RET Site: Research Experience for Teachers in Nanoengineering with a Focus on Teacher Leadership

该奖项提供资金支持莱斯大学 K-12 教师 (RET) 在纳米技术、工程和领导力方面的研究经验，题为“以领导力为重点的纳米工程教师研究经验”。该提案利用了通过之前的 RET 站点和 NSF 工程研究中心奖项开发的 STEM 项目，这些项目与拥有非常多元化学生群体的休斯敦独立学区 (HISD) 建立了牢固的合作伙伴关系。 Rice RET 的目的不仅在于培养内容和领导技能，还在于通过建立教师领导者关系来扩大研究经验，然后教师领导者可以永久培训新教师。实习教师将与课程专家合作开发基于探究的课程，嵌入纳米科学和工程学，并与国家和德克萨斯州科学标准紧密结合。拟议的 NSF RET 计划将加强和扩展之前成功的 RET 计划。莱斯大学 STEM 参与办公室 (R-STEM) 将提供 K-12 纳米技术 RET 计划，重点关注教师领导力，这是莱斯大学通过研究实习致力于教师专业发展六年成功的基础。 R-STEM 将把为大休斯顿都市区的学生提供服务的 STEM 教师与莱斯大学纳米工程研究的专家教师联系起来。在莱斯大学研究指导和设施的帮助下，RET将实现以下目标：1）利用纳米工程研究经验来增强教师对STEM研究过程的知识和理解，2）通过发展以研究实践为中心的工程设计学习活动来提高教育质量，3）建立一支教师领导干部队伍，4）通过创建一个积极学习纳米工程研究和工程设计的教师网络来广泛传播RET成果。教师将获得基于探究的课程、专业发展、教学支持以及领导力培训，因为他们将他们的研究经验转化为学生的学习经验。该计划将作为国家模式，并将通过莱斯研讨会、全国和全州会议、同行评审出版物以及通过 TeachEngineering 数字图书馆在线广泛传播 RET 的成果。教师将在 RET 体验期间每周举行一次会议，讨论他们的研究、分享他们的实验室经验、制定课程想法以及计划他们的研究传播。莱斯大学博士后研究人员、研究生和行业导师将支持 RET 教师的研究。在研究经验结束时，每位教师将制作一张研究海报，在教师纳米技术研讨会、教学校园以及地区和专业会议上展示他们的经验和发现。在研究经验之后的学年中，教师将与专业发展计划中的其他教师分享他们的研究和课程计划。 R-STEM专业发展课程将支持RET教师向大量STEM教师有效传播他们的知识，在社区中培养一支积极主动、富有创造力和多元化的教师领导干部队伍。 R-STEM 团队还将鼓励和指导 RET 实习生通过 TeachEngineering.org 发布他们的纳米技术课程。在该计划的各个组成部分中，由外部评估员进行评估，以确定对每年夏天参与的 12 名教师的影响，并为完善该计划提供反馈。

This award provides funding to support a Research Experiences for K-12 Teachers (RET) in Nanotechnology, Engineering, and Leadership at Rice University entitled, "Research Experience for Teachers in Nanoengineering with a Focus in Leadership". This proposal leverages STEM programs developed through prior RET site and NSF Engineering Research Center awards that have resulted in a strong partnership with Houston Independent School District (HISD), which has a very diverse student population. The Rice RET is designed to not only develop content and leadership skills but also scale up research experiences by forming a nexus of teacher leaders who can then train new teachers in perpetuity. Teacher interns will work with curriculum specialists to develop lessons that are inquiry-based, embedded with nanoscience and engineering, and tightly aligned with National and Texas Science standards. The proposed NSF RET Program will enhance and extend the previous successful RET Program.The Rice Office of STEM Engagement (R-STEM) will offer a K-12 RET program in Nanotechnology with a Focus on Teacher Leadership, an enhancement upon the six years of success Rice University has committed in teacher professional development through research internships. R-STEM will connect STEM teachers who serve students in the Greater Houston metropolitan area with expert faculty in nanoengineering research at Rice. With the help of Rice University's research mentorship and facilities, RET will accomplish the following objectives: 1) use nanoengineering research experiences to enhance teacher content knowledge and understanding of STEM research processes, 2) improve the quality of education though the development of engineering design-based learning activities centered on research practices, 3) create a cadre of teacher leaders, and 4) disseminate the RET outcomes broadly by creating a network of teachers who are actively learning about nanoengineering research and engineering design. Teachers will receive inquiry-based lessons, professional development, and pedagogical support along with leadership training as they translate their research experiences into learning experiences for students. The program will serve as a national model and will broadly disseminate the outcomes of RET via symposiums at Rice, national and state-wide meetings, peer-reviewed publications, and online via the TeachEngineering digital library. Teachers will meet weekly during their RET experience to discuss their research, share their lab experiences, develop lesson ideas, as well as plan the dissemination of their research. Rice postdoctoral researchers, graduate students, and industry mentors will be constituents supporting the RET teachers in their research. At the conclusion of the research experience, each teacher will create a research poster to present their experience and finding at the Nanotechnology for Teachers Symposium, to their teaching campus, as well as at district and professional conferences. During the academic school year following their research experiences, teachers will share both their research and lesson plans with other teachers in professional development programs. R-STEM professional development courses will support RET teachers to propagate their knowledge effectively to a large number of STEM teachers, creating a cadre of motivated, creative, and diverse teacher leaders in the community. RET interns will also be encouraged and guided by the R-STEM team to publish their nanotechnology lessons through TeachEngineering.org. Throughout the components of the program, assessment is performed by an external evaluator to determine the impact on the 12 teachers that participate each summer and to provide feedback for refining the program.