Museums need to stay relevant to the next generation of taxpayers, potential donors, and possible volunteers. By addressing needs of the typically underserved teen population, museums can build relationships for the future. This presentation aims to give insights into involving a generation of digital natives. Attendees will share experiences with managing a teen project, learn strategies for communication with this age group using affordable technology, explore ways to stretch resources through collaboration, and delve into techniques for project evaluation. Presented at AMA 2011.

1. TEENS,
TECHNOLOGY,
& TEAMWORK

2. Presenters
Pody Gay
Education Coordinator
Shiloh Museum of Ozark History
Heather Marie Wells
Education Technology Coordinator
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

3. We discovered questions…
n Where are the teens and college-aged
visitors?
n Are we outdated and boring???!!!!
n What can we do to communicate to youth?
n What else should we offer them?
n How do we cultivate a relationship with this
age group?

4. Why is this so important?
n They are our future:
¨ Volunteers
¨ Donors (money and artifacts)
¨ Audience
¨ Promoters/Advocates

5. But Why Wait for the Future?!

6. The Future is NOW!
n New media forms have altered how youth
socialize and learn
n New role for educational institutions
n To stay relevant in the 21st century,
educational institutions need to keep pace
with the rapid changes introduced by digital
media

7. We recruited some teens…

8. We wrote a grant…

9. We documented the progress…

10. We had a VERY long week….
n EAST
video about the Shiloh
Museum Project

11. Why a teen website?
n Low cost
n Relatively quick solution
n Didn’t have to physically change anything
n We didn’t have to supply their workspace
n Gave them authentic work experience
n Filled requirements of grant

12. We brought in experts….
n Chamber of Commerce
n Marketing agency
n Copyright lawyer
n Technical support

13. Benefits of Collaboration
n Expertise
n Involving others from community
n Division of labor/resources
n Maximizing a small budget

14. Trying to communicate…

15. What do you need
to know about
teens to manage
them??!!

16. 50:50
15 $1 Million
14 $500,000
Welcome to 13
12
11
$250,000
$125,000
$64,000
10 $32,000
9 $16,000
Who Wants to
8 $8,000
7 $4,000
6 $2,000
Work with 5
4
$1,000
$500
3
Teens??
$300
2 $200
1 $100

17. Poll Everywhere
n Use your cell phone to text answers
n Use your browser at http://poll4.com
n Play the game!

18. $100

19. A digital native
_________________.
n a) lives inside your computer
n b) is someone from the Matrix
n c) has grown up using technology
n d) is from the planet digitalis

20. $200

21. Digital Natives concentrate
better when _________________.
n a) multi-tasking
n b) wearing ear buds
n c) using a computer
n d) they wear green

22. $300

23. Digital natives prefer _______
before text.
n a) numbers
n b) animals
n c) pictures, sounds, colors, and video
n d) money

24. $400

25. Digital natives prefer receiving
information _________________ .
n a) slowly and surely
n b) quickly from multiple multimedia sources
n c) in small bits
n d) in the evening when they're awake

26. $500

27. Most educators teach linearly
and sequentially but digital
natives prefer _______________.
n a) a random approach where they can jump
around
n b) the ABC's
n c) snow days
n d) lunch

28. $1,000

29. Digital natives would rather
_____________.
n a) read the encyclopedia
n b) work alone
n c) network simultaneously with many others
n d) carry a backpack full of books

30. $2,000

31. Digital natives will __________
when they receive a new game
or digital device.
n a) read the instruction manual from cover to
cover
n b) learn by pushing buttons and exploring the
interface
n c) tell their friends
n d) have a tendency to hide

32. $4,000

33. Digital natives write
___________.
n a) only in texting abbreviations
n b) in sound bytes
n c) only when spoken to
n d) in complete, correct sentences (when they
want to)

34. $8,000

35. True or False: All digital natives
are early adapters of every new
online technology.
n A) True
n B) False

36. $16,000

37. Studies are showing that playing
video games can develop_______.
n a) complex social networks and skills for
managing resources
n b) a generation of anti-social people
n c) a bunch of unmotivated time wasters
n d) hypothermia

38. $32,000

39. For most museums, ________ are
the most challenging grade level
to program for.
n a) elementary schools
n b) intermediate schools
n c) junior high schools
n d) high schools

40. $64,000

41. When designing for teens,
museums should _____________.
n a) keep in mind they prefer to be alone
n b) understand that group dynamics are most
important
n c) create static exhibits
n d) wait for them to grow up

42. $125,000

43. When hosting events for teen
agers it helps to have _________.
n A) Lots of food
n B) Cool cars
n C) Cute animals
n D) Good weather

44. $250,000

45. To stay relevant in the future,
museums need to ____________.
n a) have lots of events
n b) have a gift shop
n c) keep pace with changes introduced by
digital media
n d) hire more people

46. $500,000

47. Successful museums will
____________________ .
n a) expand
n b) have a yummy cafe
n c) raise lots of money
n d) facilitate young people's engagement with
digital media

48. $1 Million

49. Is your museum preparing for the
future by involving teens today?
n a) Yes!! (or planning to)
n b) No way!
n c) I lock the doors when I see them
heading our way
n d) Our museum doesn't need future donors

50. Lessons learned….
n Project management issues
¨ We taught linearly and should have taught spherically
¨ Surprised by how much some of them struggled with
some of the software
¨ Lost momentum once school started
¨ How to establish a realistic schedule
¨ We assumed they would meet deadlines and didn’t
pad the timeline
¨ Not factoring in editing time (well-spoken, not well-
written)

51. Lessons learned….
n Communication challenge
¨ Scheduling issues
¨ Didn’t teach the teens to use the wiki
¨ Didn’t talk to the teacher about her role
¨ We didn’t tell them how we were going to
evaluate them

52. Now what?
n New students involved, developing content
n Communicate through texting, email –
forget the wiki
n Meet with students on individual projects
and set goals and deadlines

53. Thanks for Coming!
Pody Gay
Education Coordinator
Shiloh Museum of Ozark History
Heather Marie Wells
Education Technology Coordinator
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art