Mathematics Through the Museum: An Effective Means for Teaching Math
Doty, Belinda Beth
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Attempts to classify the institution called "museum" have been numerous. Dillon Ripley, the Secretary of the Smithsonian, has called the museum "an enigma". After a three month internship at OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry), I have only begun to fathom the depth of the museum experience. Through the years, the museum has been called upon to fulfill many varied needs, due to the very nature of the museum. Albert Ten Eyck Gardner, a curator of the Metropolitan Museum, commenting on the flexibility of the museum said, "[The museum] is in fact a modern hybrid, bred with mingled characteristics of the cathedral, the royal palace, the theater, the school, the library, and according to some critics, the department store." He continues that because of the museum's broad characteristics, the museum is very flexible and can assume many roles. Most recently, the science museum has been challenged to teach the public and definitely has potential. The primary focus of the science museum in recent years has been science and mathematics education. This focus is reasonable, because the museum has characteristics which enable it to teach like no other institution can. The museum can often enrich and fill the gaps in traditional education. These gaps are especially apparent in the field of mathematics. In upper level mathematics, boys continue to score higher than girls, and a gap still exists between the scores of whites and minorities. In light of the current mathematics situation and the abilities of the museum, I find the museum especially suited and a very valuable aid in the teaching and learning of mathematics.