Collaborative Research: Enriching the Professional Development of School Teachers & Community College Faculty in Rural Michigan - An RET Site on Smart Vehicles

在一个连贯的智能汽车主题下，这个位于中央密歇根大学(CMU)和西密歇根大学(WMU)的工程和计算机科学网站的教师研究体验(RET)合作将向在职和在职教师以及社区学院教师展示横跨移动机器人、运动学和动力学、车辆制造机器人、车辆传感器网络、人体工程学、材料科学和电路设计的领先研究。工程智能车辆的多学科性质将为开发物理、化学、工程和技术方面的创造性课程模块提供全面的基础，使其与STEM课程的下一代科学标准(NGSS)、共同核心国家标准(CCSS)和工程与技术认可委员会(ABET)标准保持良好一致。聘请专注于区域汽车的产业顾问和大学教师与农村中学和社区大学教师合作，将作为一个样板平台，提供难得的基于最佳实践的专业发展机会和经验。CMU是一所地区性综合性大学，位于密歇根州中部农村的中心地带，在那里它保持着学校向其寻求新近接受教育的教师以及现有教师专业发展的“大学”的声誉。这个RET更新网站将专注于这些农村地区的教师，并支持他们提升学生的STEM知识基础，增加他们的就业机会和成为企业家的机会。让职前教师从事尖端研究确保他们在职业生涯开始时拥有良好的研究经验和信心，能够进入课堂。同样，凭借培育的以新高中为基础的课程设计和实施专业知识，这些教师将在其聘用的学校发挥领导作用，从而提高这一项目的效果。总体而言，通过与K-12学校、社区学院和一所公立大学的合作，这个RET网站将对密歇根农村地区年轻学生的学习和职业道路产生深远的影响，他们的知识、技能、能力和态度很受欢迎，但他们在STEM教育和就业中的代表性一直较低。该网站将为45名农村STEM教师提供为期六周的强化暑期研究计划，为期三年，重点关注那些在科学和工程领域代表性不足的服务群体。RET参与者将在工程系导师的指导下从事智能车辆的尖端研究，这些导师领导积极的研究计划，并通过外联活动为社区服务。工程学院导师、课程开发专家、科学/数学、技术中心的教学教练以及CMU学院创新教学中心的工作人员将指导参与者设计符合标准的课程模块，并为每个参与者小组开展专业发展活动。整个学年的广泛后续活动包括现场教学指导、季度团队会议、工程教员参与中学和社区大学课堂，以及跨课堂合作，以确保将研究经验转化为实践。一年一度的CMU高影响力STEM教学研讨会将与地区教育工作者分享研究成果，一年一度的CMU STEM日将吸引200多名中学生在CMU校园探索工程学科。WMU的科学和数学项目改进(Sampi)工作人员将担任外部项目评估员，跟踪和评估现场进展，并提供改进反馈。他们亦会进行纵向研究，以评估拟建的可再生能源训练场地的长远影响。该场地由工程部、工程教育及中心部和电脑及资讯科学及工程部、电脑及网络系统部共同资助。

Within a coherent theme of Smart Vehicles, this collaborative Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) in Engineering and Computer Science Site at Central Michigan University (CMU) and Western Michigan University (WMU) will expose in-service and pre-service teachers, and community college faculty to leading research spanning mobile robotics, kinematics and kinetics, vehicle manufacturing robots, vehicular sensor networks, ergonomics, material science, and circuit design. The multidisciplinary nature of Smart Vehicles in engineering will provide a holistic ground for developing creative course modules in physics, chemistry, engineering, and technology that aligns well with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), Common Core State Standards (CCSS), and Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) Criteria for STEM curriculum. Engaging regionally automobile focused industrial advisors and university faculty with rural secondary school and community college teachers will serve as a model-platform, and provide rare best-practices-based professional development opportunities and experience. CMU, a regional comprehensive university, is located in the heart of central rural Michigan where it maintains a reputation as "the" university to which schools turn for access to newly educated teachers, and for professional development for their current teachers. This RET renewal site will focus on teachers in these rural areas, and support them as they lift the STEM knowledge base of their students, increasing their opportunities for employment and for becoming entrepreneurs. Engaging pre-service teachers in cutting-edge research ensures that they begin their careers well-equipped with research experience and confidence to take into their classrooms. Similarly, with nurtured NGSS-based curriculum design and implementation expertise these teachers will take on leadership roles in their employing schools, thereby multiplying the effect of this project. Overall, through partnership with K-12 schools, community colleges, and a public university, this RET site will provide a profound influence on the learning and career paths of young students in the rural Michigan area, with knowledge, skills, abilities and attitudes which are in high demand, but who have traditionally been underrepresented in the STEM education and employment.This Site will offer an intensive six-week summer research program for a total of 45 rural STEM teachers over three years with a focus on those serving groups that are underrepresented in science and engineering. RET participants will engage in cutting-edge research on Smart Vehicles, under the guidance of engineering faculty mentors who lead active research programs, and who serve the community through outreach activities. The engineering faculty mentors, curriculum development specialist, Instructional Coach from Science/Mathematics, Technology Center, and staff from CMU's Faculty Center for Innovative Teaching will coach participants as they design standards-compliant curriculum modules and conduct professional development activities for each participant group. Extensive follow-up activities through the academic year include on-site Instructional Coaching, Quarterly Team Meetings, engineering faculty involvement in secondary school and community college classrooms, and Cross Classroom Collaborations to ensure translation of research experience into practice. The annual CMU High-Impact STEM Teaching Symposium will share findings with regional educators, and the annual CMU STEM Day will engage more than 200 secondary school students in exploration of engineering disciplines on CMU campus. The Science and Mathematics Program Improvement (SAMPI) staff at WMU will serve as external program evaluators, track and evaluate the site progress and provide feedback for improvement. They will also conduct longitudinal studies to assess the long-term impact of the proposed RET site.This RET Site is co-funded by the Directorate for Engineering (ENG), Division of Engineering Education and Centers (EEC) and the Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE), Division of Computer and Network Systems (CNS).