RET Site: Optics Research Experience for Teachers in Native American Schools (O-RETinas)

这个研究经验的教师（RET）在工程和计算机科学网站，题为光学研究经验的教师在美国本土学校（O-RETinas），在亚利桑那大学（UA），工程研究中心（ERC）的综合接入网络（CIAN），将暴露K-14干教师和社区学院教师，服务于美国原住民社区和学生全国，致力于光通信光子材料和器件的前沿研究，这将取代当前的电子技术。要保持美国在信息技术领域的领先地位，就需要开发密集的集成光电系统，以扩展当前光纤网络核心的能力，同时保持与当今电子接入网络相同的成本。光学和光子学的跨学科性质，再加上在美洲原住民价值观背景下应用的真实行业经验，将改变K-14教室，并为开发数学，物理，电气工程，光学工程和技术方面的创造性问题课程模块提供肥沃的土壤，这些课程模块符合州和国家标准，激励学生追求STEM学位。CIAN将与UA教育学院的全国知名的行业教师（TII）计划和当地STEM公司合作。该计划解决了前殖民地美洲土著学生的障碍，他们在大学入学，保留和毕业方面明显落后于其他少数群体，特别是在工程方面。 行业曝光O-RETinas教师将获得由于他们的参与将提供工具，以改善STEM课程，并鼓励美国原住民学生追求STEM教育，从而为当地经济增长和多元化的工程劳动力创造潜力。 该计划有可能向全国原住民社区展示，社区的学术和行业利益相关者正在解决更多美国原住民学生接受高等教育的需求，这最终可能会使他们的社区受益。通过与TII的合作，RET参与者将学习变革性的教学技术，将工程和行业知识传授给学生。O-RETinas方案也在解决农村地区留住教师的问题。 在为期三年的时间里，这个RET网站将为总共30名STEM预科教师和社区学院教师提供密集的夏季研究计划，他们将加入研究团队，研究主题包括改进的光纤，波导材料，短脉冲激光器，微制造和硅光子学，并有机会在工业环境中应用研究和实验室技术。 研究经验还将包括：行业实习;通过TII获得研究生专业发展学分;参加以美洲原住民为重点的研讨会，讨论将光学科学融入美洲原住民文化;接受具有商业和研究界专业知识的课程开发最佳做法的培训，并在美洲原住民价值观的背景下应用这些经验和知识来制定课程计划，实践活动和课堂单元。 通过海报展示会和国家会议，如非洲可再生能源研究所和国家科学技术协会，传播可再生能源技术参与者的研究项目成果，将广泛传播创新的课程计划和课程单元。

This Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) in Engineering and Computer Science Site, entitled Optics Research Experience for Teachers in Native American Schools (O-RETinas), at the University of Arizona (UA), Engineering Research Center (ERC) for Integrated Access Networks (CIAN), will expose K-14 STEM teachers and community college faculty, serving Native American communities and students nationwide, to cutting-edge research on photonic materials and devices for optical communication which will replace current electronic technology. Keeping the U.S. in an information technology leadership position will require developing dense, integrated optoelectronic systems that extend the capabilities of the current fiber network core, while retaining the same cost as today's electronic access network. The interdisciplinary nature of optics and photonics, coupled with real-world industry experiences applied within the context of Native American values will transform K-14 classrooms and provide fertile ground for developing creative problem-based course modules in math, physics, electrical engineering, optical engineering, and technology that align with state and national standards, motivating students toward pursuit of STEM degrees. CIAN will partner with the nationally acclaimed Teachers in Industry (TII) program of UA's College of Education and local STEM companies in this program. The program addresses identified barriers for precollege Native American students who lag significantly behind other minority groups in college matriculation, retention and graduation, particularly in engineering. The industry exposure O-RETinas teachers will gain as a result of their participation will provide tools to improve STEM curriculum and encourage the pursuit of STEM education among Native American students, thus creating the potential for local economic growth and a diverse engineering workforce. This program has the potential to exhibit to the indigenous communities nationwide that academic and industry stakeholders in communities are addressing the need for more Native American students in higher education, which ultimately may benefit their communities. Through the partnership with TII, RET participants will learn transformative teaching techniques to transfer engineering and industry knowledge to their students. The O-RETinas program is also addressing the issue of retention of teachers in rural districts. Over a three-year period this RET Site will offer an intensive summer research program to a total of 30 STEM precollege teachers and community college faculty who will join research teams performing hands on research on topics including improved fiber optics, waveguide materials, short-pulsed lasers, micro-fabrication, and silicon photonics and have opportunities to apply research and lab techniques in industry settings. The research experience will also include: an industry practicum; earning graduate professional development credits through TII; attending Native American focused workshops that discuss integrating optical sciences into Native American culture; and receiving training in best practices for curriculum development with the expertise of business and research communities, and applying these experiences and knowledge in the context of Native American values to create lesson plans, hands-on activities, and course units for their classrooms. Dissemination of the results of RET participants' research projects, through poster sessions and national conferences such as AISES and NSTA, will broadly disseminate innovative lesson plans and course units.