RET Site: Nanotechnology Research Experience for Teachers

该奖项为一个为期三年的持续奖提供资金，以支持莱斯大学在工程现场的教师研究经验(RET)项目，该项目名为“RET站点：教师的纳米技术研究经验”，由Vicki Colvin博士指导。这项工程RET计划的目标包括在三年内每年提高德克萨斯州休斯敦35名高中教师的科学和工程知识和教学技能。该网站将结合整个学期的春季课程(CHEM 570)和暑期实习，然后是一系列学年活动，以保持参与者之间的互动和与莱斯大学的互动。参与者将通过开展以实验室研究为基础的探究性学习活动来提高中学科学教育的质量，并创建一个高中和高等教育教师社区，以激励中学生投身科学和工程职业。该计划不仅旨在促进教师专业发展，还通过形成一个可以培训新教师的大师教师网络来扩大研究经验。由于纳米尺度的创新发展涉及生物、物理和化学，该计划将为教师提供基础科学方面的新见解，同时也符合德克萨斯州的标准，并针对未得到充分服务的教师和学校。莱斯大学将与休斯顿独立学区(HISD)密切合作，HISD是德克萨斯州南部一个大型、城市、多数历史上代表不足的少数族裔学区。今年，Long RET被设计为可扩展，通过为学生和教师举办的社区研讨会对科学教学产生重大影响。

This award provides funding for a three year continuing award to support a Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) in Engineering Site program at Rice University, entitled, "RET Site: Nanotechnology Research Experience for Teachers", under the direction of Dr. Vicki Colvin. The objectives of this RET in Engineering Program include enhancing the science and engineering content knowledge and teaching skills of 35 Houston, Texas high school teachers each year for three years. The site will combine a full semester spring content course (CHEM 570) and summer internship, followed by a set of school year activities to keep participants engaged with each other and with Rice University. The participants will improve the quality of secondary school science education through the development of inquiry-based learning activities based on laboratory research and create a community of high school and higher education teachers that can motivate secondary students towards careers in science and engineering. The program is designed not only to facilitate teacher professional development but to scale-up the research experience by forming a network of master teachers that can train new teachers. Since the innovative developments at the nanoscale are integrated across biology, physics and chemistry, this program will provide teachers with new insights on basic science that is also well-aligned with Texas State standards and targets underserved teachers and schools.Rice University will work closely with the Houston Independent School District (HISD), a large, urban, majority historically underrepresented minority school district in South Texas. This year long RET is designed to be scalable to have a large impact on science teaching via community workshops for students and teachers.