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K-12 Teachers

Research Experiences for Teachers - Summer 2010


Research Experience for Teachers (RET) Program is a National Science Foundation (NSF) activity whose purpose is to improve science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in schools by funding high school teachers to spend the summer in a university engineering research lab. By actively involving the teachers in engineering research, knowledge of engineering and technological innovation will be brought into their classrooms. Based on their research experiences, teachers will translate their new knowledge into classroom activities.

The Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power (CCEFP) sponsors an RET program each summer for teachers who wish to have a research experience in fluid power at one of the seven universities involved in the center: the University of Minnesota, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Purdue University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Vanderbilt University, the Milwaukee School of Engineering, and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.

In 2010, the CCEFP’s RET program will be held at the University of Minnesota, (Minneapolis, MN), Milwaukee School of Engineering (Milwaukee, WI), Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN), and Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN). The teachers accepted into the CCEFP RET program will be matched to CCEFP faculty mentors and CCEFP research projects at the host university that is close to their school before the start of their RET experiences. They will then work on campus for six consecutive weeks, from early June through mid-July.

The teacher will spend the final days of the program developing an instruction unit based on their research experience, for implementation in the home classroom the following academic year. Two follow-up activities are conducted during the following academic year. The teacher meet with their CCEFP faculty mentor once to report on the status of instruction unit implementation. Towards the end of the academic year, the teacher delivers a final report that documents the implemented curriculum.

RET participants are paid a weekly stipend and receive an allowance for supplies and equipment related to their research project or instruction unit development. The CCEFP recruits RET participants from the pool of local high school STEM teachers. Special recruiting efforts are paid to high schools that teach the Project Lead The Way (PLTW) pre-engineering curriculum. Teachers that serve racial and ethnic groups that are underrepresented in engineering are particularly encouraged to participate. When possible, at least two teachers are recruited from the same high school and teachers are clustered with at least two teachers at a site.

Positions at Vanderbilt have a separate application process:

  • Vanderbilt: Prof. Stacy Klein Gardner at stacy.klein-gardner at vanderbilt.edu


Responsibilities of the Teacher

Participating teachers are the core of the RET program. Teachers have an immersive experience in a university research lab and use that experience to craft instructional materials that are used in the home classroom. Where possible, teachers will be paired at the university sites.

The program is full time for six weeks and is on-site at the host university. While reasonable accommodations can be made for scheduling, prospective teacher participants should only apply to the program if they are available for the full six weeks and are able to commute daily to the host campus.

The responsibilities of the teacher are to:

  1. Meet with the faculty mentor in advance of the start date to define a project and create a project description. Complete the pre-experience RET program evaluation form.
  2. Attend the half-day RET orientation session followed by an introduction to the lab
  3. Work in the lab on the research project for 24 days, 40 hour weeks. During this time, begin to formulate curricular materials.
  4. Participate in periodic all-site video conferences to share experiences among fellow teacher participants.
  5. Spend the final five days developing the curriculum materials that will be implemented in the home classroom. The curriculum should be aligned with applicable science and math standards and include fluid power engineering content. The curriculum materials should be in a format for future posting on teachengineering.org, an international database of K-12 engineering education resources. The curriculum will also be posted on the CCEFP web site.
  6. Deliver the end-of-summer report, which includes the research results and the draft curriculum. Complete the end-of-summer RET program evaluation form.
  7. During the following academic year, implement the draft curriculum in your classroom, revising as needed. Work with the Coordinator to facilitate evaluation of the curriculum.
  8. During the academic year, meet once with the faculty mentor to discuss the curriculum.
  9. If appropriate, conduct an in-service session about your curriculum with peer teachers at your school.
  10. Deliver the final report, due in April, which includes evaluation of the curriculum and final curricular materials suitable for posting on teachengineering.org. Complete the final evaluation form.
  11. Teachers will receive a stipend for the six weeks of participation. The final week's payment will be paid upon the  delivery of the final report the following April.


The responsibilities of the mentor are to:

  1. Work with the teacher in advance of the start date to define a project, and review the project description generated by the teacher.
  2. Provide a space in the lab for the teacher to work. The teacher will be in the lab for 40 hour weeks for the duration of the program.
  3. Meet with the assigned teacher on the first day of the program to review the plan and to get the teacher settled into the lab including introducing the teacher to lab members.
  4. During the program, periodically meet with the teacher to review progress.
  5. Review the emerging curriculum and advise the teacher on its technical content.
  6. Review the end-of-summer report generated by the teacher. Complete a brief program evaluation form which has questions about the mentor's experience with the program.
  7. Meet once with the teacher during the following academic year to discuss the teacher's experience in implementing the curriculum.
  8. Review the final report generated by the teacher and complete a second brief program evaluation form


Application Process

Application materials for prospective RET teacher participants include:

An online application that includes the following:

  1. A one page cover letter indicating interest in fluid power, what research you would like to work on (see our research section of the website) and why you would like to be selected for the program.
  2. A resume.
  3. Two letters of recommendation from appropriate individuals who are familiar with your experience and career goals. One of the two letters may come from a professional work supervisor. Request that letter writers send their letter by email directly to Ms. Burger.

The application process is open until all RET positions are filled.

RET Application Form

2010 RET Program Schedule

Note that the schedule will vary somewhat at each RET location. Check with the program coordinator for exact dates.

  1. April 30, 2010: All RET participants and mentors have been selected.
  2. June 14-15, 2010:  RET Orientation at Purdue University (required) joint with the CCEFP Annual Meeting.
  3. June 16, 2010: Official start date of laboratory experience at host site. Lab work begins, 40 hours per week.
  4. July 21, 2010: Last day of lab work. 
  5. July 22, 2010: First day of curriculum writing 
  6. July TBD, 2010: All site video conference to share experiences. Closing lunch for teachers and mentors.
  7. July 26, 2010: End-of-summer report due. End-of-summer questionnaires for teachers and mentors.
  8. Sept-April, 2010-2011: Curriculum implemented. 
  9. April 30 , 2011: Final report due. End-of-program questionnaires for teachers. Final payment to teacher upon receipt of final report.


Stipend

Teachers receive 90% of their stipend at the end of the program and will receive the remaining 10% once the final report is submitted the following April.  Each participant receives $750 for the purchase of equipment or supplies related to their CCEFP research project or to the curriculum under development. Purchases must be approved by the faculty mentor.

Reports

The teacher participant produces two reports during their RET experience. The required outline for each report will be
available at the start of the program. End-of-Summer Report Part 1 documents the research findings. Part 2 documents the drafl curriculum and the plans for implementation. Final Report Describes and evaluates the curriculum. Appendices contain teacher guides and student materials used for implementing the curriculum. All curriculum modules will be submitted to teachengineering.com.


Questions? Contact Alyssa Burger, Education Outreach Director, CCEFP, 612-624-4991
aburger@me.umn.edu