Dr. Kimberlee Kiehl is a passionate supporter of education in the Columbus area, and she has been for a number of years. She actually started a career in formal education, but she left to focus on informal education – and that’s what makes her the perfect person to teach us about how informal education spaces are disrupting the education world and how teachers can utilize local resources and opportunities in the everyday classroom.
Dr. Kiehl currently serves as Senior Vice President of Operations and Experience at the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) in Columbus, Ohio, which she claims is “the best science museum in the world” (and we all might be a little biased, but we’re inclined to agree).
We unbox:
The value of the applied, hands-on, immersive experience in education
How the informal education world – museums and science centers, in particular – are able to capitalize on local resources and turn them into something tangible for students
You don’t have to wear a white lab coat and be in a lap to be a scientist
Reframing informal learning as free-choice learning
Teaching through story
The power of curiosity to catalyze learning
How museums break down barriers
How you can bring informal learning opportunities and curiosity into traditional classrooms
Making informal education spaces accessible to everyone
Resources:
COSI: https://www.cosi.org/
Big Science Celebration (FREE on May 4, 2019): https://cosiscifest.org/bsc/
The 95 Percent Solution: https://www.americanscientist.org/article/the-95-percent-solution