The University of Alabama Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) Site: Engaging and Training Alabama STEM Teachers in Sensing Technologies is an 8-week, paid ($8000) summer professional development opportunity for 10 middle school (grades 5 to 9) science and/or math teachers from west central Alabama. As a part of this program, teachers will get hands-on experience with research under the mentorship of a faculty member from the College of Engineering.
Available research projects will use sensing and measurement technologies to explore both physiological and environmental monitoring. This common theme on sensing is based on the fact that knowing how to measure and analyze physical features of materials, devices, tissues, and/or the environment underlies many engineering research questions.
Beyond research, teachers will participate in weekly workshops to learn more broadly about engineering, programming, and receive support to translate their research experiences into curricula for their classrooms. Participants will also receive $2000 to use for the materials and supplies needed to launch these activities.
After the summer, teachers will be invited into a community of practice to collaborate and support each other (and receive support from our RET team) as they work towards implementing their lessons in their classrooms and integrate their lessons learned through these experiences.
Important Dates:
- Application Deadline: March 12, 2024
- Notification Deadline: April 15, 2024
- Tentative Program Dates: June 10 to August 2
Contacts
For more information about this program, contact the following site coordinators:
Application:
Complete the online application by the program deadline for full consideration. We reserve the right to make offers to promising applications before the deadline.
Eligibility Criteria:
Applicants must:
- U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, or permanent residents of the United States
- Currently teach STEM in grades 5-9 in the west central Alabama area
- Have completed at least 2 full years of teaching with commitment to teach for at least the next 3 years
Professional Development Activities:
During the program, teachers will:
- Contribute to engineering research projects focused on physiological or environment sensing working with faculty and graduate students in the College of Engineering
- Attend weekly professional development workshops on engineering, sensors/programming, and education/curriculum
- Participate in weekly peer share sessions with the teacher cohort
- Demonstrate their educational activities to the teacher cohort
- Present research results at an end of summer poster symposium
Financial Support
Participating teachers will receive:
- $8000 stipend for their participation in the program
- $2000 for materials/supplies for the developed educational activities
- Paid on-campus housing for up to 2 teachers who have to commute long-distance ( > 60 miles) to campus
Expectations:
Participant must:
- Commit 35 hours per week to activities during the programs 8-weeks
- Attend professional development workshops and seminars during summer
- Present their curriculum and research results to their cohort at end of program
- Commit to launch their educational activities in their classrooms within 1 year of the program and coordinate visit to classroom by faculty mentor