RET Site: Optics Research Experience for Teachers in Native American Schools (O-RETinas)

亚利桑那大学(UA)工程和计算机科学网站教师研究经验(RET)题为《美洲原住民学校教师光学研究经验》(O-retinas)，由美国亚利桑那大学(UA)、综合接入网络工程研究中心(ERC)和社区大学教职员工组成，将使K-14 STEM教师和社区大学教职员工接触到尖端研究，研究将取代当前电子技术的光通信用光子材料和器件，服务于全国的美洲原住民社区和学生。保持美国在信息技术领域的领先地位将需要开发密集、集成的光电子系统，以扩展当前光纤网络核心的能力，同时保持与今天的电子接入网络相同的成本。光学和光子学的跨学科性质，再加上在美国原住民价值观背景下应用的真实世界行业经验，将改变K-14课堂，并为开发基于问题的创造性课程模块提供肥沃的土壤，这些课程模块涉及数学、物理、电气工程、光学工程和技术，符合州和国家标准，激励学生追求STEM学位。CIAN将与加州大学教育学院和当地STEM公司的全国知名工业教师(TII)计划合作。该计划解决了为大学预科美国原住民学生确定的障碍，这些学生在大学入学、留校和毕业方面远远落后于其他少数群体，特别是在工程学方面。O-retinas教师将因他们的参与而获得行业曝光率，这将提供工具来改进STEM课程，并鼓励在美洲原住民学生中追求STEM教育，从而为当地经济增长和多样化的工程劳动力创造潜力。该计划有可能向全国土著社区展示，社区中的学术界和行业利益攸关方正在解决高等教育中对更多美洲原住民学生的需求，这最终可能使他们的社区受益。通过与TII的合作，RET参与者将学习变革性的教学技术，将工程和行业知识传授给他们的学生。O-retinas方案还解决了农村地区留住教师的问题。在三年的时间里，这个RET网站将为总共30名STEM预科教师和社区大学教职员工提供密集的暑期研究项目，他们将加入研究团队，就改进的光纤光学、波导材料、短脉冲激光、微制造和硅光子学等主题进行亲身研究，并有机会在行业环境中应用研究和实验室技术。研究经验还将包括：行业实践；通过TII获得研究生专业发展学分；参加以美洲原住民为重点的研讨会，讨论将光学科学融入美洲原住民文化；以及接受关于课程开发最佳实践的培训，利用商业和研究社区的专业知识，并将这些经验和知识应用于美国原住民价值观的背景下，为他们的课堂创建教案、动手活动和课程单元。通过招贴会议和AISES和NSTA等国家会议传播RET参与者的研究项目成果，将广泛传播创新的教学计划和课程单元。

This Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) in Engineering and Computer Science Site, entitled Optics Research Experience for Teachers in Native American Schools (O-RETinas), at the University of Arizona (UA), Engineering Research Center (ERC) for Integrated Access Networks (CIAN), will expose K-14 STEM teachers and community college faculty, serving Native American communities and students nationwide, to cutting-edge research on photonic materials and devices for optical communication which will replace current electronic technology. Keeping the U.S. in an information technology leadership position will require developing dense, integrated optoelectronic systems that extend the capabilities of the current fiber network core, while retaining the same cost as today's electronic access network. The interdisciplinary nature of optics and photonics, coupled with real-world industry experiences applied within the context of Native American values will transform K-14 classrooms and provide fertile ground for developing creative problem-based course modules in math, physics, electrical engineering, optical engineering, and technology that align with state and national standards, motivating students toward pursuit of STEM degrees. CIAN will partner with the nationally acclaimed Teachers in Industry (TII) program of UA's College of Education and local STEM companies in this program. The program addresses identified barriers for precollege Native American students who lag significantly behind other minority groups in college matriculation, retention and graduation, particularly in engineering. The industry exposure O-RETinas teachers will gain as a result of their participation will provide tools to improve STEM curriculum and encourage the pursuit of STEM education among Native American students, thus creating the potential for local economic growth and a diverse engineering workforce. This program has the potential to exhibit to the indigenous communities nationwide that academic and industry stakeholders in communities are addressing the need for more Native American students in higher education, which ultimately may benefit their communities. Through the partnership with TII, RET participants will learn transformative teaching techniques to transfer engineering and industry knowledge to their students. The O-RETinas program is also addressing the issue of retention of teachers in rural districts. Over a three-year period this RET Site will offer an intensive summer research program to a total of 30 STEM precollege teachers and community college faculty who will join research teams performing hands on research on topics including improved fiber optics, waveguide materials, short-pulsed lasers, micro-fabrication, and silicon photonics and have opportunities to apply research and lab techniques in industry settings. The research experience will also include: an industry practicum; earning graduate professional development credits through TII; attending Native American focused workshops that discuss integrating optical sciences into Native American culture; and receiving training in best practices for curriculum development with the expertise of business and research communities, and applying these experiences and knowledge in the context of Native American values to create lesson plans, hands-on activities, and course units for their classrooms. Dissemination of the results of RET participants' research projects, through poster sessions and national conferences such as AISES and NSTA, will broadly disseminate innovative lesson plans and course units.