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

该奖项提供资金，以支持研究经验的K-12教师（RET）在纳米技术，工程和领导在赖斯大学题为“研究经验的教师在纳米工程与领导力的重点”。该提案利用了通过先前的RET网站和NSF工程研究中心奖项开发的STEM项目，这些项目与休斯顿独立学区（HISD）建立了强有力的合作伙伴关系，该学区拥有非常多样化的学生群体。Rice RET不仅旨在发展内容和领导技能，而且还通过形成教师领导者的联系来扩大研究经验，然后他们可以永久培训新教师。教师实习生将与课程专家合作，开发基于探究的课程，嵌入纳米科学和工程，并与国家和德克萨斯州科学标准紧密结合。拟议中的NSF RET计划将加强和扩展以前成功的RET计划。莱斯STEM参与办公室（R-STEM）将提供一个K-12纳米技术RET计划，重点是教师领导力，这是莱斯大学通过研究实习在教师专业发展方面取得的六年成功的增强。R-STEM将连接在大休斯顿都会区为学生服务的STEM教师与赖斯纳米工程研究专家教师。在莱斯大学的研究指导和设施的帮助下，RET将实现以下目标：1）使用纳米工程研究经验，以提高教师的内容知识和STEM研究过程的理解，2）通过以研究实践为中心的工程设计为基础的学习活动的发展，提高教育质量，3）创建教师领导干部，以及4）通过建立积极学习纳米工程研究和工程设计的教师网络，广泛传播可再生能源技术的成果。教师将接受探究式课程，专业发展和教学支持沿着领导力培训，因为他们将他们的研究经验转化为学生的学习经验。该计划将作为一个全国性的模式，并将广泛传播的成果，通过研讨会在赖斯，国家和全州范围内的会议，同行评议的出版物，并通过在线教学工程数字图书馆。教师将在他们的RET经验每周开会，讨论他们的研究，分享他们的实验室经验，开发课程的想法，以及计划他们的研究的传播。赖斯博士后研究人员，研究生和行业导师将支持他们的研究RET教师的成分。在研究经验的结论，每个教师将创建一个研究海报，目前他们的经验和发现在纳米技术教师研讨会，他们的教学校园，以及在地区和专业会议。在他们的研究经验之后的学年，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教师有效地将他们的知识传播给大量的STEM教师，在社区中创建一个积极的，创造性的和多样化的教师领导干部。RET实习生也将受到R-STEM团队的鼓励和指导，通过TeachEngineering.org发布他们的纳米技术课程。在整个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加的12名教师的影响，并为改进计划提供反馈。

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.