anything. Oftentimes, it will be something they are interested in, and you can make connections between the two to grow their interest.

Prompt understanding of answers

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When you ask a guest a question, and they provide an answer, ask them why they think that is the answer, so they are thinking about thinking.

Empowering individuals

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Reminding guests that our actions have an impact on globals ecosystem. Foster appreciation for the natural world by emphasizing its importance in our daily lives.