EXPERIENCE
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Ted holds a B.S. in materials science from the Massachusetts Institute of technology and a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Vermont. Over a period of ten years he taught physics at New College (Sarasota, FL) and Lafayette College (Easton, PA).
In 1977, following a summer as a visiting staff member at the Exploratorium,Ted joined the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago as its first Director of Education. Under his direction for ten years the Education Department grew to 25 full-time staff and initiated classes for children, summer camps, teacher workshops, a preschool science exhibition, and more. During his last three years in Chicago Ted served as Senior Scientist developing exhibition concepts and long-range plans. In 1989 Ted was invited to become Director of Exhibits at the New York Hall of Science. Major projects completed under his direction include a microbiology exhibition, audio technologies exhibition, outdoor exhibits in public spaces, and a science playground. Ted founded Science Services in 1995 to continue his work as a consultant specializing in applications of experience-based education theory to a variety of museums and other informal learning settings. In his earliest teaching days Ted became aware that the traditional "teaching is telling" approach did not result i depth of understanding for most students. His search for a better way led first to making the teaching laboratories more meaningful and eventually to his work in science museums. Along the way Ted discovered the writings of John Dewey, who had expounded a philosophy of experience-based education some 100 years earlier, and that continues to be the foundation of his present practice. Ted has written and spoken extensively about the theory of experience-based learning and its application to museum exhibitions and programs. Click on Articles for all of his articles in pdf form for reading or downloading. |