This award provides funding for a three year standard award to support a Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) in Engineering Site program at Rutgers University entitled, "RET Site: Rutgers University Research Experience for Teachers in Engineering (RU RET-E)", under the direction of Dr. Kimberly Cook-Chennault.
This RET in Engineering Site aims to: 1) engage a total of 24 pre- and in-service middle and high school mathematics and science teachers in innovative "green" engineering research during the summer, and 2) support teachers as they leverage their research experience by integrating engineering innovation into their academic year, pre-college classrooms.
This project will build a long-term collaborative relationship between local district schools and the Rutgers University School of Engineering. This partnership will infuse engineering education into the middle and high school curriculum and provide an enriching experience for pre- and in-service teachers. The lessons developed will be interdisciplinary, meet New Jersey State Standards, presented to a larger group of educators, and be available for download on the World Wide Web. Teaching strategies and lesson plans will be disseminated to non-RU RET-E participants for greater impact via an academic year workshop.
for Green Energy Technology provided middle and high school math and science teachers with an enriching research laboratory experience and professional development focused in innovative "green" engineering and technology. The primary goal of the RU RET-E program was to infuse green energy engineering and technology into the classroom via inquiry-based engineering lessons and activities. Targeted Training and Professional Development Coupled with research in the laboratory, teacher fellows, participated in professional development seminars and field trips; received training on operation of research related equipment, and rigorously prepared and peer-evaluated curricular units and activities. Lessons and activities derived from these experiences were related to the real-world; and promoted inquiry-based learning and engineering design. Most importantly, lessons were linked to state core curriculum content and trialed during the summer prior to implementation during the academic year. The RU RET-E team and faculty then assisted and observed the lessons and activities in the classroom the following academic year. The program also supported teachers as the implementation of the lessons in the classroom during the academic year. Teachers that successfully implemented lessons during the academic year participated in professional development and training of other teachers and pre-service teachers in a Green Revolution Professional Development Workshop held on Rutger's campus annually. Intellectual and Societal Impact RU RET-E has engaged over 32 middle and high school math and science teachers who represent over 11 schools in the NY and NJ areas. These teachers implemented over 32 inquiry and engineering-based lessons and activities in their respective schools. Short and long term impact of the program on teachers was assessed annually. As a result of these studies, we over 80% of the teachers who participated in the RU RET-E strongly believe that students should have the opportunity to work with hands-on activities related to the real world during class; and have implemented inquiry- and engineering- based lessons, activities and technology into their classrooms. Findings and materials developed from this project have been disseminated to the society via several conference presentations and a workshop, two publications, annual Professional Development Workshops on Rutger's campus, and a website dedicated to the program (where lesson summaries are provided).
