RET Site: Research Experiences for Teacher Advancement In Nanotechnology (RETAIN)

印第安纳大学的“教师研究体验”（RET）网站为周边高需求大都市学区的高中教师和2年制大学教育工作者提供了一个沉浸式的研究和培训项目。通过将真正的学术研究经验、重要的专业发展规划、项目后的支持以及由教师导师、当地行业合作伙伴和同事组成的支持网络相结合，RETAIN培养了教师的能力，并为他们在课堂上创建和实施引人入胜的纳米技术内容提供了所需的资源。项目活动专门用于培训教师进行基于探究的学习，并通过创建能够提高学生对STEM相关高等教育和职业机会的兴趣的学习模块，将研究经验转化为课堂。值得注意的是，纳米技术这一令人兴奋的前沿研究领域不仅非常适合吸引学生的兴趣，而且它的多学科性质允许教师将多个STEM科目整合到他们的课程中，为学生提供学科间的连接，与现实世界的协作期望相当。重要的是，IUPUI的城市位置，以及周围的大都市学区和当地工业，为这个RET站点提供了成熟的基础设施，致力于在历史上服务不足的学生群体中推进STEM教育，以促进未来STEM劳动力的多样性。印第安纳大学的RET网站（RETAIN）有两个具体目标：1)在基于探究和发现的科学和工程方面培训高中教师和2年制大学教育工作者：从假设发展和实验设计到数据收集和结果传播，同时介绍令人兴奋的以纳米技术为重点的新的STEM概念、应用和职业选择；2)通过指导教师将他们的研究经验转化为基于探究的纳米技术教学模块，将新内容整合到K-14课程中，以提高学生对STEM的兴奋感、参与度和兴趣。为了实现这些目标，在未来三年内，RETAIN将：1)为30名K-14大都会教育工作者（高中和2年制大学）提供研究经验和研讨会，旨在提高他们对纳米技术的挑战/需求以及相关的大学/职业机会和途径的理解；2)领导教育工作者创建和实施新的课堂学习模块，整合多个STEM学科，传达科学过程技能，并与国家和下一代科学标准保持一致；3)评估教师开发的学习模块，并确保它们在城市中学生中促进对STEM领域的文化响应形象和更大的兴趣；4)创建一个由教师导师、当地行业合作伙伴和教育工作者组成的支持性网络；5)通过传播教师开发的学习模块和项目后勤、时间表、成果、可交付成果、最佳实践和评估程序来支持社区，以便RETAIN框架及其产品可以在全国范围内的其他机构和教室实施。在这方面，RETAIN的产品和成果不仅将服务于当地学生，还将投资于更广泛的全国K-14社区，以培养具有STEM兴趣和大学技能的多元化毕业生。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 Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) Site, RETAIN at the University of Indiana, provides an immersive research and training program for high school teachers and 2-yr college educators in surrounding high-needs metropolitan school districts. By coupling true academic research experiences, significant professional development programming, post-program support, and the creation of a supportive network of faculty mentors, local industry partners, and colleagues, RETAIN fosters teachers’ abilities and provides the resources needed for them to create and implement engaging nanotechnology-content in their classrooms. Program activities have been specifically designed to train teachers in inquiry-based learning and translating research experiences into classroom through the creation of learning modules capable of boosting students’ interest in higher-learning and career opportunities pertaining to STEM. Notably, the exciting and cutting-edge research focus area of nanotechnology is not only well suited to capture student interest, but its multidisciplinary nature allows teachers to integrate multiple STEM subjects into their curriculum to provide students with subject-to-subject connectivity comparable to real-world collaborative expectations. Importantly, IUPUI’s urban location, along with surrounding metropolitan school districts and local industry, provide an established infrastructure for this RET site, which is dedicated to advancing STEM education in historically underserved student populations to boost diversity in the future STEM workforce. The RET Site (RETAIN) at the University of Indiana has two specific goals: 1) Training high school teachers and 2-yr college educators in inquiry- and discovery-based science and engineering: from hypothesis development and experimental design to data collection and dissemination of results, all while introducing exciting new nanotechnology-focused STEM concepts, applications, and career options; and 2) Integrating new content into the K-14 curriculum by guiding teachers in the translation of their research experiences into inquiry-based, nanotechnology teaching modules designed to boost excitement, engagement and student interest in STEM. In order the fulfill these goals, over the next three years RETAIN will: 1) Provide 30 K-14 metropolitan educators (high school and 2yr college) with research experiences and workshops designed to increase their understanding of challenges/demands of nanotechnology and associated college/career opportunities and pathways; 2) Lead educators in creating and implementing new classroom learning modules that integrate multiple STEM disciplines, convey scientific-process skills, and align with State and Next Generation Science Standards; 3) Assess teacher-developed learning modules and ensure they promote a culturally responsive image of, and greater interest in, STEM fields among urban secondary students; 4) Create a supportive network of faculty mentors, local industry partners, and educators; and 5) Support communities by disseminating both teacher-developed learning modules and program logistics, schedules, outcomes, deliverables, best practices, and evaluation procedures so that RETAIN framework and its products can be implemented at other institutions and classrooms on a national level. In this, products and outcomes of RETAIN will not only serve local students, but will invest in the broader, national K-14 community to produce diverse graduates with STEM interest and college-ready skills.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.