Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, September 9, 1993 TAG: 9403090022
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: WENDI GIBSON RICHERT STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
An opening reception for the museum's Teacher Resource Center will be Friday from 3 to 7 p.m. for teachers at the museum in Roanoke's Center in the Square. The reception caps three years of efforts by Science Shop manager Shirley Thompson to offer a complete assortment of science materials to area educators.
``The idea of this is to have everything under one roof,'' Thompson said. ``Teachers don't have to go to 20 different stores looking for cotton balls and straws.''
Not to mention the other science necessities such as beakers, magnets, microscopes and the like.
Indeed, teachers - and parents and students, too - can find everything from curriculum guides to hands-on laboratories for pre-school through high school grades. If it's needed for a classroom lecture, demonstration or experiment, chances are the center has it. If not, it can be ordered.
Thompson has known of the area's need for such a center for three years. Teachers ``would get so frustrated with me because we were a science museum and we didn't have what they needed,'' she explained.
A committee of six teachers and three members of the museum staff met to discuss teacher needs and how the museum could meet those. Thompson said they also heard from several teachers who sent lists of the supplies they would like to have.
Now teachers have access to those and to thousands of ideas for making science fun in their classrooms. They can browse through the center's collection of science supplies and see the curriculum guides, computer software, books and labs before purchasing them. They also can see the newest developments in science curriculum materials as they become available.
And, they save money. When ordering through the center, teachers don't have to pay the shipping and handling fees, and the museum grants a 10 percent discount to educators. Teachers will find that they save time, too, because dealers ship items more quickly to distributors than to individuals.
``I think it's a great resource,'' Bill Hunley said as he made his first purchase from the center last week. ``Particularly for elementary school folks who don't have a lot of time.''
Hunley is a math and science teacher at Community School in Roanoke County. Buying his supplies through the center beats ``having to sit down with a huge supply catalog and go through it and figure out what you need.''
``The Resource Center and the science museum in general does a lot for educators. It's a great asset.''
The opening for the Teacher Resource Center coincides with the museum's Free Friday - a day when all museum exhibits are open to the public for free from 3:30 to 8 p.m.
by CNB