RET Site: Inquiry-Based Bioengineering Research and Design Experiences for Middle-School Teachers

该奖项为伍斯特理工学院(WPI)工程和计算机科学领域教师研究经验(RET)项目的三年标准奖提供资金，该项目的标题为“RET站点：中学教师基于探究的生物工程研究和设计经验”，由Terri A.Camesano博士指导。在这个拟议的RET网站，它建立在现有的RET in Engineering网站计划的基础上，来自伍斯特和弗雷明翰公立学校(WPS和FPS)和邻近社区的总共30名中学科学教师(三年内每个夏天10名)将被招募参加为期6周的生物工程暑期强化研究体验。这些教师将与WPI的教职员工和学生一起，在组织工程和再生医学等领域开展尖端研究项目。他们将通过自己的研究经验亲身接触工程设计过程。此外，教师将利用工程设计流程开发一个工程单元，用于他们的科学/技术课堂。通过每年聘请10名中学教师，每年可以连续接触到数百名学生。WPS和FPS中学教师是优秀的目标群体，因为这两个地区都有来自少数族裔人口的高比例学生，以及来自低收入或高流动性家庭的高风险学生，即第二语言学习者和高流动性家庭的学生。

This award provides funding for a three year standard award for a Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) in Engineering and Computer Science Site Program at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) entitled, "RET Site: Inquiry-Based Bioengineering Research and Design Experiences for Middle-School Teachers", under the direction of Dr. Terri A. Camesano. In this proposed RET site, which builds on an existing RET in Engineering Site program, a total of 30 middle-school science teachers (10 per summer over three years) from Worcester and Framingham Public Schools (WPS and FPS) and neighboring communities will be recruited to participate in a 6-week intensive and authentic summer research experience in bioengineering. The teachers will work alongside WPI faculty and students on cutting edge research projects in fields such as tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. They will gain hands-on exposure to the engineering design process through their own research experience. In addition, the teachers will use the engineering design process to develop an engineering unit for use in their science/technology classes.By engaging 10 middle-school teachers per year, several hundred students per year can be reached on a continuous basis. WPS and FPS middle-school teachers are excellent target groups because both districts have high percentages of students from minority populations, as well as high percentages of at-risk students who are 2nd language learners and students from low-income or high mobility families.