INTERVIEW QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
1. Could you describe a typical day at work for you at the Museum? A typical day at work includes presenting 3, 20 - 25 minute Windows on the World programs (Storytime and Meet the Animals) employing live animals. I also administer program participation numbers for the Museum educators (visitor statistics).
2. Can you describe to me some of your favorite experiences you’ve had at the Museum? My favorite experiences are when a visitor nervously touches a live snake for the first time in one of my programs, transforming their fear and disgust to fascination and respect.
3. Have there been any challenges you’ve faced while working? If so, how did you overcome those challenges? Preconceived notions (negative) about animals in general can be challenging to change. The live animals I use in my programs are wonderful ambassadors and allowing visitors to encounter animals up close, along with presenting the animals in a totally positive way, hopefully makes a difference.
4. Are there related goals between the individuals who work at the Museum? If so, what are those goals? Our shared mission as educators at the Museum is to encourage the public to value our natural resources in a way that changes their everyday behavior as it affects the environment. If people don’t know about and appreciate resources, how can they care about them?
5. Are there any specific texts or brochures that are given out at the Museum? Other than rack cards detailing our program offerings, nothing that I am aware of.
6. Is there any specific terminology that you use at the Museum that you don’t use while at other places? Out of sensitivity to others’ beliefs, I personally do not use the term “evolution” and instead talk about “change through time”.
7. Are there different levels of power and authority at the Museum? Can you work your way up? As in all institutions, we have a supervisory structure. It is possible to move up administratively.
8. Are there specific rules or guidelines that the employees and volunteers have to follow? Absolutely, quite a few, and employees as well as volunteers are well trained before preforming their tasks.
9. Is there any form of membership for the Museum? If so, how do you join? We have several levels of membership in the Friends of the Museum. I believe it is possible to join online, by phone or in person at the Museum.
10. What are some tasks that are enjoyable or your favorite that you get to perform? I really enjoy presenting programs in Windows on the World. We have a huge variety of fabulous animals (insects, tarantulas, frogs, salamanders, turtles, snakes, lizards, alligators, birds, rabbits, chinchillas, guinea pigs, ferrets…), most of which the public can touch, that we employ in about 30 different program topics. Our visitors range in age from a few weeks to 90 years old, come from all parts of NC, the US and the world and have great questions. No two programs have ever been the same.
Author's Note
While trying to figure out how to make such a long piece of text, like my Ethnography, into a digitalized version, I decided to create hidden pages within the main page. I used a picture gallery and then added links to the separate pages. I felt this was the best way to go about composing my piece since it was lengthy. I chose the background to be a picture of the museum so that my readers can visualize just how large and interesting it really is. I wanted to add different pictures of how it looked on the inside so that the audience could actually see what they were reading about. I added hyperlinks to different sections of the museum's website so that if my readers are interested in finding out more, they can. I picked out the pictures for the gallery by having them correlate to what the sections were inside. The Ethnography was the most difficult to digitalize, but it was definitely the most fun. I love the way it looks and that it's unique compared to my other pieces. I also wanted it to be organized and not too busy because that's how I saw the museum. It was a place that had distinct sections and after going there only two times, I could find my way around. It was organized and put together very well and I wanted my page to have the same effect.
I would say the Ethnography process was the longest and definitely most time consuming, but it was the most enjoyable project to me. I loved being able to go to the museum, especially since I had never been before. Doing this assignment caused me to have an even deeper passion for the environment, natural sciences, and conserving our planet. Both the written and digital copies were time consuming, but I'm glad I was able to experience a new way of researching and writing. It was difficult at times, but I couldn't be more happy and proud of the outcome.
References
Gee, J. P. (1989). Literacy, discourse, and linguistics: Introduction. Journal of Education, 171(1), 5-17.
North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. (n.d.). Mission and Values. North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. Retrieved from
http://naturalsciences.org/about/mission-values
North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. (n.d.). Museum History. North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. Retrieved from http://naturalsciences.org/about/museum-history
Schwan, S., Grajal, A., & Lewalter, D. (2014). Understanding and Engagement in Places of Science Experience: Science Museums, Science Centers, Zoos, and Aquariums. Educational Psychologist, 49(2), 70-85.
Swales, J. M. (1990). The concept of discourse communities. Genre Analysis: English in Academic and Research Settings. Boston: Cambridge University Press, 21-32.