RET Site: Enhancing Teacher Knowledge & Skills in Modern Manufacturing

德克萨斯农工大学（TAMU）新的为期三年的教师研究经验（RET）现场计划，提高教师在现代制造业中的知识和技能，将提高初中和高中教师的不同群体的知识和技能水平，这些教师在传统和先进制造业方面的研究机会有限。尽管德州的制造业产值为2322亿美元，占该州生产总值的15.2%（2014年），但制造业劳动力只占该州劳动力的7.6%。由于学生的兴趣不足，先进制造业发展面临着严重的人才短缺问题。由于预算限制和/或教师缺乏技术专业知识，许多初中/高中在技术、机器人或SkillsUSA项目的发展方面受到限制。有必要通过向教师提供基础设施和制造专业知识来扭转这一趋势，从而激励年轻学生加入工程和技术项目并选择STEM职业。这个网站是对这些问题的直接回应，产生了一个积极的劳动力，扎根于制造知识/技能，将研究与初中和高中的教育活动结合起来，激励学生接受高等教育，并在该地区建立长期的合作伙伴关系。每年夏天，一组12名教师（3年共36名教师）将在TAMU接受为期6周的培训，在那里他们将沉浸在传统和先进制造业的实践研究经验中，特别是在(i)工艺，（ii）材料和（iii）计量技术领域。除了现场经验外，还将对他们各自的家庭机构进行整合和后续访问，并定期更新情况。在TAMU期间，这些教师将参加浓缩的技术会议、补充性的实验室实践、实地考察、研究研讨会和指导研究项目。可交付成果将包括实施课程和实验计划，以及在年度教师峰会上传播开发的课程。目标学区在TAMU附近，重点是农村地区的学校，或者那些有大量代表性不足的学生的学校。该计划得到了地方、州和国家级行业和专业协会的支持。该计划的预期结果将是知识和技能的转移，通过新的课堂/实验室活动激发，授权和教育学生。这将使并激励学生有效地参与科学/工程项目，并追求STEM/制造业职业。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This new three-year Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) Site Program, Enhancing Teacher Knowledge and Skills in Modern Manufacturing, at Texas A&M University (TAMU) will enhance the knowledge and skill-level of a diverse cohort of middle and high school teachers with limited access to research opportunities, in both traditional and advanced manufacturing. Though Texas had a manufacturing output of $232.2B or 15.2% of the gross state product (in 2014), it had only 7.6% of its workforce in manufacturing. Advanced manufacturing development is facing a serious shortage of qualified personnel stemming from a lack of student interest. Many middle/high schools are limited in their growth of technology, robotics, or SkillsUSA programs due to budget constraints and/or lack of technical expertise among teachers. It is necessary to reverse this trend by providing infrastructure and manufacturing expertise to teachers, so that young students are inspired to join engineering and technology programs and choose STEM careers. This site is a direct response to such concerns, generating a motivated workforce well-rooted in manufacturing knowledge/skills, fuse research with education activities at the middle and high schools, motivate students for higher education, and build long-term collaborative partnerships in the region.Each summer, a group of 12 teachers (a total of 36 teachers over 3-years) will be hosted at TAMU for 6 weeks, where they will immerse in hands-on research experiences in both traditional and advanced manufacturing, specifically in the areas of (i) processes, (ii) materials, and (iii) metrology techniques. The on-site experience will be supplemented with integration and follow-up visits at their respective home institutions, as well as regular status updates. While at TAMU, these teachers will take part in capsulated technical sessions, complementary lab practice, field tours, research seminars, and guided research projects. Deliverables will include an implementation lesson and lab plan, as well as dissemination of the developed curriculum at annual teacher summits. The target school districts are near TAMU, focusing on those in rural areas, or those with a large number of under-represented students. This program is supported by local, state, and national-level industries and professional societies. The expected outcomes of this program will be the transfer of knowledge and skills to excite, empower, and educate students through new class/lab activities. This will enable and inspire students to effectively participate in science/engineering projects and pursue STEM/manufacturing careers.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.