Summer at SI

On the education front, several recent gatherings have illuminated interesting research being done in the fields of online learning and museums’ fostering of critical thinking skills.  Check it out –
Goode lecture on Fostering Critical Thinking in Museums; 
Guggenheim’s research on literacy through the arts; and
EduWeb’s Learning Styles & Online Interactives.

 Who doesn’t LOVE the Smithsonian Folklife Festival?!  It’s in full swing on the Mall, and I do mean swing – when I was there on Sunday, there was a huge dance going on to Irish stage with a rocking group called Four Men and a Dog.  One of my favorite things (apart from being there) are the organizers’ videos.

And speaking of videos, Affiliations is cultivating friendships with our newest colleagues in Smithsonian Networks.  Which is to say, if you haven’t checked out their collection of videos and programming previews yet, please do – there are some gems there!  The Networks will be launching as a full-on television cable channel, commercial-free, this fall.  Some of you met Networks’ staff at the conference, but they are definitely an initiative to keep an eye on.

Hope your summer is going well too – what is going on in your neck of the woods?!