Our mission is to educate people about education as we strive to “Preserve the past to inform the future.”
Our plans for this new year will be to continue our current strategy of posting trustworthy and informative articles. We also look forward to continue exhibition displays in new venues, and working on our long-awaited mobile exhibition about how to protect and enhance YOUR BABY’S AMAZING BRAIN. We educate people about education
How do we do that? Produce Exhibitions-- Publish Articles-- Promote Podcasts-- Present Artifacts Prepare Students-- |
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MOTAL’s New Mobile Exhibition,
Your Baby’s Amazing Brain 
MOTAL Board Members: Greta Nagel, Mary Deming, Pat Casey, and Jo Anne Brannock standing on the entrance side of the 48 ft trailer of Your Baby's Amazing Brain exhibition.
Hi! Thank you for joining us. This was the first week that MOTAL’s brand new mobile exhibition (Your Baby’s Amazing Brain: Don’t Drop the Ball) was open for visitors. When any business first opens up as a tryout, as a trial run to make sure that procedures work out, it is called a SOFT OPENING—usually occurring weeks before the GRAND OPENING. Everyone, including staff and visitors, provides thoughtful feedback. It is a phase for management to listen and make changes in the product, service, logistics, or signage. At least, it’s time to make those changes that are possible. The goal is for things to run smoothly, and make customers happy. Typical questions are similar to these: How did it work for you? What did you like? What would you change? Would you try to do something differently when you visit the next time? The soft opening for Your Baby’s Amazing Brain has taken place for five days on the campus of Santiago Canyon College in Orange, California. Hours on the first day were from 4:00 to 8:30 pm in conjunction with a community Science Night. Many guests came, including many who came with their children. It was trial-by-fire with real people. It was not a “by-invitation-only event.” What did we learn? Our target audience (adults, parents, future parents) really enjoyed the experience. The young children loved the mirrors, the colors, the lights, just being there. But it is not a children’s experience. It is, indeed, for grownups. The next four days had almost all adults for visitors came in the middle of the school day. They soon learned that there are 15 different electronic activities inside the beautiful, 48-foot, former moving van. (Very modern, very high-tech with touchscreens and Anime illustrations!) Most of the interactives ask guests to choose what language they’d like to read—English, Spanish, Vietnamese, or Korean. Upon entry, guests see the flashy, beautiful brain that is about the size of a dishwasher. It rests in a large alcove that is mirrored all around, and captures projected images on its surface. The touchscreen allows the visitor to light up various regions to identify the key brain parts that are visible. 
A dozen of the activities are intended to help people think about how they would respond in various situations. Being a parent is not easy, but it always helps to be calm and positive. “Be kind” is a saying that applies to all kinds of relationships, but is of utmost importance for parents to enact and model for their children. Limiting screen time for children (and adults) is just one of the other subject areas to ponder.
Within each of the twelve themes, visitors change screens, read, and make choices about what they might do when certain things happen. For example, “How might you handle it if your child throws a tantrum in the supermarket?” You have four choices about what you think you’d do. 
You choose one. (Don’t worry, no answer is actually wrong.) Then they choose another screen and have a few more choices to make. At the end you’re never graded like A, B, C, D—Noooo. Instead you will be presented a paragraph that tells you what type of parent you might be. YOU CAN TAKE A PICTURE of the words if you would like to remember.
Exit interviews are still being tabulated, but we know that visitors are individuals with unique characteristics. When some say, “It’s fabulous!” others say, “Very interesting.” If some love the handouts, others want MORE information. If some people think the activities move too fast, others aren’t bothered. If some think the noise from generators is too loud, others don’t mind. 
What we do know, is that MOTAL will work with the design firm, Mad Systems, to make everything run beautifully for the grand opening that will take place at Fullerton’s cultural center, The Muckenthaler (aka “The Muck”) during May 21, 22, and 23. Hours TBA. Stay tuned!
And, lest we forget to remind you, Your Baby’s Amazing Brain is not a food truck; it is a food for thought truck. A visit to our mobile exhibition marks the beginning of a learning journey for people who care to preserve and protect babies’ brains. The brain, after all, is at the heart of each baby’s trajectory through life. 
The exhibition is equipped with a lift for those with walkers, and wheelchairs.
The next venue for Your Baby's Amazing Brain: Don't Drop Ball mobile exhibition will be The Muckenthaler Cultural Center in Fullerton. You will be able to visit this display May 21 - 23. Stay turned for the exact times. If you haven't already sign up to receive our newsletters every Friday. We send out announcements where are exhibitions are on display, and also great articles to read. |
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