Creativity and Technology: Social Media, Mobiles and Museums

Marc Notes: Developed from the international discourse on progress and trends of mobile devices and social media in museums, New Brunswick, Apr. 26-27, 2010.; Bibl. ref. and index. Publisher Marketing: This book brings together papers given at a major conference jointly organised by the Center for Mobile Communication Studies at Rutgers University (the world's first academic unit to focus solely on social aspects of mobile communication) and Liberty Science Center (the New Jersey-New York City region's largest education resource). Presented by leading thinkers and museum experts, the papers provide an incisive, up-to-the-minute analysis of trends in the use of mobile devices by museum audiences, with a special focus on outreach efforts to under-served communities. Among the many important contemporary issues covered in this publication are: * How social networking and mobility tools can help museums connect with their audiences * Assessments of current tools and systems * How these tools can help enrich and extend the learning experience * The principles that guide new social media applications * How to integrate social media applications into contemporary museum practice * What the future holds for mobile media devices and social networking in the museum setting * Data-driven analyses of developments in the field * Insightful distillations of museum experiences to date * Forecasts of trends and developments "just around the corner." Contributor Bio:  Katz, James E James E. Katz is Chair of the Department of Communication at Rutgers University and director of the Center for Mobile Communication Studies. He is the author of "Magic in the Air: Mobile Communication and the Transformation of Social Life" and coauthor of "Social Consequences of Internet Use" (MIT Press, 2002). Contributor Bio:  Lynch, Ellen Ellen M. Lynch is associate professor of early childhood education at the University of Cincinnati. Her doctorate is in special education with a focus on early childhood special education. She has been active in local and state early childhood organizations, including the Ohio Association for the Education of Young Children (OAEYC), for which she served as chair of the Children with Special Needs Committee; the state Board of Directors; and the Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children. Additionally, she served as president of the Ohio Coalition of Associate Degree Early Childhood Programs. Dr. Lynch's current scholarly interests include engaging in the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) and exploring the use of technology to support learning among preservice teachers. She is both an editor and reviewer for several problem-based learning journals. She has presented widely at local, state, national, and international levels on a variety of aspects of teaching young children, teacher education, and best practices for teaching in higher education.