MOTAT: The Museum of Transport and Technology
Resource Review
The Museum of Transport and Technology
Western Springs
Auckland
www.motat.org.nz
Description of the Resource
- MOTAT is an interactive museum built on a site that once pumped water drawn from Western Springs Lake to early Auckland homes and businesses.
- The museum offers a wide range of innovative and fun learning experiences across all curriculum areas.
- The Museum has over 300,000 items in its collections - ranging from fire engines to World War II planes, from steam trains to a fully functioning tram line.
- MOTAT's restored Pumphouse, Beam Engine and Engineers' Cottage won a prestigious Award of Merit from UNESCO in 2009.
- Many of the staff at MOTAT are volunteers with expertise in specialised areas.
- For research purposes, MOTAT also has the Walsh Memorial Library – a reference library open to the public.
- EnrichEd is the quarterly e-newsletter produced by the museum to inform teachers and educators about MOTAT's education programmes and resources.
Curriculum / Qualifications Links
- Museum collections relate directly to all three strands of the Technology curriculum and could be used at all curriculum levels.
- Such collections are well suited to integrated studies involving other curriculum areas especially Science, Social Sciences or the Arts,
- MOTAT's early childhood programmes are interwoven with the Principles and Strands of the Early Childhood Curriculum, Te Whāriki (1996).
Content
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The permanent exhibitions at MOTAT include: Challenge Zone; Early Auckland; Pioneers of Aviation; Primary Industries; Road Transport; Tramway and Tramcars; Buses.
- MOTAT has a contract with the Ministry of Education to offer Learning Experiences Outside The Classroom (LEOTC) programmes to schools.
- A number of specially designed LEOTC programmes include: Simple Mechanisms; Mixers, Mangles and Mashers; Transport; Electricity; Inventions; Communications; Toys; Flight; Light and Mirrors; Energy is Everything; Innovation and investigation; Richard Pearse: Back to School. The last two being examples of specialised 'In-role discovery' programmes. Programmes are adapted, through negotiation with visiting teachers, to meet the specific learning needs of their class.
- In some cases, specific one-off programmes can be designed to suit a particular group.
- LEOTC programmes are supported by resource packages, many of which can be downloaded online in pdf format – such as the Communications resource.
- Special events for schools are programmed at various stages over the year and these are promoted in the EnrichEd e-newsletter and on the Education pages on the website.
Ease of Use
- Programmes are developed and facilitated by trained education staff.
- Pre- and post-visit resource material is made available to teachers for use with classes.
- As part of its Education Services, MOTAT ocassionally offers information evenings to teachers when new exhibitions open. These evenings showcase learning opportunities and give teachers the opportunity to experience the new shows. Special Q&A sessions with MOTAT Educators are structured into these evenings.
- MOTAT welcomes all educators to visit free of charge to familiarise themselves with the early childhood programmes.
- Facilities are provided for lunch areas and bag storage for school groups
- A downloadable document is available on the website to assist with planning a visit including risk management strategies and group leader booklet.
- A fully timetabled day is planned for each group to maximise learning opportunities within the relevant areas of study
Rating
A class/syndicate visit is particularly valuable:
- to provide interactive experiences that relate directly to learning in the classroom;
- to bring an area of study alive and providing additional motivation for students;
- because visits can be timed at the beginning, immersion stage of an inquiry to offer a broad introduction to groups of students or for the research stage of an inquiry to offer opportunities for in-depth research, discussion with experts and recording of images;
- because it offers the opportunity for students to work in small groups with adults from the school community (parent helpers, teachers etc) using discussion, questioning and sharing of stories.
Accessability
- The museum is open to school groups from 10am to 5pm. Most schools visit between 10am and 2pm to allow for bus access.
- All education programmes are curriculum-linked
- The cost-per-student is on the museum website www.motat.org.nz . Teachers and accompanying adults have free entry as do special needs groups and teacher trainees.
- Education programmes run during the school term and must be booked in advance through the bookings coordinator at [email protected]
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