This method allows the Exploratorium to pursue a double mission of supporting experiential learning and making issues in science comprehensible and accessible to the public. The Exploratorium also works with new technology. The site was a portal that opened our culture of learning to the world. Our webcasts became even more interesting when we integrated questions from visitors gathered in our webcast studio. By using these technologies, we are beginning to construct a world of communication that is distinct from the world of experience but shares a common practice of interactivity.
Technologies change at an incredible rate, especially in our geographic location.
Our proximity to Silicon Valley and the heart of the high-tech industry gives the Exploratorium the opportunity to continually experiment with the latest communication and exploration tools and adapt them to our mission. Obviously, this is very exciting. Currently, our Center for Teaching and Learning works with teachers in 32 states and bases its approach on providing an incentive to change teaching methods by offering long-term support over the course of the change. Conversion to this method is difficult but necessary at a moment in which the American education system is mobilizing for a much-needed renovation. Technology is crucial to this effort.